Uncommon Experiences: Comparative Religion Through Musical Co-Creation and Service-Learning

Since Spring 2022, Mercer University (Mercer) and Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco (AUI) have collaborated on the design and implementation of a program exploring inter-religious dialogue, particularly between Muslims and Christians, rooted in commonalities in religious texts and practices. Since Spring 2023, this program has been augmented through engagement with musical styles and performances facilitated by local Moroccan experts. Further, the program has since included a service-learning project that allows the students to benefit from the vocational programs at AUI’s Azrou Center for Community Development. Through this program, students and professors from Mercer, AUI, and the Azrou Center collaborate on arrangements of both traditional and original musical pieces that are performed publicly in a variety of venues, including AUI, the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in Fès, the Fes Sacred Music Festival, and the Azrou Center. In addition to the musical preparation and performances, the academic aspects include readings, reflective responses, peer dialogues, and a culminating creative project.