Iranian musicians find hope and healing through music amid war

A moment for Anisa to shine, the 14-year-old pianist, back on stage with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. The months of war disrupted lives across Iran. There were terrifying sounds, sometimes the sound of air defenses, missiles and bunker busters where I live in Bushehr, and all the while I was practicing. For those gathered here, this concert is a way to reclaim a sense of normality. Even if it's just for an hour, people sit and listen. And for a while, they can put their pain and suffering out of their minds. That's one of the things music can do. But the road hasn't been easy for some musicians like Hamid Reza. His workshop was destroyed in an airstrike. He has since set up a new one, but he says it's been difficult. The worst part was realizing that no institution supports commercial or cultural spaces damaged in the war. For DJ Mohamed Reza, the war disrupted a business built on bringing people together through music. Our job is particularly vulnerable to any political, religious or social incident. We're always among the first to feel the impact. Beyond the physical damage are the emotional scars. Every opportunity to practice together is a chance to work through the trauma. We are going through a process of confronting those difficult days, the days we are still living through and the uncertain days ahead when we don't know what will happen. Music has always been the heartbeat of society in Iran. From post-revolutionary patriotic songs to epic compositions celebrating resilience and from protest anthems to songs championed by the state. Melodies that have echoed through the years. The war has changed the rhythm of many things in Iran. But here in this rehearsal room, music is playing again. And for these young musicians, it's a sign that life moves forward. Tohid Asadi, Al Jazeera, Tehran.