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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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Mitrovica Rock School: The Art of Listening and Responding

Wendy Hassler-Forest, Strategic Development Manager, Musicians Without Borders

06-02-2021

Mitrovica, a miner’s town in Northern Kosovo, has been called Europe’s most divided city. Since the end of the Kosovo War in 1999, the river that runs through the city has become a de facto border between the minority Serb community in the North and the majority Albanian community in the South.

Treasures within a UNESCO Report

Yutaka Kikugawa, Founder and Executive Director, El Sistema Japan

06-02-2021

I earned my M.A. degree in educational policy studies from the Institute of Education, University of London (now University College London) a quarter-century ago. In the same year, a seminal report called Learning: The Treasure Within (the Delors Report) was published by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), where I started my United Nations career two years later. This is one of many texts that have made a huge impact on my life; it is always a source of inspiration when it comes to education and learning. Although the Report has been influential among educators, I’ve come to recognize that it is not well known in the sphere of music education, let alone the art and music world in general.

Looking beyond Music: Empowering Students to Ignite Change at Project 440

Elena LeVan, Administrative Assistant, Project 440

06-02-2021

The first note an audience hears at any symphonic concert comes in at 440 Hz—the pitch A. Typically, the oboe plays this first pitch, followed by the rest of the orchestra as the tuning routine begins. Whether performing Bach concerto or Vivaldi suite, they will perform in tune, thanks to that first tuning pitch.

Venezuelan Musicians in Crisis Recreate Musical Identity across the World

Rachel O’Connor, DMA Candidate, The Peabody Institute; Hornist, American Youth Symphony

06-02-2021

Across the world, members of the music for social change movement hold a special connection to Venezuela, and many feel great concern for the astoundingly difficult circumstances its people have faced in recent years. The ongoing crisis remains massively under-reported in the media and under-funded by the global community. Brookings Institution calls this “the largest and most under-funded refugee crisis in modern history”; Venezuela is on track to overtake Syria as the country with the most displaced people, with 5.4 million and counting. Meanwhile, the international community has committed significantly less funding to Venezuelans. Four years into the Syrian crisis, $7.4 billion in international aid ($1,500 per refugee) had been amassed, while at a similar point in Venezuela’s crisis, only $580 million has been spent ($125 per person).

The WE Ambassadors’ Week of Workshops 2021

Amira Axelle Miel, Ambassador (Philippines)

06-02-2021

I am honored to be a part of this year’s World Ensemble Ambassadors, a talented bunch of youth musicians from nine countries around the world. As much as I love sharing stories with them and writing about our respective programs, I also look forward to growing in my artistry through the mentorship that we receive as Ambassadors.

SIMM Announces Upcoming In-Person Gatherings

05-19-2021

SIMM, or Social Impact of Making Music, is an independent international scholarly association, founded in 2017 and headquartered in Belgium, whose main research focus is the possible social impacts of learning and making music.

New Tool for Music Educators: The Comprehensive String Pedagogy & Curriculum

05-19-2021

The new Comprehensive String Pedagogy & Curriculum (CSPC) has been written by Richard Young of the Vermeer Quartet as an in-depth tool for Sistema-inspired youth orchestra teachers, conductors, and administrators. A longtime admirer of José Antonio Abreu, Young has taught extensively throughout Latin America, Europe, and the U.S.

Americans for the Arts Offers Tips to Access New Government Grants

05-19-2021

On May 26 from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. EDT, Americans for the Arts will host an online session about tapping government funding from the American Rescue Plan. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) introduced by the Biden Administration delivers $350 billion in state and local block grants for Coronavirus fiscal recovery.

Muscambia Hosts Discussion on Music in Incarcerated Settings

05-19-2021

Do you know Musicambia? They are an organization dedicated to music for social change in incarcerated communities, partners with organizations around the world. If you want to learn more about them, you can attend a special event on June 3, at 9:00 p.m. EDT.

Sistema Scotland Announces First Global Ambassador

05-19-2021

Sistema Scotland has announced their first official worldwide “Ambassador”: Dame Evelyn Glennie, the renowned and beloved solo percussionist, who hails from Scotland and is internationally known for her passionate commitment to social connection through music. Dame Evelyn will promote the work of the Big Noise programs of Sistema Scotland and, in Big Noise Chairman Benny Higgins’ words, raise awareness about the importance of “how we listen and learn from each other.”

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