Mentores

 
El Ensemble busca conectar e informar a todas las personas que están comprometidas con la educación musical de conjunto para el empoderamiento de los jóvenes y el cambio social.

U.S. Programs Are Approaching ‘The Middle’ of Their Movement. Now What?

07-08-2026

There are seasons in any movement. The beginning, that electric moment when a new idea catches fire, is unforgettable. So is the end, when a movement gains a permanent foothold in society. But the middle—the developing stage—is different. The middle is where the path is no longer clear, where the just cause and the strategies for seeing it through are both tested. It’s my impression that, in many places of the world, El Sistema-inspired programs find themselves in that adolescent stage.

These growing years are critical to our future as a movement—just as the adolescent years are critical to our students’ growth. Here are a few discoveries being made by U.S. programs I’m familiar with, shared with the hope that they resonate with programs around the world.

Suggested Reading: The Heart of Teacher-Student Relationship

07-08-2026

The student-teacher relationship in classical music conservatories is unlike almost any other.

Re-birth: 18 Years of Music, Meaning, and Maturing

03-04-2026

Many of the students we began with, back in 2006, are the first in their families to finish school, to attend university, and to build careers. The truly amazing part is that now, as young adults, their dream is not to escape. Their dream is to return. They come back to their communities—with purpose, compassion, and determination. More often than not, they come back to Ghetto Classics as teachers. Most of our current 42 teachers once sat where our students now sit. The learners have become leaders.

Which means, of course, that the program no longer “belongs” to me.

GUEST PERSPECTIVE
A Foot in Both Worlds: Mentorship and Maturation at Sistema Ravinia

02-04-2026

As Sistema Ravinia prepared for in-person learning after the pandemic lockdowns, I attended a Zoom meeting with other incoming high school freshmen, most of whom were good friends. A manager asked us, “This is the first time we’ve had high school students in our program. What would you guys like to see happen?”

EDITORIAL
The Power of Youth Voice

11-05-2025

An instructor once told me, “When we listen to our students, we remember why we’re here. Their perspective makes us better.” That was the moment I realized our learning experiences aren’t a one-way street. In programs that truly value our voices, the impact extends far beyond the classroom. It reaches families, neighborhoods, and entire communities.

In Thailand, an International Partnership Opens New Pathways

07-09-2025

With their decades of positive impact and wealth of institutional knowledge, it would have been easy for DWS to focus on maintaining their success. Instead, we at the Playing For Change Foundation were recently privileged to partner with DWS to bolster and expand their music program. The initial goals of our partnership were simple: identify and hire professional music educators who can help take the existing program to the next level, and maintain the standard of excellence that DWS has achieved in its other extracurricular programming.

Utilizar los círculos para crear comunidad y vínculos en los espacios CYD

03-05-2025

Son las 3:30 de la tarde de un miércoles en el Zona Neutralun centro de artes creativas y liderazgo para adolescentes en el centro de Ann Arbor, Michigan. Veinticuatro jóvenes y seis empleados se reúnen en un círculo de sillas en el B-Side Venue (un espacio polivalente que también sirve como sala de conciertos para 400 personas). Mientras una bola de discoteca brilla en lo alto, Ash, participante adolescente y estudiante de segundo de bachillerato, se ofrece voluntario con una pregunta inicial: "¿Qué te gustaba hacer en el recreo cuando eras niño en el colegio?".

Aprendizaje del liderazgo en The Lewis Prize for Music
Una conversación con Nadia Johnson y Raiyasha Paris

10-02-2024

El Premio Lewis de Música (TLPM) ha apoyado nuestro campo durante los últimos cinco años concediendo importantes premios a programas de todo EE.UU. Además, el TLPM a veces incorpora a estudiantes de los programas que apoya a los proyectos de desarrollo de liderazgo de la organización.

TLPM reunió recientemente a dos de estos jóvenes líderes para hablar del impacto que estas experiencias profesionales han tenido en su aprendizaje y en sus vidas.

Seminario Nacional Ravinia: Orquestas para todos

09-04-2024

La noche del 10 de julio el histórico escenario delbrilló con el talento combinado de los 130 alumnos del Seminario Nacional Ravinia. Era la noche final del Seminario 2024, que acaba de cumplir su segundo año. Estudiantes de 11 a 18 años de 43 organizaciones inspiradas por El Sistema alrededor del mundo-incluyendo aquellos de 17 estados de EE.UU., México, Canadá, Grecia y Suecia-se habían reunido para cuatro días de entrenamiento orquestal intensivo y tutoría de miembros de la Orquesta Asociada del Seminario, el Instituto Nacional Orquestal + Festival (NOI+F). Para muchos de los estudiantes, era la primera vez que vivían una experiencia de este tipo.

Una misiva desde el terreno: Crecimiento musical y alegría en Papúa Nueva Guinea

02-01-2023

Como Director Musical, me impresionó sobre todo la forma en que los alumnos de cada sección pudieron turnarse para enseñar, dirigir y ayudar al grupo a perfeccionar el repertorio antes del concierto de Navidad. Durante más de un mes, los alumnos más veteranos trabajaron pacientemente con los más jóvenes, impartiendo su experiencia y conocimientos. Esto dice mucho de los efectos transformadores del modelo Sistema en los lugares donde crece.

Compartir

Copyright 2022 Ensemble News