Liderazgo

One of our longest-standing members asked a question at a meeting this year that I still cannot answer well. He had rehearsed four or five pieces for our concert last December. On the afternoon itself, he participated in playing only one of them. He wanted to know how that had come about. He put his question to everyone in the room.

Last month, my daughter’s choir director needed parents to take tickets to the year-end concert. I had been a choir singer and director myself, so I know the invisible work it takes to put students on a stage. When the request came, I wanted to be the kind of parent who showed up.

Then, my week got overwhelming. By the time the concert arrived, I was no longer deciding between helping and not helping. I was deciding which responsibility would boil over first if I took my attention off it.

U.S. pop singer Sara Bareilles recently gave a short but powerful commencement speech (at the Berklee School of Music) that will inspire all of us in the arts.

“What’s the biggest thing keeping you up at night, as a leader or as a teaching artist?”

When Nikoletta Polydorou, founder of Sistema Cyprus, recently posed this question to music-for-social-action leaders and teaching artists across different countries and contexts, one concern surfaced repeatedly: when a program’s purpose isn’t clear, and collectively owned, the learning is less focused and effective.

Cuando recibí la noticia de que, a través de un programa de intercambio, podría pasar cuatro meses en Zumix (un programa de desarrollo creativo para jóvenes en Boston, Massachusetts, EE.UU.), consulté su sitio web. Leí la frase "Powered by Youth" y pensé: "Claro, suena bien, pero probablemente sólo sea un lema pegadizo".

Pero cuando llegué a Boston y asistí a mi primer evento Zumix, un concierto el domingo por la noche en un parque local, me di cuenta de que esas palabras eran ciertas.

La música tiene el poder de transformar vidas, fortalecer comunidades y cuestionar los sistemas que las conforman, pero ¿cómo es en realidad ese proceso transformador? Desde hace cinco años, el Premio Lewis de Música (TLPM) ha abordado esta cuestión apoyando a organizaciones que aprovechan el poder de la música para elevar y empoderar a los jóvenes.