the ensemble

Big Note, Little Note is a new early-childhood music program for families with infants. Designed by Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute in partnership with local community centers and organizations, the new ten-week music class offers a range of experiences for families to engage with their babies through musical play, singing, songwriting, instrument exploration, and more. The program is offered free to families around the world to support family well-being, early child development, and parent-child connection.

Teachers working in high-need communities may want to explore STAT, or Support for Teachers Affected by Trauma. Geared primarily toward PreK–12 educators, STAT offers a five-module, self-paced course that invites participants to engage in a range of STS learning interactives, explore scenarios that highlight the impact of STS, listen to teachers describe their experiences, and more.

The staff of Chamber Music America has compiled a collection of resources in support of Black Lives Matter to advance anti-racist work in the music community. You can also find BLM support resources from Creative Capital.

Classics for Kids Foundation offers matching grants to K-12 schools and nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. to help purchase high-quality stringed instruments and to build sustainable stringed instrument music programs. Grants cannot exceed 50% of total instrument cost. Requests are reviewed quarterly and the upcoming application deadline is December 31, 2020. Learn more here.

Applications are now open for Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Ensembles. Please let your most promising students know about NYO2, a free orchestra program of intensive training and performance opportunities with a track record of recruiting musicians from communities underrepresented in classical music. The National Youth Orchestra of the United States (NYO-USA) deadline is November 12 ; the NYO2 application is due December 1; and NYO Jazz is due by January 21. All are free and led by distinguished artists.

Project 440 will host its fourth annual free college fair for musicians virtually, Tuesday, November 10 – Thursday, November 12. This fair brings together representatives from universities, conservatories, colleges, and summer music festivals from across the country to connect directly with emerging youth leaders interested in music. Inclusive in this three-day event are workshops on financial aid, admission processes, different careers in music, and more. Students and adults can both register; learn more here.

The Abolitionist Teaching Network is offering two online sessions for educators looking to continue the work of unlearning racist practices in the classroom. BIPOC are invited to attend Freedom Fridays with Noor Jones-Bey on November 6 (and every first Friday), 8–9 p.m. EST. The workshop will offer art forms such as poetry, movement, music, writing prompts, and more to help you through the month. Learn more and register here. And on Thursday, November 12, 8–9:30 p.m. EST, you can attend an online event titled, “No Matter Who Wins the Election, We Need an Abolitionist Agenda.” Panelists include 2018 and 2019 National Teachers of the Year, ATN cofounder Bettina Love, and more. Register here.

To honor the four decades of service that Leni Boorstin has dedicated to the Los Angeles Philharmonic in shaping their community and learning programs, with a central role in launching YOLA, the L.A. Phil has created The Leni Boorstin YOLA Administrative Fellowship. This is a paid annual fellowship for two young people, to provide YOLA graduates an even greater role in shaping its future. Working alongside staff members at the new Beckman YOLA Center at Inglewood, they will contribute to the learning programs and build connections in the community.

As El Sistema-inspired programs, we value community. Over the years, programs of various shapes and sizes have sprung up across Canada, laying down roots in priority communities. Although each program is unique in how it strives to support the students and families it serves, we are united as El Sistema-inspired programs in our shared belief in the transformative power of music. We are also bound together in confronting issues that concern all Canadians—issues of income inequality, racism, and systemic oppression, to name a few.

As a result of the pandemic, El Sistema programs are launching initiatives that aim to share their learning more widely. Play On Philly is opening its resources and programming to students in non-Sistema programs across the country—not just in Philly. Read more about how they’re doing it here. Similarly, the Harmony Program in New York has developed an original series of YouTube-based beginner music lessons for learners ages 7–10, called “Harmony at Home.” This free, year-long series consists of weekly, 30-minute lessons in music fundamentals from prominent artists, including Joshua Bell, Anthony McGill, Jamie Bernstein, and Imani Winds. No instruments necessary.