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Weaving Maori Principles into an El Sistema–Inspired Program in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Sam Winterton, Cofounder and Outreach Coordinator at Sistema Whangarei–Toi Akorangi, New Zealand

04-02-2025

The world enjoys Maori culture through its vivid kapa haka (performances of song, dance, and chant) and the famous haka displayed at All Blacks rugby games. There are no piupiu, poi, or taiaha (traditional garments, food, or weapons) at Sistema Whangarei–Toi Akorangi, in New Zealand’s far north, and yet Maori principles are quietly, seamlessly woven through the fabric of our program. They create the foundations for endless possibility.

The US Government Canceled a Youth Concert. Military Veterans Uncanceled It.

Rishab Jain, percussionist and high school senior

04-02-2025

When I learned that the organization Equity Arc was presenting a wind symphony concert and learning intensive that brought together under-represented youth musicians and the USMB, I was ecstatic. This was a chance to stand beside my idols, the individuals I’d looked up to since first discovering them. I prepared like never before. And, eventually, the hard work paid off: I was selected. It felt surreal; finally, a chance to perform with my heroes, my mentors, my friends.

The excitement grew for weeks…until February 24, when I received a dreadful email that stated: “In accordance with recent Executive Orders impacting DEI-related programming for federal agencies, the Marine Band has been instructed to cancel our collaboration.”

Using Circles to Build Community and Connection in CYD Spaces

John Weiss, Director of Strategic Initiatives, and Lori Roddy, Executive Director, Neutral Zone

03-05-2025

It’s 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon at the Neutral Zone, a creative arts and leadership center for teenagers in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Twenty-four young people and six staff gather in a circle of chairs in the B-Side Venue (a multi-purpose program space that also serves as a 400-person concert venue). As a disco ball glimmers overhead, Ash, a teen participant and high school sophomore, volunteers with an opening question: “What did you like to do at recess when you were a kid in school?”

Powered by Youth: More Than a Catchphrase

Gergely Bándi, Project Manager, Instrumental Program Leader, and music teacher, Superar Hungary

03-05-2025

When I received the news that, through an exchange program, I could spend four months at Zumix (a creative youth development program in Boston, Massachusetts, USA), I checked their website. I read the phrase “Powered by Youth” and thought, “Sure, it sounds good, but it’s probably just a catchy motto.”

But when I arrived in Boston and attended my first Zumix event, a Sunday evening concert at a local park, I realized those words were true.

Transforming Young Lives Through Music: Lessons from Five Years of Impact in Creative Youth Development

Alexis Jackson, Data Analysis Officer, The Lewis Prize for Music

03-05-2025

Music has the power to transform lives, strengthen communities, and challenge the systems that shape them—but what does that transformative process actually look like? For the past five years, The Lewis Prize for Music (TLPM) has been addressing this question by supporting organizations that harness music’s power to uplift and empower young people. 

At Sirkhane Social Circus, Cultural Cooperation Is No High-Wire Act

Sahba Aminikia, San Francisco-based Iranian American composer; Founder, Flying Carpet Festival

03-05-2025

Sirkhane Social Circus is more than just a place to learn circus skills—it is a sanctuary of joy, healing, and creative expression for children who have endured the trauma of war, displacement, and social instability. Based in Mardin, Turkey, near the Syrian border, Sirkhane provides a safe and nurturing environment where children from diverse backgrounds—Syrian, Turkish, Iraqi, and Kurdish—come together to learn, perform, and play.

Collaboration Across Cultures—and Genres—in São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea-Bissau

Eduardo Lála, Conductor and Technical-Pedagogical Coordinator, The Rizoma Project

02-05-2025

When the Rizoma Project launched in 2022 in São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea-Bissau, I knew we were embarking on an ambitious journey. Our goal was clear: to establish social orchestras in communities with limited resources and significant social challenges. 

At a Canadian Military Base, a Núcleo Answers an Overlooked Need

Tricia Tunstall, Contributing Editor, The Ensemble; Ken MacLeod, Founder, Sistema New Brunswick; and Kenn Mainville, CEO, Sistema New Brunswick

02-05-2025

“Where can we have the most impact?”

This question will resonate with many Ensemble readers, especially those who’ve thought about starting a new program or adding more sites to their program.

For the leaders of the Canadian network Sistema New Brunswick (Sistema NB), it sparked an unusual answer: “A military base!”

Two weeks, 13 concerts, 22 musicians: The Ghetto Classics All-Stars Tour Kenya

Joanna Priwieziencew, Head of Ghetto Classics Dance, Nairobi, Kenya

02-05-2025

Nairobi, Kenya, November 2024.

A small room bordering East Africa’s largest dumpsite. Heat scorches through tin roofs as dust rises from the cement floor. Inside, 20 Kenyan musicians focus on Belgian saxophonist Toine Thys: they take in his every gesture and expression, eager not to miss a note. In the drum section, Canadian drummer and pedagogue Karl Jannuska passes his drumsticks to a Kenyan musician and picks up the shakers. Together, they are about to carve the thick air with an Afro jazz beat.

They’re also about to embark on their first national tour.

In Harmony Liverpool and the Till Approach: A New Perspective on String Pedagogy

Alex Dunn, Deputy Artistic Director, In Harmony Liverpool, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, UK

02-05-2025

Ten years ago, violinist Sophie Till was in Scotland working with players from the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. I was there too, attending her sessions and participating in a lesson. When I returned to In Harmony Liverpool, I did so feeling that Sophie’s work would soon change the way we taught our young string players.

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