Sistema Fellows Program
“I wish you would help create and
document a special training program
for at least fifty gifted young musicians,
passionate for their art and for social
justice, and dedicated to developing
El Sistema in the United States and in
other countries.” — Dr. José Antonio Abreu
Wish fulfilled | Deseo concedido
“Quisiera que ayudaras a crear y a
documentar un programa especial
de entrenamiento para al menos
cincuenta jóvenes y talentosos
músicos, apasionados por el arte y la
justicia social, dedicados a desarrollar
“El Sistema” en los Estados Unidos y
en otros países.” — Dr. José Antonio Abreu
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
i
ii
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Sistema Fellows Program Final Report
October 2014
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
iii
Preface
By Natasha Scripture, Storyteller, TED Conferences
How Fifty Music Teachers are Creating Five Thousand
Musician-Citizens Across the U.S., Thanks to a TED Prize Wish
On a drizzly spring day in Boston earlier this month,
three dozen musicians mingled in the President’s Library
of New England Conservatory (NEC), one of the most
prestigious music institutions in the country. The weather
did not dampen the infectious enthusiasm in the room.
After all, 10 of these musicians were about to mark a
milestone: graduation from the competitive Sistema
Fellows Program, an initiative born out of El Sistema and
made a reality by the TED Prize.
El Sistema is a network of youth orchestras founded
by pianist and conductor José Antonio Abreu in 1975.
Officially called the “National System of Youth and
Children Symphony Orchestras of Venezuela,” El Sistema
(“the system”) teaches orchestral instruments to
Venezuelan children from poor and crowded barrios. In
some cases the kids become income-earning musicians
(like LA Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel);
but in all cases kids learn lessons about citizenship,
responsibility and working together. In 2009, Dr. Abreu
won the TED Prize and wished to bring El Sistema to the
United States. He proposed a training program at New
England Conservatory to equip 50 young musicians to
lead youth orchestras in communities across the U.S. and
abroad. The 10 Fellows about to graduate represented the
program’s final class of musicians trained not just to play,
but to lead, plan, fundraise and create sustainable local
music programs.
The energy and excitement were palpable as the soon-tobe graduates munched on Middle Eastern food and talked
with Fellows from previous years, who came from as far
away as Alaska to support the final class. The 50 Fellows
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are a tight-knit group, bonded by their love of music, but
also by the fact that they’d endured a challenging ninemonth fellowship. The program’s impact was clear even as
the graduates struggled to put the experience into words.
The general consensus was that the program “grew” them
in more ways than they could have expected.
“One of the things I realized here is that being a musician,
you have to know more than just how to play your
instrument,” said Laura Jekel, a cellist who joined the
Sistema Fellows Program in 2010. “That never came up for
me in any of my conservatory training in the past. It was
always just play, play, play.”
The Sistema Fellows Program, housed at NEC, was indeed
about more than musicianship. The intensive curriculum
focused on leadership and community development, and
included a month-long residency in Venezuela. During this
residency, the Fellows saw El Sistema in action and got to
know Dr. Abreu.
The founder’s vision for El Sistema, too, is about more
than making music—it has always been more about
creating community. For him, an orchestra brings
people together, and the U.S.-based Sistema Fellows
are ambassadors for his big-picture thinking. The 50 of
them landed in the program because of their passion for
playing music, teaching music and using music to foster
understanding between people of diverse backgrounds.
“I’ve always had a real interest in combining music
with social change and a passion for building strong
communities, even in high school,” said Andrea Landin,
a California native and cellist who graduated from the
program in 2013. “I would like to see orchestras better
reflect the community, and move away from this idea
that it’s a niche thing. An orchestra should be seen as a
resource, not as an elite institution.”
A year after graduating, Landin is now the Education
Manager at New West Symphony Harmony Project in
Ventura, California, which teaches music to 95 at-risk
students. The organization operates in a funky art space,
peppered with artwork by local artists, and the musicians
frequently join up with other local groups to put on jazz
jam sessions.
Meanwhile, cellist Jekel is relishing working with kids
in Ohio, where she is the Program Director at Music for
Youth in Cincinnati. “I live in the same neighborhood
where my program is, and I love seeing kids who are
in the program walking up and down the street or in
the supermarket with their families,” she said. “It’s not
outreach at all. I feel like I’m part of the community; I’m
just part of the neighborhood.”
In the halls of New England Conservatory, the distant
sound of an aria from a Bellini opera blends with a Mozart
sonata being brought to life by a student on a Steinway.
“In a place like this, it’s easy to think of music as just
playing at a higher level, but we want to use it for another
purpose,” said Alvaro Rodas, a native of Guatemala and
2010 Fellow who plays percussion.
Rodas now runs the Corona Youth Music Project in
Queens, New York. The program is for children between
the ages of 4 to 14, and begins with a “pre-orchestra
semester,” in which kids use plastic buckets as drums.
Chorus classes at the program are taught in English,
though the kids predominantly speak Spanish.
In Venezuela, El Sistema has grown exponentially over its
40-year history. It now includes 685 youth, child and infant
orchestras—with more than 400,000 young people getting
a free classical music education. In the United States, the
concept is just starting to take off, thanks to Abreu’s TED
Prize wish. The Sistema Fellows are working with at-risk
communities in 20 cities. In 2010, when the first class of
Fellows entered the field, their programs served about 600
children. Today, the Fellows work with more than 5,000
children through their programs. And with the final class,
the number will continue to grow.
