Community Building

 
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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News & Resources

Playing the Changes Recounts Groundbreaking Jazz Education Program in Apartheid South Africa

05-07-2025

Classical IPR Launches Youth-Friendly Podcast

05-07-2025

Learning about classical music just got more fun with the launch of Intermezzo, a weekday podcast from Interlochen Public Radio hosted by and for young listeners.

Peabody Institute Offers Arts in Healthcare Training

05-07-2025

Are you curious how you can use music to make a difference for patients, families, and caregivers in healthcare settings?

New Children’s Book Celebrates 50 Years of Collective Music-Making

05-07-2025

In honor of El Sistema’s 50th anniversary, LiberaMusica and publisher Carthusia Edizioni are releasing Tumpa Cu-Cù, a new book introducing young children to ensemble music.

OrKidstra Joins Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra on International Tour

05-07-2025

Agents of Change

Loukia Lazarou, Teaching Artist and Project Manager, Sistema Cyprus

05-07-2025

The idea of hosting volunteers had two purposes: one, the additional staff would be an immense help for our organization, and two, they would provide relatable young role models for our students—especially important for those from vulnerable backgrounds. We wanted to create a structure that nurtures leadership, social responsibility, and cultural exchange, both for the young people in our orchestra and for the volunteers.

The Queen of Paradise Initiative: A Life-Changing Experience in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea

Dane Madrigal, composer, conductor, and music educator

05-07-2025

One of the most memorable experiences from my time in Vanimo was helping the students prepare music for a truly special occasion: the visit, last August, of Pope Francis. With only three weeks to prepare, the students were able to put together both a fully recorded concert for the Holy Father and a few live pieces for his visit to the IVE Fathers in Baro.

The El Sistema USA 2025 West Coast Regional Gathering

Patrick Scafidi, Executive Editor, The Ensemble

05-07-2025

At events like these, it’s easy to think about the word “community” as the people in the room. But El Sistema USA’s nifty trick was to upend that idea. Rather than celebrate our professional community—the connections we form with colleagues—the ESUSA leadership team explored the ties that bind us to larger, more diverse communities—of families, of activists, of scientists, of lawmakers, and of the folks that lawmakers tend to ignore.

EDITORIAL
Forty Years of Radical Inclusion: What We Can Learn from Lavender Light

Eric Williamson, Artistic Director, Lavender Light Choir; Adjunct Professor, New York University Steinhart School; General Music Teacher, P.S. 32 in Brooklyn, NY, USA

05-07-2025

When you hear the phrase “social change through music,” what comes to mind? For many in our field, it means ensembles of student musicians learning to play and sing together.

Sometimes, though, it can mean people of all ages coming together and forging new communities of belonging through music. That’s the nature of my organization: Lavender Light, in New York City.

Students Take Over Big Noise Raploch

05-07-2025

Big Noise Raploch recently embarked on a big experiment…by handing over their jobs to students as part of their “Big Takeover.”

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