Safeya Alblooshi: Ear to the Future

Safeya Alblooshi has a pretty unique job—she’s an ethnomusicologist. Think of her as a sound sleuth, unraveling the rhythms, beats, and everyday noise that define a culture’s soul. As a researcher at NYU Abu Dhabi’s Music and Sound Cultures Research Group, she decodes the stories behind the sounds—everything from buzzing city streets to age-old melodies—revealing what shapes the Emirati soundscape. And when she’s not out digging through soundwaves, you’ll catch her skating or road-tripping through the Emirates.

We caught up with Safeya to talk about the music that shaped her, where she’d love to do field research (hint: it’s somewhere freezing), and what revolution truly sounds like.