Community Engagement

 
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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Arts Communities Drive Manchester Forward

Sam Davies, Founder, The Untold Orchestra; Alumnus, Global Leaders Institute

12-03-2025

“We do things differently.” That’s the motto of Manchester, England—and if you’re walking through the city, it doesn’t take long to see that it prides itself on its innovation and creativity. I’ve been fortunate to spend my 20s here, learning from the legacies of changemakers both past and present. So many of the city’s most impactful figures have been—and still are—artists working directly with communities.

Inspired by the people, creatives, and communities around me, I spent the second half of my 13 years in Manchester founding The Untold Orchestra, a “non-classical” collaborative orchestra that centers community engagement. But this piece isn’t about Untold. It’s about an Art City—that is, a place where arts interventions are prioritized and supported by the people who live there, and then rewarded with community, creativity, and positive social change.

EDITORIAL
Young People Are Speaking To Us. Are We Close Enough to Hear Them?

Dalouge Smith, Founder and Executive Director, The Creating Abundance Collaborative; Co-founder and CEO, The Lewis Prize, 2018–2024

12-03-2025

I’d been missing the presence and perspective of young people in these gatherings dedicated to arts education, young people’s wellbeing, and community health through the arts. When young people were present, it was most often as performers, and occasionally as panelists alongside adults.

Throughout these events, I had been wondering, “How is it that we continue to position young people as objects of conversation, and not the subject?”

Students Across Continents Sing Their Way to Climate Action

Natalie Osby, Student, Loyola Marymount University; Volunteer and Be Cool! Connections Coordinator, The ClimateMusic Project

12-03-2025

Climate change is a complex, often overwhelming issue, causing many to turn away or disengage from conversations about it. That’s where music comes in. Just as we share this planet, we share the language of music. And when we speak it, we have the power to restore our planet’s health and build a thriving network of changemakers.

An Upstate New York Community Connects through Myanmar’s Music

Andrew Borkowski, Director of Education, Buffalo String Works

12-03-2025

During the 2022-23 academic year, Buffalo String Works began asking the question: “How can we be more intentional about the music we’re asking our students to learn and perform?” Over the course of attempting to answer this question, the BSW Music Library Development Project was born—resulting in the commissioning and composition of a brand-new work for student string orchestra: “Aka” by Wai Hin Ko Ko.

Along Italian Coast, a Climate-Conscious Program Turns “Rubbish Into Music”

Chiara Galli, Managing Director, and Stefano Murciano, Communications Manager, LiberaMusica

11-05-2025

In the city where LiberaMusica operates—Pesaro, Italy, right on the Mediterranean coast—the connection with nature is strong and part of everyday life. From the Apennine Mountains to the coastline, children grow up surrounded by an environment that is rich, fragile, and, today more than ever, in need of protection. In recent years, our region has been marked by extreme events: floods, droughts, and changing seasons are reshaping our landscape. Schools and associations have been working hard to raise ecological awareness, and LiberaMusica wanted to contribute by doing what we know best: making music.

ClimateMusic Invites Streaming Partners for Interactive Digital Concert Series

11-05-2025

If you’re an artist who is curious about climate action and want to connect with others on the topic in a fun and engaging way, ClimateMusic is inviting people to join their free live-streamed concert EcoEcho on November 8 as a streaming partner.

Musician Steven Banks Launches Community Engagement Initiative

10-01-2025

Over the 2025–26 performance season, saxophonist, composer, and educator Steven Banks will bring his new initiative, Come As You Are, to communities across the U.S. and abroad.

Big Noise Trains Students at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

10-01-2025

In 2018, Big Noise developed a module for undergraduate students with staff at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Patagonia’s Huilo Huilo Festival Blends Musical Excellence with Social Impact

Barbara Domingos, Artistic Producer, São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP); Artistic Operations Manager, Huilo Huilo Music Festival; 2022 cohort member, Global Leaders Institute

07-09-2025

In the heart of Chilean Patagonia, the strings of a violin resonate deep within the temperate forest. Birds sing in harmony with the refined sounds of bows gliding over the strings; leaves whisper centuries-old stories. The Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, where endangered species are protected, also embraces a group of young musicians—along with their mentors, who are string principals in the Brussels Philharmonic—during daily rehearsals and performances. It’s an inspiring fusion of human artistry and Patagonian majesty.

Reggae Roots at Sistema Toronto – Jane Finch

Kelsy Vivash, Marketing & Communications Manager, Sistema Toronto

06-04-2025

Working in this field has shown us how a diverse, inclusive curriculum can activate a student’s passion and sense of self. At Sistema Toronto, our goal is to have repertoires that represent our students and the communities they live in. With that in mind, Sistema Toronto invited Juno-nominated reggae artist Jah’Mila to work with students at our Jane Finch Centre this March as part of a months-long exploration of reggae music titled Reggae Roots. Our students spent January and February preparing for three days of workshops led by Jah’Mila and a culminating concert.

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