The five-year fellowship program may have run its course,
but growth for this idea is still very much a possibility.
One intriguing thought for the Fellows is that a child in
their program may be inspired to do this kind of work,
continuing the cycle of growth. “I would love to see
my program become self-sustaining in the way that the
kids grow up and come back and teach. I want to create
a culture of giving back,” said Landin, as she runs her
fingers along her cello case.
NEC hopes to continue the momentum of the program
as well. The school has created the Sistema Fellowship
Resource Center, dedicated to the ongoing training of the
program’s alumni.
As the Fellows stepped to the podium one by one to
deliver their graduation speeches, their passion beamed
through. Each sounded thoroughly excited to spread
the magic of music as far as it can go. Abreu’s TED Prize
wish, put simply, was to teach 50 passionate people how
to influence lives through music. The only question is how
many they’ll teach from here.
You may read this article in its entirety at blog.tedprize.com.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
v
Contents
2
PRESIDENT’S INTRODUCTION
4
PRESENTACIÓN DEL PRESIDENTE
6
REALIZING VISIONS
9
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM
9 Overview
9
Curriculum Synopsis
15
Resonant Lessons from Venezuela
17
Finding Purpose
18
A Memorable Five Weeks in Venezuela
19
Building Eagerness
20
Contributions to the Field
25
Faculty Reflection
26
Program Evaluation
29
PROLIFERATION OF EL SISTEMA-INSPIRED PROGRAMS
32
SISTEMA FELLOWS
83
A PRECIOUS LEGACY
84
TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEYS
86
SISTEMA FELLOWSHIP RESOURCE CENTER
88
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
1
President’s Introduction
By Tony Woodcock, President
In 2008, I made my first visit to Venezuela to see
El Sistema firsthand. I had, of course, seen the 60 Minutes
feature and, by then, I had also heard several colleagues’
reports about the phenomenon that was happening in
this developing country. But nothing prepared me for
the powerful impact of the music and music-making
I experienced.
Our tour group was composed of about twenty people—
board members, community partners, music educators,
government leaders, and (we hoped) future funders. We
spent an intensive five days visiting núcleos (the afterschool centers that are the foundation of Venezuela’s
program) in and around Caracas. We also had the
opportunity to meet with Dr. Abreu and we were privileged
to hear his vision and to seek his advice on how we could
help such a program emerge in the United States.
Everything we saw, everything we heard, was
transformational, passionate, emotional, committed. It
reminded us all of the power of music to change lives.
It made us acutely aware of how much the so-called
developed world had forgotten about the potency of this
great art form, how we had allowed its power and magic
to reside with a small elite rather than the community
at large.
Galvanized by this visit and—some months later—by
Dr. Abreu’s challenging TED “Wish to Change the World,”
we created the Sistema Fellows training program, designed
to equip fifty gifted young musicians over a five-year
period with the skills they would need to lead and develop
El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States.
I’m thrilled to report that the “Wish” has been
fulfilled. Indeed, I’m delighted and humbled to see the
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
extraordinary work that our alumni Fellows are doing in
the burgeoning field of El Sistema-inspired programs in
the U.S. Am I surprised? Not really. Having gotten to know
each of the Fellows during their training at NEC (including
many classes I taught myself), I know just how potent a
force they are. Armed with an unquenchable ardor for
music and social development and equipped with new
expertise, they are literally changing the world!
This report documents what they are doing and the
breadth of their accomplishments. By way of background,
there are sections on the training program and its
curriculum, the scope and characteristics of El Sistemainspired programs in the U.S., reflections by Eric Booth
and Greg Kandel (two faculty members and key advisors),
and lessons learned from Venezuela. But what you will find
most inspiring are the individual profiles of the Fellows
and how they are carrying forth the vision from one end
of the country to the other, and now internationally. This
report also includes information about NEC’s next steps
to support the Fellows.
Looking back, I am full of gratitude to everyone who has
helped us create this most rewarding program. I want to
extend my thanks to Jerry Slavet, former NEC Trustee,
who first introduced us to El Sistema. Also to the study
group and later steering committee that went to Venezuela
and came home fired with enthusiasm for an American
movement: Greg Holt, Linda Nathan, Susan Jarvis,
Daphne Griffin, Marvin Gilmore, David Lapin, Diana Lam,
Kitty Pell, Anita Walker, Elizabeth Leatherman, Ann Ellen
Rutherford, Randy Hiller, Suki de Bragança, Joan Yogg,
and several NEC staff. Also, to Amy Lam, who helped us
envision how best to put NEC’s unique capabilities to bear
on an El Sistema movement the U.S.
“This year has truly been a transformative one for me, in all facets
of my life. I have grown in ways that I did not even know I had the
capacity to, and I have begun to discover and rediscover aspects of
myself that had lain dormant.” — Monique van Willingh ’13
Fast Facts: Sistema Fellows Making
Then, there were the many
them the habits of mind
a Difference
people who served as tireless
of El Sistema, and given
nT
he Sistema Fellows are transforming the lives
administrators, faculty, and
them the incomparable
of
vulnerable
children
in
37
communities
in
advisors: Leslie Wu Foley,
on-the-ground experience
Executive Director and
of working in their
17 states — from Juneau, Alaska to Austin,
Dean of Preparatory and
núcleos. Similar generosity
Texas — and Washington D.C.
