Asia/Oceania

 
The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.

Journeying to New Communities through Cinema

05-01-2024

On May 14, 2017, we were on our way to Tinglayan, Kalinga in the Northern Philippines to screen films and teach filmmaking to young people—a five-hour drive from our base in Tuguegarao City. It had been five months and three film workshops since we’d founded the North Luzon Cinema Guild; Tinglayan Film Camp was our first collaboration with an Indigenous community.

While we were driving downhill on the foot of the Cordillera Mountains, the brake pads of our yellow 1999 Toyota Fun Cargo gave out. As we careened down the mountain, an old bus headed uphill came into view. Seeing it was going to be tight, we angled our car toward the side of the road…and kept rolling…

Expanding Musical Opportunities for Children

05-01-2024

It’s been a decade since we launched the first El Sistema–inspired program in Japan, in the city of Soma, Fukushima Province. Our goal was to offer support, community, and dignity to the children affected by the 2011 tsunami and nuclear accident. Our vision statement at that time was: “Community regenerated by children with life skills through music.”

Since then, we’ve learned a great deal about the needs of the children we serve and the primary outcomes we want to be aiming at. Accordingly, we’ve reshaped the vision statement as follows: “Collaborative society where everyone can be free and creative.”

Australians Push Back on Proposed Arts-Funding Cuts

03-06-2024

Arts programs are often the first to be affected by government cutbacks, and proposed cuts are putting the future of the Melbourne Youth Orchestras at risk.

Mutual Teaching, Mutual Learning at the Queen of Paradise Program

03-05-2024

The Queen of Paradise program was originally the brainchild of Father Miguel de la Calle, a priest at the IVE (Instituto del Verbo Encarnado) mission in Papua New Guinea. Father Miguel, says Maestro Briceño, “had full confidence, from day one, in the power of music to positively change lives.”

‘Because Boys’ Strikes a Chord with Young Men in Australia

06-21-2023

A 16yearold’s song is letting young men in Australia know it’s okay to express their emotions. Because Boyswas written by Rory Phillips as part of the Boys’ Vocal Program in New South Wales.

Creative Change Project Tackles Social Inequity through Music

06-21-2023

What is community music’s role in addressing social inequality? The Creative Change project is hoping to answer this question through a series of research-informed projects with Aboriginal communities across Australia.

The Ambassadors’ Exchange: In Our Own Voices

06-07-2023

To complement the “Ambassador (Re)Introductions” published in April, the cohort recorded video introductions for the month of June. Listen to the Ambassadors as they say hello in their native languages, from every corner of the globe.

Jameel Arts & Health Lab Launches Four International Research Studies

05-17-2023

The Jameel Arts & Health Labthe brainchild of the World Health Organization (WHO), New York University’s Steinhardt School, the non-profit organization Culturunners, and philanthropic foundation Community Jameelwas launched earlier this year with an ambitious mission: to research how the arts can improve the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in some of the most challenging places around the world.

The Ambassadors’ Exchange: May Happenings

05-03-2023

This month, the Ambassadors were asked to explore their daily lives in their programs. Our most recent entry explores ideas such as: 1) their daily routines outside of rehearsal; 2) what their rehearsal settings look and feel like; and 3) their relationships with their colleagues/instructors. We hope to share different slices of life from different corners of the world.

Ang Misyon’s Orchestra of the Filipino Youth

11-02-2022

When the world stopped in 2020, Ang Misyon’s Orchestra of the Filipino Youth (OFY) had to adapt its programming to a hybrid format. Under the guidance of Gerard Salonga, OFY’s Music Director since 2021, the curriculum was reprioritized to ensure that each scholar receives hands-on mentorship while continuing to develop a sense of community with their peers.

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