Ali Hussain
About
Welcome! I'm Ali Hussain, an oud player, educator, and author deeply rooted in the rich traditions of Arabic music and spirituality. With over a decade of experience performing and teaching across the Western world and beyond, I specialize in guiding students through the art of oud playing, Arabic maqam theory, and the deeper cultural and spiritual contexts of the music.
Whether you're here to learn the oud, explore Arabic music theory, or experience the beauty of this tradition from the inside out—I’d love to work with you.
Teaching Style
My teaching style is intuitive, soulful, and tailored to each student's goals—whether you're a complete beginner curious about the oud, or an advanced player looking to deepen your knowledge of maqamat, rhythm, and improvisation (taqsim). I also love working with vocalists and instrumentalists who want to integrate Arabic musical modes into their existing practice.
As a researcher and performer, I draw inspiration from classical sources like Farabi and Ibn Arabi, as well as modern legends like Umm Kulthum and Ammar al-Shiree'i. My work bridges theory and feeling—focusing on music not just as a craft, but as a form of listening, presence, and expression.
Curriculum
We will be using the text of my teacher and Oud maestro from Jordan, Omar Abbad (both levels 1 and 2) as introductory texts to the Oud. As for advanced maqam theory, we will rely on sheet music of taqasim (improvisations) through which we will journey slowly, dissecting the phrases and modulations.
I'm attaching here the introductory books for learning Oud as well sample sheets of maqam theory of my own design.
Credentials & Affiliations
I have graduated with an Oud certificate and license to teach Oud from Crescendo Academy of Music and the Arts in Jordan.
Bio
Dr. Ali Hussain is an oud musician, creative mentor and educator on the sacred dimensions of the creative process.
He was born in Baghdad to an Iraqi father, Egyptian mother and an entire family of artists. His mother is a painter and interior decorator. His sister is a potter and brother an architect. His father, although a scientist by profession also happens to be a nature photographer.
After experiencing the First Gulf War of 1990 as a child, Ali migrated with his family to Jordan where his childhood memories continued to grow amidst his parents' galleries and siblings' artwork. However, Ali always found sound & melody to be the most eloquent medium that colors and expresses his soul and memoirs.
After migrating to the United States in 1997, Ali found his faith in America and eventually completed his masters degree in Artificial Intelligence. At this point, he decided to switch to the humanities and began his doctoral journey among the teachings of the Andalusian mystic Ibn Arabi (d. 1240).
Ibn Arabi helped Dr. Hussain synthesize his artistic upbringing, personal faith and academic study of mysticism, as well as his decades long journey with the piano, guitar and maqamat (Arabic music modalities).
In 2017, he picked up the oud which quickly became his creative tongue. His passion for the oud and Arabic music reached a milestone with the recent release of his first album, Anfas al-Madi [Breaths of the Past].
Dr. Hussain has also published many works on art and the creative process, two most significant of which are A Nostalgic Remembrance: Sufism and the Breath of Creativity and ISTIMĀ': The Sound Way & Listening for God.
Over the past decade, he has also founded the Adhwaq Center for Spirituality Culture and the Arts, a nonprofit organization focused on 'exploring spirituality and creativity in contemporary culture'. Through this organization, Dr. Hussain has taught many on-site and virtual retreats on a wide array of topics pertaining to art and the sacred dimensions of the creative process.