February 2020

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

Funds to Expand Social Service Innovations in Europe

02-19-2020

The European Social Catalyst Fund (ESCF) has opened a call for proposals to receive funding and capacity-building support in order to scale proven social service innovations. As the ESCF addresses some of Europe’s most pressing social challenges, we wonder if El Sistema programs might be an interesting fit for this funding. Supported initiatives must address social challenges within at least one of the following focus areas, including some that El Sistema programs directly address: poverty and marginalization, migration, gender equality, inequalities, education and training, community development, and the role and place of young people in society. At least six applications will be selected to receive a planning grant of up to €100,000 along with capacity-building support. Eligible applicants include public agencies, private nonprofit agencies, and collaborations involving public and private agencies in EU Member States. Applications close on April 15, 2020. Visit the Fund’s website to review the Call for Applications 2020.

Funding for Artist Travel to and from Africa

02-19-2020

For our colleagues in Africa, The Online Cultural Mobility Funding Guide for AFRICA (Third Edition) is now available free online. It provides artists and cultural workers with a directory of funders and funding opportunities for international travel to and from African countries. As the deadline to propose presentations for the Fifth International Teaching Artist Conference approaches, this resource could not come at a better time; perhaps these funding sources could pay for the trip to Seoul, South Korea to meet with teaching artists from around the world and see Korea’s big Sistema program, the Orchestra of Dreams.

Sistema Europe Youth Orchestra to Host Sixth Residency in Madrid, July 4-12

02-19-2020

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U.S.A. National Sistema Orchestra Members Visit the Barbican

02-05-2020

Since last July, I have had the distinct pleasure of participating in the inaugural cohort of the YOLA National Institute (YNI). YNI, an initiative launched last year by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, is an in-depth training program for young musicians interested in pursuing a career in the field of music. It consists of selected members of the YOLA National Symphony Orchestra, an audition-only ensemble that is the first nationwide El Sistema orchestra in the United States and that performs every summer at the YOLA National Festival.

World Children’s Music Festival 2020 in Tokyo

02-05-2020

Tokyo is now in high-energy mode, with the countdown to the Summer 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games currently underway. This coming April, we at El Sistema Japan are anticipating another exciting event, the World Children’s Music Festival 2020 in Tokyo.

Music of Hope in Serbia: Interculturalism at Work

02-05-2020

Music Art Project (MAP) was founded in 2010 with the mission to contribute to the long-term development of society and culture in Serbia. Four years later, MAP launched the El Sistema-inspired program “Music of Hope” to help as many children and youth as possible appreciate music and enjoy its beauty together. In less than three years, Music of Hope has grown from 30 to 600 children in seven cities through collaboration with public elementary schools, music schools, and cultural and social-welfare centers.

Strength Through Musical Alliance in San Antonio, Chile

02-05-2020

This is the battle cry, originally from a famous Chilean protest song of the seventies, that resonates in the streets of Chile in recent weeks. The Chilean people occupied public spaces to demand a fairer state and to fight against inequality and social injustice. The rest of the world watches, shocked, at the tragic occurrences unfolding in the protests, and condemns the violence. As, of course, do I.

Competition, the Sistema Way

02-05-2020

The English travel writer Pico Iyer moved to Japan 27 years ago, and his passionate hobby became playing ping-pong at a nearby club. His pleasure in the game comes from the way competition works there, which is so different from the win-or-lose, zero-sum experience of competition in his native England. He says, “When I leave the ping-pong club after an hour and a half of furious exertion, if you asked me, did I win or lose, I couldn’t tell you. I’ve probably played seven games, but nobody keeps track of who’s winning the games. That stands for what the whole ping-pong club is about, which is the sense that everybody should leave in an equal state of delight. This is because in Japan, at least in the context of a club or a community, the most important thing is for everybody to be working together and feeling and thinking together and linked.” (You can hear an interview with Pico Iyer about his ping-pong experiences here.)

The Ambassadors’ Exchange, February 2020

02-05-2020

Currently in New Zealand, our summer holidays from school are coming to an end. In December, we had our Bucket Raffle Evening to fundraise for a workshop that teaches members how to repair instruments. It was a fun and successful evening. We raised over $1,000 towards this workshop, which means that many of our instruments can be repaired.

Introduction to the New 2020 Ambassadors

02-05-2020

Last year, The World Ensemble launched the Ambassadors network to bring students from El Sistema-inspired programs around the world closer together. This year, that work continues with four new Ambassadors. These incredible musicians from Serbia, Uganda, Utah, and California will join six returning Ambassadors to continue their work.

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