El Sistema is … a set of inspiring ideals which inform an intensive youth music program that seeks to effect
social change through the ambitious pursuit of musical excellence. El Sistema focuses primarily on children with
the fewest resources and greatest need.
Core values:
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Every human being has the right to a life of dignity and contribution, filled with beauty.
Every child can learn to experience and express music and art deeply, can receive its many benefits, and can
make different critical life choices as a result of this learning.
Overcoming poverty and adversity is best done by strengthening the spirit, creating, as Dr. Abreu puts it, “an
affluence of the spirit,” and investing that affluence as a valued asset in a community endeavor to create
excellence and beauty in music.
Effective education is based on love, approval, joy, and consistently successful experiences within a highfunctioning, aspiring, nurturing community. Every child has limitless possibilities and the ability to strive for
excellence. “Trust the young,” informs every aspect of the work.
Learning organizations never arrive but are always becoming—striving to include: more students, deeper impact,
greater musical excellence, better teaching, improved tools, more joy. Thus, flexibility, experimentation, risktaking, and collegial exchange are inherent aspects of every program.
Distinctive Characteristics of El Sistema Programs:
1. Mission of Social Change. The motto “luchar y tocar,” translated to play and to strive, demonstrates our commitment to
using music and ensembles to help young people understand their role as an asset to their community.
2. Access and Excellence. Our program seeks to serve all young people, starting at young ages, and help them pursue
excellence!
3. The Nucleo Environment. A safe, nurturing place where learning occurs with joy, in an environment of friendship and
respect.
4. Intensity. The program is marked by frequent meetings, ideally daily, for many hours, that are full of fast paced and rigorous
instruction and learning. Also, performances occur with high frequency.
5. The Use of Ensemble. Students are engaged in large and small ensembles to help convey the idea of working together
and accomplishing great outcomes through cooperation. Instruction is centered on the idea of ensemble musicianship as well.
6. The CATS Teacher Model: Citizen / Artist / Teacher / Scholar. The teaching artists engaged with El Sistema
programs are expected to model a whole, positive, well-balanced example for young people to emulate as they develop.
7. The Multi-Year Continuum. El Sistema programs are designed to engage students, starting during their childhood and
extending to adulthood, and maintain relevance and a high standard for excellence and achievement at each stage.
8. Parent and Community Inclusion. Nucleos work to foster relationships with parents and communities, often inviting both
into the program in order to enhance the experience for young people.
9. Connections and Network. The El Sistema program is a set of interconnected nucleos that join together with one another
regularly to provide enriching experiences, as well as joining with local leaders to provide opportunity to students and support
to the program.
10. Ambition and Achievement. As an agent of beauty and happiness, the musical experiences afforded by El Sistema
instruction become the basis for repeated efforts on the part of the young people, and consistently increasing self-expectation
from them.