Continuing Education and
and hospitality were
nW
hen the first class of Sistema Fellows entered
her predecessor as Executive
demonstrated by the
the field in 2010, approximately 600 children
Director of Prep and SCE
hosts of our American and
were served. In 2014, close to 5,000 children
Hilary Field Respass;
European internships in
are participating in creative youth development
Mark Churchill, the first
Baltimore, New York City,
programs involving Fellows.
Director of the program,
Durham, Los Angeles,
nO
n average, a child spends 9 hours per
and the early administrative
Juneau, Sistema Scotland,
week in free programming involving Fellows.
staff including Stephanie
and all the others.
Cumulatively,
all
children
affected
will
spend
Scherpf, Erik Holmgren,
There were many NEC
more than 1.3 million hours this year.
and Raquel Jimenez;
staff, faculty, community
n There is tremendous variability: Operating either
more recently, Program
partners, and friends
as freestanding enterprises or in collaboration
Director Heath Marlow
(including alumni Fellows)
with community partners, program enrollment
and Communications and
who served as guest
Operations Director Virginia
ranges from fewer than 20 to more than 500
presenters. They are listed
Hecker; Senior Advisor Eric
children with budgets of less than $50,000
in the Acknowledgements
Booth, devoted, charismatic
to more than $1 million.
section. I’m grateful to all
and inspiring; Greg Kandel,
nP
rograms led by Sistema Fellows employ nearly
of you. Thanks, too, to the
who taught NEC and the
300 teaching artists, and are supported by
NEC faculty members and
Fellows to recognize what
450 regular volunteers.
staff who served as mentors
is possible and how to
to the Fellows.
realize it; Beth Babcock,
who taught the Fellows about strategy and management in
We are deeply indebted too to the members of the Friends
nonprofit organizations.
Committee chaired by Suki de Bragança, including
We are extraordinarily grateful to the administrators of
El Sistema in Venezuela—Rodrigo Guerrero, Eduardo
Mendez, the late Bolivia Bottome, and others—who for
five years adopted our Fellows for a month-long residency,
shown them the most generous hospitality, shared with
Daniela Bedoni, Nancy Coolidge, Alan Dynner, Morella
de Grossmann, Carl Haney, Eloise Hodges, Elizabeth
Leatherman, Amy Novogratz, Mercedes Rodman, and
Anna Verghese.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
3
Presentación del Presidente
Por Tony Woodcock, Presidente
En el año 2008 hice mi primera visita a Venezuela para
ver “El Sistema” de primera mano. Ya había desde luego,
visto la presentación en 60 minutos y para ese entonces
ya había escuchado los reportes de varios colegas
sobre el fenómeno que estaba ocurriendo en este país
en desarrollo. Pero nada me preparó para el poderoso
impacto que experimenté no sólo con la música sino con
el proceso de hacerla.
Nuestro grupo de visitantes estaba compuesto de
unas 20 personas: miembros de junta, aliados de la
comunidad, educadores musicales, líderes del gobierno
y—esperábamos-futuros patrocinadores. Tuvimos cinco
días de visita intensiva a los núcleos (los centros de trabajo
en jornada extraescolar que son el pilar del programa
Venezolano) dentro y fuera de Caracas. También tuvimos
la oportunidad de reunirnos con el Doctor Abreu, y
tuvimos el privilegio de escuchar su visión y consejos sobre
como podríamos hacer que un programa así emergiera en
los Estados Unidos.
Todo lo que vimos y oímos fue transformador, apasionado,
emocional y comprometido. Nos recordó a todos del
poder que tiene la música para cambiar vidas. Nos hizo
extremadamente conscientes de lo mucho que el llamado
“mundo desarrollado” se ha olvidado de la potencia de
este maravilloso arte, y de cómo hemos permitido que su
poder y magia residan con una pequeña élite en vez de con
la comunidad en general.
Galvanizados por esta visita y—algunos meses más tarde—
por la retadora intervención del Doctor Abreu en TED
“Deseo cambiar el Mundo” creamos el programa de becas
de entrenamiento “El Sistema”, diseñado para equipar a
cincuenta talentosos y jóvenes músicos por un periodo de
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
cinco años con las destrezas que necesitarán para liderar
y desarrollar programas inspirados en la experiencia de
“El Sistema” en los Estados Unidos.
Ahora, con cuatro años y dos millones de dólares
invertidos desde que dimos la bienvenida a la primera
cohorte de diez becarios en Octubre de 2009, estamos
entrando en el último año de nuestro compromiso inicial.
La quinta cohorte de educadores artistas, idealistas y
emprendedores iniciará su entrenamiento en Septiembre.
En esta etapa del proyecto, nos tomaremos un momento
para repasar lo que hemos logrado.
Me emociona reportar que el deseo ha sido concedido. De
hecho, estoy encantado y enaltecido por el extraordinario
trabajo que nuestros becarios egresados están haciendo
en el naciente campo de programas inspirados
en “El Sistema” en Estados Unidos. ¿Qué si estoy
sorprendido? En realidad no. Habiendo conocido a cada
uno de los becarios durante su entrenamiento en el New
England Conservatory (NEC), lo cual incluye varias clases
que yo mismo enseñé-, estoy muy al tanto de su potencia
y fuerza. Armados por un inquebrantable amor por la
música, el desarrollo social y equipados con sus nuevas
destrezas, están, literalmente, ¡Cambiando el mundo!
