When Nadine Kabbani started playing the piano at the age of 8, she never imagined her music would one day be streamed from space.
Yet, this September, her composition No Gravity will be broadcast from the International Space Station.
The Emirati, 20, was selected as one of two winners of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology's AstroBeat – Music from Space competition in May.
A SpaceX rocket will carry her winning submission – a celestial-inspired composition – to the orbiting laboratory, where it will be featured for the first time.
“I really hope that when the astronauts listen to my piece, it gives them a sense of understanding and connection to what I’ve composed,” Ms Kabbani told The National.
“I want to them to have a feeling that even though they might be away from home, they can still feel like they’re back with their loved ones.
“To keep that feeling throughout the composition, the song ends in a way that provides a sense of completeness and calmness.”
Reaching for the stars
Ms Kabbani recently graduated from the New York University Abu Dhabi with a bachelor's degree in legal studies and music.
Growing up in Abu Dhabi, she developed a deep love for music and the piano, and added to her skills at university.
“Throughout that course, I fell in love with music composition, specifically film composition,” said Ms Kabbani, who started exploring beyond the piano and began experimenting with different styles and sounds during her studies.
Her winning piece merges classical instruments with synthesisers.
“I wanted to push my limits. I usually compose with just classical instruments, but this time, I incorporated a drone and other synthesisers to give it a space-themed, celestial vibe.”
The inspiration for No Gravity came during a period when Ms Kabbani was travelling frequently for a competition related to her law studies.
Feeling distant and unanchored, she channelled these emotions into her music.
“It’s about that feeling of floating around between different places – that’s why I named it No Gravity, she said.
Grateful for support
Ms Kabbani credits staff at NYUAD, particularly assistant professors Matteo Marciano and Carlos Guedes, for their guidance and support.
“They’ve both played integral parts in shaping my academic journey, because I started music as a hobby – something that I would just do for fun,” she said.
“And with their guidance, it has truly shown me that I can do this as a potential career.”
Ms Kabbani's involvement in projects like the Young Filmmakers Workshop – an initiative involving NYUAD for Emirati high school students – where she assisted in composing music for short films, further fueled her passion for composing film music.
While she wants to continue pursuing projects in music, Ms Kabbani has decided to go down the legal route, as she is equally passionate about it.
“I want to be a lawyer, specifically in intellectual property law, but I also never want to give up on music,” she said.
“I plan to compose music in my free time, and I want to specialise in intellectual property law as a way of combining both my interests.”
The other winner is American student Summer Reid, whose composition Little Brooks was inspired by a family reunion.
AstroBeat is a project financed by the Malta Council for Science and Technology through the Mediterranean island's Space Upstream Programme.
The payload opportunity is provided by Nanoracks, a company that creates access to space for schools and companies.
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'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Of Madness'
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3/5
Company profile
Name: The Concept
Founders: Yadhushan Mahendran, Maria Sobh and Muhammad Rijal
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: 2017
Number of employees: 7
Sector: Aviation and space industry
Funding: $250,000
Future plans: Looking to raise $1 million investment to boost expansion and develop new products
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
THE BIO
Ms Davison came to Dubai from Kerala after her marriage in 1996 when she was 21-years-old
Since 2001, Ms Davison has worked at many affordable schools such as Our Own English High School in Sharjah, and The Apple International School and Amled School in Dubai
Favourite Book: The Alchemist
Favourite quote: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail
Favourite place to Travel to: Vienna
Favourite cuisine: Italian food
Favourite Movie : Scent of a Woman
RESULTS
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: AF Seven Skies, Bernardo Pinheiro, Qais Aboud
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: Almahroosa, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
6.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Sumoud, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Adventurous, Sandro Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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