The Heartland Youth Seminar on Arabic Music is a four-day residential program focusing on Arabic music and dance from the classical and folk traditions.

The seminar, designed for ages 8-15, will be held in Racine, Wisconsin from August 1-4. No previous musical training is required for participation.

The seminar will feature internationally-recognized performers and educators who will offer lessons, workshops, and ensembles. Faculty members are: Alan Shavarsh Bardezbanian of Maine on music theory, Karim Nagi Mohammed of Boston on percussion and folk dance, Naser Musa of Los Angeles, voice and singing, and Hicham Chami of Chicago, seminar director, on music appreciation.

All instructors are involved in community and family-oriented activities. They have extensive background in education and workshop-conducting with kids and teenagers, in addition to being recording artists and performers.

The Heartland Seminar is sponsored by Xauen Music, a Chicago-based organization dedicated to preserving the heritage of classical Arabic, Turkish, Armenian, and Sephardic music. Xauen Music promotes concerts, publishes a magazine, conducts educational workshops, and produces recordings.

The location is the DeKoven Center in Racine, Wisconsin, an Episcopal conference center on Lake Michigan. DeKoven is convenient to Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee and O'Hare Airport in Chicago, yet offers a secluded setting conducive to the seminar.

The Heartland Youth Seminar is the first event of its kind to be held in the Midwest.

For additional information about the seminar, please call Xauen Music at 847-830-8277 or 312-927-2746, or visit the following link: www.heartlandseminar.com.