Editorials

 
The Ensemble seeks to connect and inform all people who are committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change.

Art Heals: Arts as a basic need in humanitarian settings

03-05-2024

I have worked in the humanitarian sector for almost 15 years, in both Jordan and Lebanon, which have the highest refugees per capita in the world. In that time, I’ve learned thousands of life stories: of people who lost their homes, their possessions, and their established lives; of traumatized children and departed loved ones; of extreme health crises, both mental and physical. Yet, despite the hardships they reveal, these stories have always been more about bravery, strength, resilience, faith, and love.

Impactful Creative Youth Development

02-07-2024

During my 20-plus years of being an arts advocate and leader of music for social change work, I have repeatedly returned to this question: “How can we best convey the scope and complexity of our field’s impactful work to funders and policymakers?” 

I’m confident this is a question many Ensemble readers also ask. Communicating the many benefits for young people, families, and communities that result from our work is more complex than a sound bite.

The Ambassadors’ Exchange: In Our Own Voices

06-07-2023

To complement the “Ambassador (Re)Introductions” published in April, the cohort recorded video introductions for the month of June. Listen to the Ambassadors as they say hello in their native languages, from every corner of the globe.

From Music Rooms to Policy Meetings: Taking Lessons from a Life in Music

06-07-2023

In my first Ensemble editorial, I wrote about how opportunities within classical music allowed me to bypass barriers caused by economic inequality in the Philippines. But this unequal distribution of resources still bothers me today, which is why I’m studying political science and hoping to go into policy research after graduation.

With just one year to go at college, I’ve been reflecting on the ways my musical training has influenced how I approach the social sciences

Out of Our Comfort Zones: Inviting communities to teach us how to serve them well

05-03-2023

What makes a community beautiful is the diversity and the village mentality established before we arrive. We can’t serve a student and not have connections with their family. And we can’t have relationships with a family and not have connections with the village and community they love.

The Ambassadors’ Exchange: May Happenings

05-03-2023

This month, the Ambassadors were asked to explore their daily lives in their programs. Our most recent entry explores ideas such as: 1) their daily routines outside of rehearsal; 2) what their rehearsal settings look and feel like; and 3) their relationships with their colleagues/instructors. We hope to share different slices of life from different corners of the world.

Attention of a Different Kind

04-05-2023

Think about how much time you and your team spend fighting for attention—from funders, from government officials, from community members. Working so hard to keep your programs going and growing. You put in that time because it’s necessary; programs can’t thrive without it. But all that management and self-promotion can deplete our ability to forge the connective pathways that sustain and push our work further.

The Ambassadors’ Exchange: (Re)Introductions

04-05-2023

Since this month is about introductions and reintroductions, the Ambassadors played multiple games on Discord to help the team coalesce. For example, we played Skribbl.io (a drawing-based guessing game, like Pictionary) and “Would You Rather?” One revelation from “Would You Rather?”: the Ambassadors would all prefer to see a popular music concert over a classical concert. To cap off the month, the Ambassadors were tasked with writing a short introduction about themselves as an exercise in self-reflection and community.

National Thinking, Local Impact

03-01-2023

Though still in its pilot year, the Center has been five years in the making, thanks to a strategic plan relying on input from a Steering Committee composed of representatives of over 20 Indianapolis organizations. During my individual meetings with each committee member, one concern kept coming up: a fear that the Center would be going after the same local funding sources they rely on for operations and programming. It became clear to me that arts organizations in Indianapolis were jockeying to drink from the same pool.

The Ambassadors’ Exchange: The Ensemble Ambassador Spotify Playlist

03-01-2023

This month, The Ensemble Ambassadors got together and began our first project with our new cohort leader: The Ensemble Ambassador Spotify Playlist. Each Ambassador was asked to submit three songs: a “hype” song, a song we love, and a song that represents our culture or country of origin. In addition to creating the playlist, each ambassador reflected on why we chose our songs; read those perspectives below. Sharing music is an amazing way to connect with new people, so we hope you can check out our playlist!

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