Este reporte documenta lo que están haciendo y la
magnitud de sus logros. A modo de contexto, hay
secciones que tratan sobre el programa de formación y
su currículo, el alcance y características de los programas
inspirados en “El Sistema” en los Estados Unidos y
reflexiones de Eric Booth y Greg Kandel (dos profesores de
planta y asesores del programa), y las lecciones aprendidas
de Venezuela. Pero lo que creo encontrarán más inspirador
son los perfiles individuales de los becarios y la forma
como llevan a cabo la visión del programa de un extremo
del país al otro, y ahora a nivel internacional. Este informe
también incluye información sobre los próximos pasos del
NEC para apoyar a los becarios.
enseñó en el NEC a los becarios a que reconocieran lo
que es posible y cómo lograrlo, y a Beth Babcock, que les
enseñó acerca de la estrategia y gerencia de organizaciones
sin ánimo de lucro.
Mirando atrás, estoy lleno de gratitud con todos aquellos
que ha colaborado con la creación de este maravilloso
programa. Quiero extender mis agradecimientos a Jerry
Slavet, antiguo fideicomisario de la NEC, quién fue el
primero en presentarnos “El Sistema”. También al grupo
Estamos muy agradecidos con los administradores de
“El Sistema” en Venezuela: Rodrigo Guerrero, Eduardo
Méndez, la difunta Bolivia Bottome, y otros que durante
cinco años adoptaron a nuestros becarios durante
pasantías de un mes, en la que les mostraron su generosa
de estudio que posteriormente fue el comité directivo que
fue a Venezuela y regresó a casa exultante de entusiasmo
por la creación de un movimiento similar en Estados
Unidos: Greg Holt, Linda Nathan, Susan Jarvis, Daphne
Griffin, Marvin Gilmore, David Lapin, Diana Lam, Kitty
Pell, Anita Walker, Elizabeth Leatherman, Ann Ellen
Rutherford, Randy Hiller, Suki di Bragança, Joan Yogg y
muchos otros del personal del NEC. También a Amy Lam,
que nos ayudó a imaginar como poner las capacidades
particulares del NEC al servicio de la creación del
movimiento de “El Sistema” en los Estados Unidos.
hospitalidad, compartieron con ellos los hábitos de
pensamiento de “El Sistema” y les dieron la incomparable
experiencia de campo de trabajar en sus núcleos. La misma
generosidad y hospitalidad fue brindada por los anfitriones
de nuestros practicantes Europeos y Estadounidenses en
Baltimore, Nueva York, Durham, Los Angeles, Juneau,
“Sistema Escocia”, y todos los otros.
También están las muchas personas que sirvieron como
incansables administradores, docentes, y consejeros:
Lesley Wu Foley, directora ejecutiva y decana de Educación
Continuado y Preparación, y su predecesora como
Directora Ejecutiva y directora del SCE, Hillary Fiel
Respass; Mark Churchill, el primer director del programa
y nuestro personal inicial que incluye a Stephanie Scherpf,
Eric Holmgren, y Raquel Jiménez; más recientemente
nuestro actual director de programa, Heath Marlow y
nuestra directora de Comunicaciones y Operaciones,
Virginia Hecker; nuestro asesor de cabecera Eric Booth;
el dedicado, carismático e inspirador George Kandle, que
Hubo muchas personas del personal del NEC, de su
planta docente, socios de las comunidades, y amigos
(incluyendo becarios exalumnos) que nos sirvieron como
presentadores invitados, y que aparecen listados en la
sección de agradecimientos. Mi gratitud para todos ellos.
También quiero agradecer a los docentes de planta y al
personal que sirvió de mentor para los becarios.
Tenemos una profunda deuda de gratitud con los
miembros del comité de amigos del proyecto, dirigido
por Suki de Bragança, incluyendo a Daniela Bedoni,
Nancy Coolidge, Alan Dynner, Morella de Grossmann,
Carl Haney, Eloise Hodges, Elizabeth Leatherman, Amy
Novogratz, Mercedes Rodman, y Anna Verghese.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
5
Realizing Visions
By Eric Booth, Senior Advisor
Vision is both literal and metaphoric—both the capacity
to perceive what is present and to see what is invisible or
ready to appear. José Antonio Abreu is visionary in both
meanings of the term.
For four decades, he has envisioned what is invisible but
possible in Venezuela and other countries—ensemble
music education centers in every city and town to
transform the trajectory of young lives though the
ambitious pursuit of musical excellence that is valued
by their communities. His vision was initially seen as
unrealistic—some thought he was crazy—but as more
are drawn to sharing his vision, skepticism changes
into commitment, and his vision manifests increasingly
around the world. I recently asked him when he had the
vision of Sistema spreading around the world. His answer,
“I imagined this work growing around the world from the
beginning, but it was impossible to proceed at the same
time everywhere. So we had to wait patiently.” Waiting
meant thirty years. And now the vision has blossomed
in 57 countries, with the Sistema Fellows Program as the
single most important leadership development program
contributing to its growth.
