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The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.
 
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GLP Imagined Community Concert: ‘Let It Be’ Mantras

Jenny O’Connor-Madsen (author), Rebecca Kim, Alfonso Hernandez, and Evangelos Saklaras, GLP ‘22 Cohort

04-20-2022

Ian’s favorite song was The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” which he regularly played alongside MVM participants. In the wake of his passing, the song became a source of connective tissue for the MVM community. For Ian, “Let It Be” was a message of hope; we wondered what three-word mantras would resonate with MVM’s young people.

Sixth International Teaching Artist Conference

04-20-2022

The International Teaching Artist Collaborative, the largest international network of artists working for social change, will host its sixth annual conference this year in Oslo, Norway on September 1–3, 2022.

L.A. Philharmonic Offering Free Lesson Plans and Concerts

04-20-2022

Schools and families around the world can register for free access to on-demand lesson plans and concert videos on the L.A. Phil’s website and will receive an access link when the platform launches on May 9.

Instilling—and then Measuring—Confidence in Young Band Members

Amanda Holt, Strategic Information Specialist, Field Band Foundation

04-06-2022

Six thousand children participate in field bands across South Africa. These bands operate in rural and peri-urban communities that have little in the way of cultural, educational, or public health infrastructure. After-school activities are few. And yet, within these communities’ growing bands, people are growing, too.

Finding Harmony in Chennai and Delhi

Sambhavi Mathiyazhagan, NalandaWay Foundation, Chennai

03-02-2022

In India’s most disadvantaged communities, musicianship is not always encouraged. Domestic violence is not uncommon in some homes; in others, girls are not allowed to sing due to household chores. Some families simply don’t like their children singing. And yet many of these very same communities have produced the members of the NalandaWay Foundation’s Children’s Choir.

Save the Date: El Sistema USA Symposium & Seminario, April 28–30

02-16-2022

El Sistema USA has announced that their 2022 National Symposium and Seminario will take place virtually on April 28–30, 2022.

Scenes from the YOLA National Symposium

Libby O’Neil, Executive Director, East Lake Expression Engine

11-03-2021

The work of running an El Sistema-inspired program can sometimes feel intensely lonely. But last weekend at the YOLA National Symposium in Los Angeles, this work felt rich with community—with good music, new friends, and shared experiences. The Symposium’s umbrella theme was, simply, “Change,” and participants approached that theme with joy, experimentation, challenge, and connection.

Welcome to the Beckmen YOLA Center 

Camille Delaney-McNeil, Director, Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center at Inglewood

10-06-2021

There are so many youth-centered programs, particularly in our Sistema community, that dream of creating a space just for their students. A space to design freely; a space to be a mentor. A space to perform. A space that belongs to, and works for, the community. Unfortunately, for far too many deserving programs and organizations, those dreams are not easily realized. What could it mean for the field if we call on our funders, institutions, and teams to truly commit to the change and advancement we have long sought?

Collaborators in the Key of Change

Ken MacLeod, CEO/Founder, Sistema New Brunswick (Canada)

10-05-2021

Society’s highest goal for children in foster care seems to be keeping them out of trouble. But their social workers ache for more. In our conversations, they were drawn to the idea of offering children a path to rare and significant personal success, including new skills and disciplines that would change their future.

Virtual Event: ‘Our Shared Future’

10-05-2021

All teaching artists know the value of our sharing our perspective in larger global contexts. That’s especially true now during this ongoing pandemic recovery effort. If you’re interested in continuing those conversations, then you’re invited to a virtual event on December 7–9, 2021: “Our Shared Future: Imagining a New Landscape for Teaching Artists.” Designed for and by teaching artists, the event is co-hosted by the Teaching Artists Guild, Arts Education Partnership, National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Education, and Hewlett Foundation. It will feature artmaking, panel discussions, roundtables, and small-group conversations designed to generate new ideas about the role of our work in pandemic recovery. Follow TAG’s Facebook page for updates on how to register.

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