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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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Introducing the 2021 World Ensemble Ambassadors

01-06-2021

The World Ensemble Ambassadors are a group of youth musicians representing different Sistema-based programs around the globe. We are pleased to announce the third cohort of Ambassadors, who hail from eight countries and nine programs. 

An Interview with Dream Orchestra Founder/Director Ron Davis Álvarez

Interviewed by Patrick Scafidi, Executive Editor of The Ensemble News

01-06-2021

Last month, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music recognized Dream Orchestra Director (and El Sistema Sweden Artistic Director) Ron Davis Álvarez with the Göran Lagervall Pedagogy Prize for “his activities in 40 cultural schools, where he renewed the pedagogical orchestral tradition with his experience from Venezuela.” Just days later, Álvarez conducted a performance for the Global Teacher Prize Award Gala, hosted digitally this year. A former candidate for the Global Teacher Prize himself, Álvarez conducted 70 students from ten countries in a performance of Sara Bareilles’ song “Brave.” Afterward, Álvarez was kind enough to sit down with The World Ensemble to discuss his busy week, his experiences with the Dream Orchestra, and his pedagogical philosophy.

El Sistema USA Invites Sistema Europe to Participate in Upcoming Virtual National Symposium and Seminario

01-06-2021

El Sistema USA invites Sistema Europe to take part in its upcoming virtual National Symposium and Seminario (February 15–19) by presenting a session entitled “All Change! – Exploring European Sistema Strategies at a Time of Challenge” on 17 February (EST 12 noon -1 pm, CET 6 -7 pm, GMT 5 – 6 pm). Sistema Europe program leaders and teachers are invited to submit a proposal to make a brief (5–7 minute) presentation about their program’s specific pandemic response initiatives and their context, results, and impact. Approximately four presenters will be invited to speak, with a particular emphasis on the diversity and originality of various responses. Please send your proposals by 13 January 2021 by email to [email protected] and [email protected]. Ten to fifteen lines will be ideal to outline what you would like to present.

NAMM Offers Digital Believe in Music Week

01-05-2021

The National Association of Music Merchants cannot host its gigantic annual national conference this year because of the pandemic, so they offer an online Believe in Music Week—a free global gathering during the week of January 18, to connect and support people who bring music to the world. Superstar speakers you know will be announced soon. Registration is free and open to all. Find out what the online conference offers here and register here.

Young Musicians Rally Around Rock Music to Build Bridges—premiere Dec. 19

12-16-2020

Music Connects is premiering a new documentary on music’s role as a universal language. It shares the story of young people who seek to heal ethnic divides in regions still plagued by the Yugoslav Wars. The uniting force? Rock music, which serves as the soundtrack to this story of bridging cultural differences.

Looking Out Foundation Offers Grants to Serve and Amplify Organizations in Need—deadline Feb. 1

12-16-2020

The Looking Out Foundation seeks to amplify the impact of music by empowering those without a voice, funding causes and organizations that often go unnoticed. Grants range between $1,000 and $5,000, and application deadlines are February 1 and August 1. Additional information about the Foundation is here and the application guidelines are here. Starting in 2008, multiple GRAMMY-winning artists Brandi Carlile and Tim and Phil Hanseroth banded together with fans, nonprofits, and corporations “to translate voices of song to voices of action”—$1 from every concert ticket sold goes directly into this fund.

El Sistema Sweden Presses Forward with Open Call for Side by Side Orchestra and Choir Camp—deadline Feb. 7

12-16-2020

This past year, El Sistema Sweden and the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra demonstrated how effective virtual programming could be in hosting an all-digital Side by Side International Youth Orchestra and Choir Camp. Normally a summer hub for over a thousand young musicians from all over the world, the online camp still provided an intense week of youth empowerment and ensemble playing.

Musicians Without Borders Schedules Musical Leadership Training for Early Spring 2021

12-16-2020

Looking for practical tools to keep pace in the ever-evolving climate of the music classroom? Musicians Without Borders is offering a professional development series in music leadership that seeks to prepare its participants to comfortably manage conflict, to provide them with exercises for regulating socio-emotional behaviors, and to create inclusive classrooms that transcend language or cultural barriers. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and training will be held February 21–24 in Ede, The Netherlands. There is a cost associated with the training. For more information or general inquiries, contact Meagan Hughes at: [email protected].

Now Available: A Digital Library of Learning Modules from Expert Teaching Artists

12-16-2020

Teaching artists anywhere now have access to a clearinghouse of new tools and resources from the International Teaching Artist Collaborative (ITAC). The U.S. organization Creative Generation (CG) has received an ITAC grant for their “Knowledge Sharing and Digital Learning Project,” which creates digital learning modules out of ITAC’s monthly Think Tanks. These modules go deeper into strong practices shared by teaching artists who are experts in a particular subject area, disseminating that expertise throughout the field of teaching artistry. CG has already begun to publish these expanded learning modules—the first five feature teaching artists from Ghana, Czech Republic, Scotland, Australia, and Papua New Guinea—and will continue to publish more. CG will also publish research and resources from sessions presented at ITAC4 (Carnegie Hall, 2012) and ITAC5 (Seoul, South Korea, 2020).

Lewis Prize for Music Announces Accelerator Awards Finalists

12-16-2020

The Lewis Prize for Music seeks out, honors, and supports programs they consider to be “catalysts” in the U.S. field for community-driven, high-quality music learning opportunities. The goal is to target and amplify programs that spark positive change in society. Listed among this year’s finalists is Atlanta Music Project, under the direction of Dantes Rameau and Aisha Moody; last year’s three grant recipients included Community MusicWorks in Providence, RI.

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