Maestro Abreu’s literal vision has guided the growth of
El Sistema, through complex challenges, to create the
historically unprecedented nationwide orchestra and
ensemble music program that continues to grow wider
and deeper—some 500,000 young Venezuelans currently
involved in El Sistema, approaching two million involved
over its history. His perception enabled him to launch
vibrant international growth, in Mexico and Colombia,
and other Latin American countries. About 2007, a tipping
point of influences released the international potential of
El Sistema. Leaders around the world began to embrace
Maestro Abreu’s vision, and determined to bring it to
their counties.
Six years ago, Maestro Abreu took the occasion of being
honored by the TED organization to envision an essential
step in the growth of El Sistema-inspired programs in
6
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
the U.S. He imagined a long and healthy future, citing
the wealth of resources available (when he had started
in Venezuela with so little). The specific vision he offered
in his acceptance speech was: “Here is my TED Prize
wish—I wish that you help to create and document a
special training program for fifty gifted young musicians,
passionate about their art and social justice and dedicated
to bringing El Sistema to the United States and other
countries.” His vision was to fast-track young leadership.
With the support of the TED network and others, New
England Conservatory (NEC) stepped forward as the
lead organization to realize that vision. The Conservatory
created the world’s first leadership development program
to plant the seeds of El Sistema in many soils around
the U.S. and beyond. When I visited with Maestro Abreu
in July 2014, he spoke with deep fondness and hope
about the contribution of the 50 Sistema Fellows to the
realization of his wish.
To begin, NEC President Tony Woodcock built support
within the NEC Board (and became an active faculty
mentor in the Fellowship); Mark Churchill and others
designed and launched the program. The program’s title
was initially the Abreu Fellowship, in honor of its visionary
beacon, later changed at Maestro Abreu’s request to the
Sistema Fellowship. I was fortunate to join as the Senior
Advisor from its beginning, through its five years, and
into its new life as a resource center, to help shape the
program, teach in it, and serve as a mentor to the Fellows.
The Fellowship had built-in challenges. Its single year,
however intensive, did not provide nearly enough time
to adequately address all the knowledge a complete
leader must have—about El Sistema, about not-for-profit
management, about entrepreneurism, about effective
advocacy, about youth development, about social policy
and poverty, not to mention about a range of effective
music learning practices. Classroom learning needed
to be balanced with hands-on learning; Fellows needed
weeks of experience and investigation in Venezuela as
“This report presents a snapshot of the impact
these Fellows have had on the U.S. field. They are
the single biggest asset and influence on the U.S.
El Sistema-inspired movement.”
well as in U.S. programs. How many times we shouted,
“There just isn’t enough time.” But there was enough
time to embed the most important priorities, to get a feel
for the range of learning that would carry forward for
years, to instill the El Sistema habits of mind, to build
momentum that carries into the world, and to foster
vision that aligns with Maestro Abreu’s. I refer to the
Fellows as the “designated learners” for the El Sistemainspired movement, and the Fellowship sought to prepare
them to learn well and long in the complex school of the
real world. And the Resource Center answers the need
for ongoing leadership development. The Fellowship year
started the work; the real world experience is the crucible
for grounding it; the Resource Center is the opportunity
to strengthen it.
Venezuela’s El Sistema is not a program but a process,
not a replicable practice but an inquiry. The Sistema
Fellowship has had the same paradoxical reality, and
its graduation certificate does not affirm mastery of
information but certifies inquirers, experimenters, and
entrepreneurs. The Fellowship has been fast moving,
flexible, responsive, resilient, and evolving, exactly as
Venezuela’s El Sistema has been. Maestro Abreu uses the
phrase “ser no ser” to describe the nature of El Sistema—
it both “is and isn’t” a system—it exists and is evolving
at the same time.” This has also been the nature of the
Fellowship. One could argue that it is the nature of the
ninety-plus El Sistema-inspired programs around the U.S.
The Sistema Fellows Program learned its way forward
from a rocket-fast start, through the distinctive character
and contributions of each cohort of ten. The Fellowship
grew, its knowledge deepened, its impact widened as
each cohort launched into the world and brought its own
visions into reality.
There were some consistent features to each cohort’s
experience. The breathless excitement of beginning.
The daunting realization of how much is to be
learned, and how the Fellowship months can’t teach
it all. The excitement (and challenges) of becoming
an interdependent cohort of learners (the way a good
program must work too). The days and days of workshop
time with extraordinary teachers. The homework, the
reading. The projects that each group took on, and that
subgroups took on in addition. The hungry learning of
internships and study in U.S. programs—and sharing with
the group about what is really going on out there. The
adrenaline rush of attending conferences, of meeting with
other colleague groups, of creating group presentations.
The individual challenge of nurturing possibilities for
work after graduation. And perhaps most impactful of
all—the time on the ground in Venezuela.
The weeks each group spent in Venezuela taught more
than months in any workshops possibly could. Each
group met the improvisational nature of working with
our beloved colleagues there. Often the visiting Fellows
didn’t know from day to day where they would be or what
they would be doing. But they found themselves thrust
into the heart of the teaching and learning wherever they
went. They were resources in every núcleo they entered—
they wanted to be tapped, and indeed they were. (Dan
Berkowitz ’10, tells the story of giving a private trombone
lesson that went on for hours. Until he finally asked the
student, “Aren’t you supposed to be somewhere else by
now?” The student answered, “Oh yes, I was supposed to
leave more than an hour ago, but you were willing to keep
teaching, so how could I leave?”) They traveled around the
country in groups large and small to see and feel the way
El Sistema lives in its variety of settings. They taught; they
studied; they interviewed; they tried things they had never
done before; they handled unexpected travel challenges;
they fell in love with Venezuelans and Venezuela wherever
they went. They came back with a visceral sense of
El Sistema, a feel for its flexibility, adaptability, durability
and rigor, with a wealth of stories, and a sense that they
belong as members of its international family, a sense
that they can take the flame inside them and light fires
wherever they go.
