Music Education

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

Presser Foundation Grants for US Music Initiatives

07-09-2025

The Presser Foundation offers $5,000–$25,000 special project grants to US-based music programs in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions (NY, PA, DE, MD).

Dubai’s NYO Is First UAE Orchestra to Perform at Carnegie Hall (Plus Some Bonus Music Resources)

07-09-2025

In June, the National Youth Orchestra of Dubai performed at Carnegie Hall, the first orchestra from the United Arab Emirates to do so.

Last Call! Apply for the Fire Up – The Field Teaching Artist Residency

07-09-2025

Fire Up – The Field is a free five-month program from the Academy for Impact through Music (AIM) in collaboration with LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (YOLA) and its National Accelerator program.

New Research on Music’s Impact on Health and Wellbeing

07-09-2025

Music’s wide-ranging health benefits received a new wave of recognition through the recent publication of two studies, each showing long-lasting benefits from music engagement.

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

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.

Child’s Play India’s Glass is Half-Full, Half-Empty

07-09-2025

Unlike more privileged settings, we could not make the switch to online teaching; we did try it, but most of our children did not have their own phones, and there were other issues, such as out of tune instruments, strings broken, and instruments outgrown. When the lockdown eventually lifted, many of our children had moved out of area or progressed to higher mainstream education which took them away from music lessons, either geographically or in terms of available time. We have had to start over, with new groups of children for violin and cello.

But there is also good news to balance things out.

EDITORIAL
Rehearsing Community for a Better Tomorrow

07-09-2025

As Executive Director Liz Moulthrop remarked during El Sistema USA’s East Coast Regional Gathering, “Community is our power.” Yet too often programs operate in isolation, brilliant islands of musical striving that rarely connect with the broader archipelago of creative youth development work happening across the world. This siloing, while understandable given resource constraints and logistical challenges, represents a missed opportunity to address our urgent need for unity.

In fact, we must double down on gathering. The practice of community.

Reggae Roots at Sistema Toronto – Jane Finch

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.

In Chicago, One Piece of Music Brings a City Together

06-04-2025

During the two magical years I spent in Jamaica as a child, my aunt would visit our house every Thursday evening after work. I remember our family spending dinnertime on orange pleather cushions, listening to broadcaster Leonie Forbes recite poetry on the radio as classical music played in the background. That dinner table is where I first fell in love with Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, and my family still talks about those Thursday nights we spent together.

Now, as Ravinia searches for inventive ways to reinvigorate interest in great musical works, those Thursday evenings come to mind.

Now, as Ravinia searches for inventive ways to reinvigorate interest in great musical works, those Thursday evenings come to mind.

Two Youth Ensembles Honored by Their Governments

06-04-2025

Sistema-inspired ensembles in Canada and England recently received big accolades at two high-profile events.

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