- Page One:News from the LA Phil
- Special Report:El Sistema
- The Orchestra:LA Phil on Tour/Europe 2007
- Philanthropy and the Arts:A Conversation with Board member Mark Dalzell
- Behind the Scenes:Gettin' in Tune
El Sistema
Gustavo DudamelBringing Venezuela's celebrated music education program home to L.A.
The 26-year-old conductor who may soon be the most visible classical artist in the world doesn't hesitate when asked to identify his influences. Gustavo Dudamel calls himself a product of the system — El Sistema — the network of neighborhood music centers created expressly for the underserved children of his native Venezuela.
Dudamel began studying theory, rhythm, and harmony in El Sistema at the age of four, and while his gifts proved to be out of the ordinary, the opportunity to improve his life through music was not.
In a nation where more than 1/3 of the population lives in poverty, El Sistema provides high quality classical music instruction to nearly a quarter of a million children each year.
Starting Small
Thirty-one years ago, the visionary musician and economist Dr. José Antonio Abreu conceived of a program of free musical instruments and instruction as a way to rescue a generation of Venezuelan youth imperiled by poverty, crime, violence, and drugs.
He started small, gathering 11 youngsters for a rehearsal in an underground parking lot. At the next rehearsal he had 25 students; the following day he had 46.
Today, with an annual budget of $29 million and a core of impassioned music teachers, El Sistema is improving hundreds of thousands of young lives every year, and turning out world-class musicians in the process.
As a model of social transformation, El Sistema is being emulated in 20 other Latin American countries and has captured the imagination of educators and leading orchestras throughout the world.
Last fall, a delegation from the Philharmonic headed by President Deborah Borda traveled to Venezuela to meet Dr. Abreu and observe El Sistema in action. The goal was to learn how the model could be applied to the Philharmonic's programs that are already touching the lives of 120,000 children and adults in Los Angeles. What they saw was inspiring.
"The first day, we were in tears," said Deborah Borda. "It was such a profoundly moving experience that for the first few days we were literally in tears."
The team visited the Simón Bolívar Conservatory and other El Sistema centers, where children receive intensive after-school group instruction and practice three to four hours per day, six days a week. The system currently supports 125 youth orchestras and 57 children's orchestras, and has been responsible for the creation of 30 professional orchestras in Venezuela.
Dr. Abreu was quick to point out to Borda, however, that the primary goal of El Sistema is not to create professional musicians, but to rescue children from poverty and life on the streets — to provide purpose and dignity to their lives through motivation, teamwork, and the joy of music. Wherever the Philharmonic team visited, that profound joy was evident in the children's playing and in the pride of their instructors.
The team also visited El Sistema's Los Chorros Center, which is special because it is both a music center and living quarters for nearly 100 homeless children. The Center's Director, Nancy Carreno, gave the delegation a tour and organized performances by the children — some as young as four and five years old — playing confidently in orchestral ensemble. Unlike the European tradition of pedagogy, students in El Sistema learn and practice in a group, not in isolation. "Music is seen as play rather than as work," she said.
What struck the delegation everywhere they visited was the style of playing — "an incredible sense of energy, confidence, and bravura" — and the profound impact music is having on Venezuelan society and the children of the barrios.
The Take-Home Message
Deborah Borda's recent trip to Venezuela, followed by the announcement of Gustavo Dudamel's appointment as Music Director Designate of the Philharmonic, has generated intensified interest in the ability of classical music to have a similar impact on young lives here in Los Angeles.
It has also led to the creation of the Philharmonic's new Young Musicians Initiative, comprised of a number of new education programs for young musicians in Los Angeles County, the first component of which is the International Youth Orchestra Festival.
Debuting this month at Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Festival will present concerts by three of the premiere youth orchestras in the world — including the flagship ensemble of El Sistema, the Simón Bolívar National Youth Orchestra, led by Gustavo Dudamel — plus seminars, master classes, and visits to local schools and community sites by Venezuelan youth orchestra members.
A second new program to be launched this year is the Youth Orchestra Partners Program, a two-year partnership in which the Philharmonic will "adopt" eight local youth orchestras for a period of two years, sending musicians and guests artists out to provide instruction and build artistic capacity in these ensembles, and bringing young musicians to Walt Disney Concert Hall for a culminating performance festival.
A third component of the ambitious new initiative that brings together numerous stakeholders under the LA Phil's leadership will be announced later this month at the Youth Orchestra Festival symposium.
As Deborah Borda noted, "What struck us so powerfully about El Sistema is that it is clearly a model that has an impact on society through music. We were inspired to consider our own civic responsibility and to use our musical expertise and standing in the community on behalf of underserved young people in Los Angeles."
The LA Phil's International Youth Orchestra Festival, Fall 2007, featuring Gustavo Dudamel leading the Simón Bolívar National Youth Orchestra, and a day-long symposium including José Antonio Abreu, begins October 23 at Walt Disney Concert Hall.