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“Five groups of ten become
one more-powerful group
of 50. It is no exaggeration
to say they are the greatest
hope of this movement.”
I mentioned “projects” the
Fellows took on; these may
not be so well known. The
Fellows, as designated learners,
undertook to document their
discoveries and insights to give
back to the larger movement—
something that would advance
the knowledge of the entire field.
The first two cohorts thoroughly
explored the fundamentals of El Sistema and sought
out avenues for sharing their findings with emerging
programs throughout the U.S. The next two cohorts
became more intentional in producing tools that would
be useful for the field. Cohort 3 undertook a national
needs assessment, surveying all the programs in the
U.S. to determine their most pronounced professional
development requirements. Cohort 4 produced a
foundational document for the entire U.S. movement
on the complex issues of assessment, evaluation and
research, and offered recommended tools any site might
adopt. Cohort 5 undertook to distill what the field has
learned about teaching social justice through a music
learning curriculum; their culminating document “An
Inquiry into Creating Social Change through EnsembleBased Music Program” pulls together a year of experience
to help the field know itself as an agent of social change.
Each cohort was challenged to make presentations at
conferences, to develop advocacy speeches, and to teach
in a wide variety of settings. Each cohort wrote charming
and informative blogs to report their experiences in
Venezuela and around the U.S. Each cohort was involved
in seminarios (occasions when several programs are
brought together for intensified learning together),
and Cohort 4 actually planned and led the first Boston
area seminario, bringing together the local programs
for two days of collaboration. Cohort 5 extended that
collegiality of the Boston area programs. And Cohort
50—the full assemblage of graduates—enters the broadest
8
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— Eric Booth
set of challenges, bringing
true leadership into a field that
needs it. That is the significance
of this moment of transition,
five become one: five groups
of ten become one morepowerful group of 50. It is no
exaggeration to say they are the
greatest hope of this movement.
This essay presents a snapshot of
the impact these Fellows have had on the U.S. field. They
are, inarguably, the single biggest asset and influence
on the U.S. El Sistema-inspired movement. NEC made
it happen, and NEC is staying with the challenge. The
impact of these 50 is growing. El Sistema in Venezuela has
gained its momentum and influence through its inherent
multiplier effect: an inspired teacher changes the lives of
dozens of students; an effective program director changes
the lives of all the students in a núcleo; a strong núcleo
changes the lives of those in its community, family by
family; and a strong leader changes the lives of countless
people in a variety of ways, and draws them into the
vision they pursue in alignment. The Sistema Fellows
have already demonstrated their multiplier effect in the
U.S., founding and leading programs, consulting with
emergent programs, with their eyes always on the right
prize—children and music.
Maestro Abreu says “trust the young,” and this Fellowship
has done so, fearlessly and ambitiously. It has fostered
the multiplying power of these visionary, effective leaders
who are realizing Maestro Abreu’s dream and joining
him in his vision of joy and success for young people
through musical excellence, joy and success for their
families and communities, and for a worldwide movement
that plays and strives for beauty. With the inauguration
of the Resource Center, we launch the next step in this
ambitious support of young leadership. We help the fifty
become even more powerful, more joyful, more cohesive—
to succeed in ways we couldn’t even imagine.
Sistema Fellows Program
By Heath Marlow, Program Director
Overview
For five thrilling years, the Sistema Fellows Program
was a unique professional training program at NEC that
provided a transformative experience for each of the fifty
remarkable individuals profiled in this report. The highly
selective Program was designed to serve postgraduate
musicians and music educators passionate about
creating careers for themselves that connect music, youth
development, and social justice.
The Program’s stated goal was to prepare the Fellows to
launch, manage, lead and teach in El Sistema-inspired
programs in the United States. Following their experience
at NEC, many Fellows have done just that: successfully
guiding the development of brand new El Sistema-inspired
initiatives across the U.S. and elsewhere. In addition,
each class of Fellows became the conduit for sharing
their exclusive knowledge of El Sistema’s complexities—
acquired at the source—with colleagues in the field,
thereby helping El Sistema principles become a significant
element of the community arts education landscape in
the U.S. Along with their work on the ground, many
Fellows are making increasingly important contributions
to the national conversation about effective creative youth
development.
Each year, ten Sistema Fellows engaged in an intensive
nine-month curriculum that featured, among other topics,
leadership development, presentation skills, nonprofit
strategy, finance, resource development, evaluation and
assessment, and education philosophy. This learning
happened through a combination of classroom seminars
at NEC and experiential work in the field. Fellows spent
one month in residence at El Sistema-inspired programs
of their choosing across the United States. The highlight
of each year was a month-long residency in program sites,
known as núcleos, throughout Venezuela.
To put their learning during the Fellowship into practice,
the Fellows were required to spend the following year
supporting the emerging field of El Sistema-inspired
initiatives.
