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Goalkeepers Event Showcases the Power of Music across Africa

07-09-2025

In early June, the Gates Foundation hosted its first Goalkeepers event in Lagos, Nigeria, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and artists to address Africa’s progress in meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and showcase the power of music to unite people.

Last Call! Apply for the Fire Up – The Field Teaching Artist Residency

07-09-2025

Fire Up – The Field is a free five-month program from the Academy for Impact through Music (AIM) in collaboration with LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) and its National Accelerator program.

EDITORIAL
Rehearsing Community for a Better Tomorrow

Gabrielle Molina, Executive Director, Project Music; Lead Program Consultant, El Sistema USA

07-09-2025

As Executive Director Liz Moulthrop remarked during El Sistema USA’s East Coast Regional Gathering, “Community is our power.” Yet too often programs operate in isolation, brilliant islands of musical striving that rarely connect with the broader archipelago of creative youth development work happening across the world. This siloing, while understandable given resource constraints and logistical challenges, represents a missed opportunity to address our urgent need for unity.

In fact, we must double down on gathering. The practice of community.

Maestro Dudamel Joins Father on New Album

07-09-2025

Gustavo Dudamel isn’t the only master musician in his family. His dad, trombonist Oscar Dudamel, released a new album, Sueño Alcanzado (A Dream Accomplished) in May of this year, with original compositions that fuse the classic sounds of salsa with jazz and bolero influences.

In Thailand, an International Partnership Opens New Pathways

Thomas Duncan, Chief Programs Officer, Playing For Change Foundation

07-09-2025

With their decades of positive impact and wealth of institutional knowledge, it would have been easy for DWS to focus on maintaining their success. Instead, we at the Playing For Change Foundation were recently privileged to partner with DWS to bolster and expand their music program. The initial goals of our partnership were simple: identify and hire professional music educators who can help take the existing program to the next level, and maintain the standard of excellence that DWS has achieved in its other extracurricular programming.

Reggae Roots at Sistema Toronto – Jane Finch

Kelsy Vivash, Marketing & Communications Manager, Sistema Toronto

06-04-2025

Working in this field has shown us how a diverse, inclusive curriculum can activate a student’s passion and sense of self. At Sistema Toronto, our goal is to have repertoires that represent our students and the communities they live in. With that in mind, Sistema Toronto invited Juno-nominated reggae artist Jah’Mila to work with students at our Jane Finch Centre this March as part of a months-long exploration of reggae music titled Reggae Roots. Our students spent January and February preparing for three days of workshops led by Jah’Mila and a culminating concert.

In Chicago, One Piece of Music Brings a City Together

Christine Taylor Conda, Executive Director of Education & Community Engagement, Ravinia Festival

06-04-2025

During the two magical years I spent in Jamaica as a child, my aunt would visit our house every Thursday evening after work. I remember our family spending dinnertime on orange pleather cushions, listening to broadcaster Leonie Forbes recite poetry on the radio as classical music played in the background. That dinner table is where I first fell in love with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, and my family still talks about those Thursday nights we spent together.

Now, as Ravinia searches for inventive ways to reinvigorate interest in great musical works, those Thursday evenings come to mind.

Now, as Ravinia searches for inventive ways to reinvigorate interest in great musical works, those Thursday evenings come to mind.

AI-Powered App Measures Creative Health Program Outcomes

06-04-2025

A research partnership between Kenji Health, Queen Mary University, and four arts organizations in London has reimagined how we can evaluate the impacts of arts and health programs in rigorous and engaging ways.

Measuring Your Program’s Results: A Practical Framework for Insight

Graciela Briceno, Senior Education Advisor, USAID; Education Development Consultant; Music Teacher

06-04-2025

Ask any director of a music for social impact program about the program’s mission and goals, and you will receive an impassioned response about helping children, teaching music, inspiring minds, saving lives, building community, and developing social-emotional skills. There is clarity in what we all aim to achieve, built on a vision of happy students and families, beautiful music coming from every corner of a school, and meaningful stories of positively impacting children’s lives. Our vision includes accolades from school leaders or even government officials and others who are inspired by this work.

But how do we know whether we’re actually achieving these goals?

Suggested Reading: “Expanding the Path to Equitable Arts Funding”

06-04-2025

The Lewis Prize for Music Co-founder Dalouge Smith challenges funders to reconsider grantmaking priorities in a recent article for Grantmakers in the Arts.

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