Brs36

Background

I am in my third year as as a Master of Music student in violin/viola performance at The Longy School of Music [1] in Cambridge, MA. I am part of the Fall 2009 "Future of Classical Music" class. This wikipedia user page was created to fulfill a requirement for our class.

My previous education experience is a B.A. in Music at Cornell University [2] in Ithaca, New York. I am originally from Seattle, WA, but I have lived in Houston, Philadelphia, Ithaca, Aspen, and currently, Boston. I am passionate about the future of classical music education for all children and I am also dedicated to striving for excellence in classical music performance.

Articles I've Contributed

Community Music Education Programs World-Wide Catalogued on Wikipedia - some modeled on El Sistema [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Music_Education_Programs ]]

El Sistema Community Music Education Programs World-Wide: This article is meant to be a resource expanding on the main El Sistema Wikipedia page [[3]], and leading to more discovery on the El Sistema USA site [4]. El Sistema, the education system for youth music in Venezuela, which can be discovered further on the websites just listed, has been described as incredibly inspiring and revolutionary. The striking example they have made with their education formula and curriculum is grabbing the attention of music educators world wide. Thus, the new program launched in Fall, 2009 at New England Conservatory [5], called the Abreu Fellows [6], named after the founder of El Sistema, Jose Antonio Abreu [[7]], aims to train passionate and able musicians and music educators to observe and study the El Sistema formula so they can then act as spokespeople for the significance of music education. And, with the El Sistema model, they can share that it is possible to teach music universally, regardless of economic barriers.

Because the goal of the Abreu fellows is to learn about El Sistema, to eventually share their knowledge of this curriculum with fellow music educator's, and to perhaps even start their own music programs inspired by El Sistema, this article will also serve as a collection of data on programs in places beyond Venezuala that have been developed from the model of El Sistema in Venezuala.

In addition, information is included here on programs that loosely model El Sistema, by serving as music education systems for often underprivileged socities. This is neccesary to include because while El Sistema is a highly respected system, it is also not a fix-all template for every culture. Music education can be shared universally, but it has to be presented in a style that suits the specific needs of each individual culture. Of course, this list is not exhaustive, and hopefully never will be, as ideally more and more community music education programs will continue to develop world-wide as people learn of the empowering positive social change music, and these programs, can have on a community.

Program Title	Location	Program Mission	Website
El Sistema - New York City	New York, NY	Bring the spirit of El Sistema's inclusiveness to arts education to NYC and beyond.	[8]
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids	Baltimore, MD	An after school music program dedicated to bringing social change and brighter futures to youth of low-income neighborhoods in Baltimore.	[9]
Boston Arts Academy (Boston Public Schools)	Boston, MA	Academics and Arts are equally important in a student's education and can improve teaching and learning.	[10]
Boston Children's Chorus	Boston, MA	Use the power and joy of music to unite diversity in our community and encourage social change.	[11]
Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute’s Academy	New York, NY	Believes that the future of performing artists is not just in the ability to perform at a high level, but also in their dedication to giving back to the community, thereby inspiring future musicians.	[12]
City University of New York's Harmony Program	New York, NY	Inspired by El Sistema, the Harmony Program aims to create a supportive community for program participants and families, drawing on the power of music-making on social development.	[13]
Community Music School of Boston	Boston, MA	Provide music education to individuals and groups from various backgrounds, ages, and abilities, changing lives across the city of Boston.	[14]
Conservatory Lab Charter School (Boston Public Schools)	Boston, MA	The school's curriculum, "Learning Through Music," is used to ensure every child's academic, creative, and social success.	[15]
Los Angeles Philharmonic’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	Build youth orchestras in 'underserved' communities to bring together children for fun and challenging music making.	[16]
Miami Symphony Orchestra’s Allapattah Children and Youth Symphony	Miami, FL	Teach children to respect their peers, understand moral values, hierarchy, and acknowledge success of others, at a young age through participating in a youth orchestra program.	[17]
University of Massachusetts/Lowell String Project	Lowell, MA	The University of Massachusetts Lowell String Project brings stringed instrument instruction and creative music classes to Public School students in Lowell.	[18]
Project Step	Boston, MA	Project STEP (String Training and Educational Program) provides musically gifted Black and Latino students with an excellent music training program to prepare them for a life in classical music.	[19]
Community Music Works	Providence, RI	With the residency of the Providence String Quartet, Community MusicWorks brings after-school education and performance programs free of charge to families in urban neighborhoods.	[20]
Opus 118 Harlem School of Music	New York, NY	A nonprofit community music school serving the students of the Harlem area by providing inexpensive, but excellent instruction in violin, viola, cello, guitar, and piano.	[21]
Sistema Scotland	Glasgow, Scotland	Sistema Scotland is a charity developed with the belief that social benefits can be gained in young people by playing in a symphony orchestra.	[22]
Big Noise (part of Sistema Scotland)	Stirling, Scotland	Children can learn respect for themselves and for others through learning to play together in orchestra.	[23]

Links

FutureClass Wiki [[24]] FutureClass Blog [25] El Sistema Wiki [[26]]

References

[[27]] [28] [29] [[30]] All links in table.