Curriculum Synopsis
Each year, the Sistema Fellows Program curriculum
was further refined through ongoing experimentation
and assessment of what was needed by leaders in the
El Sistema-inspired field. The following information
represents the Year 4 manifestation of the curriculum.
Phase I | September-October: Orientation,
Understanding El Sistema
Following one week of orientation to NEC and to Boston,
the Fellows spent the next six weeks beginning to grasp
what El Sistema is all about. This introduction included
visiting local El Sistema-inspired programs, hearing
from former Fellows already in the field, learning about
the historical context of American music education, and
studying El Sistema’s philosophical underpinnings
through the related ideas of Maxine Greene, Paulo Freire,
and others.
As part of a yearlong collaboration, Eric Booth (an arts
learning consultant and the Program’s senior advisor)
introduced the Fellows to the concept of teaching
artistry, the fundamentals of El Sistema’s educational
practices, and evaluation and assessment. The Fellows
also began a yearlong sequence—in the classroom and
in one-to-one consultations—with Greg Kandel, founder
of Management Consultants for the Arts, who offered
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guidance about all aspects of nonprofit organizational
life. Throughout the year, they examined qualities of
leadership, entrepreneurship, governance, and strategic
planning. Presentation skills (taught by NEC President
Tony Woodcock), networking, and relationship building
were introduced and practiced.
As a group, and through individual consultations, Fellows
developed ideas about their personal mission statements,
and identified achievable goals for their time at NEC. They
also investigated and planned their upcoming U.S. núcleo
residencies. They discussed potential group projects with
the goal of contributing new knowledge to the El Sistemainspired field. Group norms and guidelines were
established collaboratively.
“We organize and bring together, convey our musical
ideas, and try to draw communities to their full
potential, but we all know that it is music, not magic.
We can only ask for and build trust, and, in turn, offer
our own passion, knowledge, and intuition while
acknowledging that we are only stars in the greater
constellation.” — EXCERPT FROM “SAFE AND CHARGED”
BY ANDREA LANDIN ’13
“What brings me joy? Connecting with people, going
on adventures, having meaningful conversations. But
as I dug deeper and the same question was repeated
to me, my ultimate joy was uncovered: the feeling I get
when I play music with no preoccupations, doubts or
boundaries. There are no limits, not even the grandiose
horizon is in sight. Just merely the notes that create a
space where any emotion can be unleashed. It is then
that true radiance and golden light fill my whole inner
being.” — EXCERPT FROM “JOY AND RELATIONSHIPS”
BY SARA ZANUSSI ’13
Phase II | October-November: Fieldwork
During Phase II, the Fellows spent four weeks of their
own design exploring El Sistema-inspired and related
programming in the U.S. Each Fellow had a travel
allowance to seek out experiences in the field that
corresponded with his or her personal interests and goals.
In conjunction with program visits, the Fellows conducted
research with the aim of bringing knowledge back to
their colleagues and contributing to the group project.
At the conclusion of Phase II, the Fellows gave public
presentations about what they learned through their
field research.
“The Fellowship has been an incredible space to reflect on how music can create
social change. Collectively, we have thought a lot about the merits of ensemble-based
learning, intensive study, community engagement, peer teaching and other concepts
that would make music education a more democratic and social experience. How
can we encourage ownership, personal agency, and motivation in a world where the
master-apprentice model is predominant?” — Amelia Combrink ’14
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“I realized that El Sistema changes when we
change because El Sistema is not separate
from us. It doesn’t exist anywhere; it is us.”
— Carlos Roldan ’13
“We had a Moment. It lasted about five seconds, when
the cellos were playing their open D strings and the
first violins slowed down and the second violins all
remembered their part at the same time. I saw a couple
kids look up, as if they weren’t sure why what we were
playing sounded like real music for a fleeting instance.
They looked down again once we all got back off track.
It was a Moment, though, that makes it all worth
trying again, and doing the dozen things differently. It
was the perfect example of everyone offering a small
part of themselves to create something that makes
so much sense—and sounds so beautiful—when it’s
complete.” — EXCERPT FROM “A MOMENT AT JAMM” BY
ANDREA LANDIN ’13
“Reflecting on my own musical experience as a junior
high school student, I was never in a group where
the orchestra members were valued as soloists. The
flexibility of everyone being both a soloist and
orchestra member was not fostered at the early stages
of my musical education. But to witness the depth and
significance of these string players being so versatile
was inspirational. These musicians were supported
and encouraged to take a shot at being a soloist. It did
not matter if the playing was perfect. These musicians
were united playing Vivaldi because it’s beautiful and
good music, but more importantly, they were having
fun!” — EXCERPT FROM “FLEXIBLE AND WELL-ROUNDED
MUSICIANS” BY XOCHITL TAFOYA ’13
Phase III | November-December: Research,
Evaluation, and Assessment
The final month of the first semester was geared toward
understanding the field’s need for research, evaluation,
and assessment. The Fellows were challenged to think
about how El Sistema-inspired programs can best measure,
document, and report their results to both internal and
external audiences. This emphasis on assessment resulted
in a paper published at the end of the year and shared
with colleagues at El Sistema-inspired programs across
the country.
