Collaborations

In my small Portuguese village of Pousos, between the giant waves of Nazaré and the Shrine of Fátima, we had a community band. I joined at age 8, playing flugelhorn. I’m forever grateful for this decision, which launched a life in music. But it wasn’t until years later, when I served as the director of several conservatories, that I began asking why it took so long to get started.

One-day choirs are growing in popularity.

Sphinx LEAD is a two-year leadership program by the Sphinx Organization developing the next generation of U.S. Black and Latino executive arts leaders through mentorship, networking, and immersive leadership retreats.

Creative work makes a difference for all of us, but especially for immigrants.

The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is set to launch its 2027 global funding cycle, which aims to support artists, scholars, arts professionals, and organizations in advancing cultural exchange both between the U.S. and Asia and within Asia.

UNESCO is preparing a Post-2030 Youth Education and Learning Agenda as part of their Education Beyond 2030 initiative.

Berklee College of Music is offering ten free digital handbooks covering music theory, songwriting, music business, and more.

There are seasons in any movement. The beginning, that electric moment when a new idea catches fire, is unforgettable. So is the end, when a movement gains a permanent foothold in society. But the middle—the developing stage—is different. The middle is where the path is no longer clear, where the just cause and the strategies for seeing it through are both tested. It’s my impression that, in many places of the world, El Sistema-inspired programs find themselves in that adolescent stage.

These growing years are critical to our future as a movement—just as the adolescent years are critical to our students’ growth. Here are a few discoveries being made by U.S. programs I’m familiar with, shared with the hope that they resonate with programs around the world.

The contemporary classical music organization Donemus has a leading role in the Forbidden Music Regained project, which is “dedicated to rediscovering and reviving the musical works of composers whose voices were silenced during the Nazi regime.”

The Creative Economy Pathways Virtual Town Hall Series explores how Creative Youth Development is expanding career pathways for young people through arts-based experiences and youth leadership.