DR BAHRAM GHADIRI KHAMJANI
What if you could travel 2,600 years into the past... and actually hear an ancient orchestra play?After attending an unforgettable concert in Chicago, Aryan and Ariana can’t stop thinking about music.Then Grandpa shows them something extraordinary: an ancient relief depicting a royal orchestra associated with Madaktu, an important Elamite city.Twenty-six performers. Harps. Double pipes. A drum. Singers. Clapping.But what did their music actually sound like?There’s only one way to find out.With a flash of golden light, the Wise Homa carries Aryan and Ariana back through time to ancient Madaktu, where they meet Kirisha, the keeper of the beat, and an orchestra preparing for a royal procession.Soon the children aren’t simply watching history-they’re learning rhythms, exploring ancient instruments, helping solve a last-minute musical problem, and discovering the most important secret of making music together:Great musicians don’t just make sound. They listen.Filled with humor, adventure, music, archaeology, and fascinating glimpses of the ancient world, The Ancient Orchestra of Madaktu introduces young readers to the remarkable musical traditions of ancient Iran through an imaginative adventure inspired by historical evidence.Perfect for curious young readers interested in music, archaeology, ancient civilizations, Iranian history, instruments, STEM/STEAM learning, and time-travel adventures.Travel through time. Find the beat. Hear history come alive.The historical foundation should be emphasized carefully in marketing. The manuscript explains that the story is imaginative but draws its musical foundation from a Neo-Assyrian palace relief depicting the Royal Elamite Orchestra outside Madaktu around 653 BCE; the twenty-six performers and instruments derive from that evidence, while the children’s adventure and characters are fictional.
