Behind the Scenes with Ahmed El Harouchi: Reveal of a GWA Anthem
![Behind the Scenes with Ahmed El Harouchi: Reveal of a GWA Anthem]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1585920753/gwaacma/cc1jdw0wq7ezbzfhdhbk/IMG-20190904-WA0008.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1585920753/gwaacma/cc1jdw0wq7ezbzfhdhbk/IMG-20190904-WA0008.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1585920753/gwaacma/cc1jdw0wq7ezbzfhdhbk/IMG-20190904-WA0008.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1585920753/gwaacma/cc1jdw0wq7ezbzfhdhbk/IMG-20190904-WA0008.jpg","width":960}])
At the beginning of the school year, Ahmed El Harouchi was tasked with writing a GWA anthem: A song that would embody GWA’s vision and what GWA students and graduates represent in society.
At the beginning of the school year, Ahmed El Harouchi was tasked with writing a GWA anthem: A song that would embody GWA’s vision and what GWA students and graduates represent in society. Now in his senior year, Ahmed is well-known for his creativity and performance skills. He has been involved in multiple GWA concerts and musicals and was a lead actor in this year’s school musical, AIDA. Ahmed reflects that “Aida was definitely one of my favorite moments of high school. The play is upbeat, the storyline is rich, the ending is beautiful, and Radames is such a fun character to play. I totally had a blast practicing and performing in Aida.” Even though the cast and crew of AIDA discovered mid-performance on closing-night that the Moroccan government had just suspended all schools due to coronavirus concerns, Ahmed’s reaction was to “not really think about it. I did not want to lose focus. We had worked so hard to deliver an exceptional performance, and I was not going to let that news totally bewilder me and break my role. I did not realize the gravity of the situation until I was back home.”
Although the musical’s run was not cut short by school closings, other projects, tournaments, and events have been canceled or put on hold. Sadly, this includes the professional recording studio version of the GWA anthem which was scheduled for this week in April. Ahmed wrote the lyrics and performs all vocals. He enlisted fellow senior, AIDA co-star, and talented musician/performer Adam Motaouakkil to write the music and play guitar for this anthem. Perhaps circumstances will allow the two to record in the studio before their graduation; but if not, they’ve collaborated from their respective quarantines to produce a recording of the anthem.
Ahmed encourages all of us to take this time at home to explore our own creativity: “I believe that is is the right moment to work on the things you've always wanted to work on. Now is the moment to really make a change and work on the things you've always wanted to excel at.”
This anthem serves as a nostalgic reflection on the excitement of a typical school day and a reminder of the greater purpose that calls every GWA student and graduate, no matter where you are.