Simultaneously, planning began for a spring convening of
Boston’s El Sistema-inspired programs. Nonprofit strategy
sessions with Greg Kandel (including the drafting of a
strategic plan outline) and presentation skills sessions
with Tony Woodcock continued. The Fellows attended a
national El Sistema symposium in Philadelphia, playing
the role of scribes who documented the proceedings
to share with the field. They assisted with a seminario
in Manhattan for New York City’s El Sistema-inspired
programs. Guided by Bruce Cedar and Bette Hoffman,
they began to critically examine their own group dynamics,
both interpersonal and professional. At the end of the first
semester, the Fellows’ feedback was solicited for second
semester improvements.
“A few weeks ago, we began to discuss the relationship
between harmony, consonance, and dissonance.
Namely, that harmony, if seen in the greater scheme
of things, is not necessarily a dissonance resolved to
a consonance, but rather the constant play between
dissonance and consonance. Harmony doesn’t happen
just in one measure; it happens over the stretch of an
entire piece—and maybe even beyond that. I think that
it’s the same with all these different components of
our lives. It’s not that balance is impossible; it’s just
that my own definition of it has always been so narrow.
I’ve been seeing it as something that happens in a
defined period of time, when it’s actually something
that unfolds over the course of a lifetime.” — EXCERPT
FROM “CONSONANCE, DISSONANCE, AND HARMONY”
BY ANDREA LANDIN ’13
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Left: Amigos Youth Orchestra of Houston, Hana Morford ’14
Right: Keys Institute for the Support of Teaching Artistry,
Ayriole Frost ’14
Building a Núcleo (5th Class Project)
What does it take to imagine, launch, and grow a
community-based music education initiative in the
United States? Over the course of the year, the fifth
class of Fellows each created and refined a plan for
a comprehensive El Sistema-inspired núcleo of their
own design. As they learned about specific aspects of
nonprofit organization strategy and operations, these
became incorporated into their plans.
“In improvisation, each note is a response to the
previous one, and the creator has all the power in the
world to determine what that note is, how it is played,
its mood and feeling—or even if it should exist. There
is a rainbow of possibilities for the life of every sound,
every initiative. Showing children that it is their choice
and their will that determines what will happen in a
particular piece of music—no matter how small—could
be just a snippet of a representation for other aspects
of their daily and lifelong interactions: a metaphor
that illustrates how we all have the right to react as we
see fit.
elements of a strategic plan. During the spring
As we add other people into the mix and make music
together, we react to not only the sounds that we make,
but to the sounds of our companions as well. We
learn to interlace new phrases and gestures, rich and
provocative melodies and harmonies. And we begin
to build something much greater than ourselves.”
semester, they delved into specific operational topics
— EXCERPT FROM “THE RIGHT TO REACT” BY ANDREA
In the fall semester, they focused on developing
a vision and then building a strong foundation
for a community-based intervention with a social
change mission that is grounded by a commitment
to evaluation and assessment. They explored the
such as budgeting, fundraising, and governance.
Using the electronic portfolio technology developed
for NEC’s Music-In-Education students, the Fellows
documented their El Sistema-inspired initiatives in
order to share their ideas with each other, as well as
with faculty and others, as appropriate. Several times
during the year, including at the conclusion of the
Program, there were opportunities to present their
ideas and receive feedback. The electronic portfolio
also served as a professional networking tool,
providing a way to share their ideas with advisors and
potential future colleagues and employers.
The goal was to develop a sophisticated
understanding of the nuances of designing a new
organization. Through documentation and reflection,
their model organizations evolved over the course
of the year as their initial ideas expanded and were
challenged by what they saw and heard.
LANDIN ’13
Phase IV | January-March: Building and
Practicing Skills
Following winter break, the Fellows delved more
deeply into the practical aspects of running a startup organization. They tried out new skills, building a
foundation for continued refinement in the future. A
series of seminars on nonprofit finance, co-taught by
Ronald Florence and Ed Lesser, provided the fundamental
knowledge and financial instruments needed for
launching a new program. A similar sequence of sessions,
led by Heath Marlow, explored grassroots resource
development, with an emphasis on foundation proposals,
in kind support, and the cultivation, solicitation, and
stewardship of individual donors. The finance and
resource development tracks overlapped, featuring
practical experiences with real projects and their leaders.
“I have been learning how to break down the vague idea of social change.
Before this year, I used to talk about social change from a broad perspective,
following my intuition. Now I feel that I can articulate better how music
education may impact children.” — Diogo Pereira ’13
In addition, there were occasional opportunity‑based visits
by former Fellows who shared their experiences in the
field. Eric Booth facilitated further learning about teaching
artistry and programmatic elements of El Sistema-inspired
efforts in the U.S.
Greg Kandel’s nonprofit strategy sequence focused on
entrepreneurship, ethics, governance and self-marketing.
Tony Woodcock’s sequence of sessions switched
focus from public speaking to leadership. There were
regular weekly hours set aside for gaining teaching and
administrative experience at local El Sistema-inspired
programs.
With Bruce Cedar and Bette Hoffman, the Fellows
explored group dynamics through the perspective of
Systems Theory. They also learned to skillfully conduct
a discussion about how issues of race, gender, ethnicity,
and class are relevant to each individual in a group, to
the group as a whole, and to the work itself. In February,
they participated in the process of selecting the fifth class
of Fellows.
In collaboration with local núcleo directors, the Fellows
designed, promoted, and produced a seminario at NEC
paired with a symposium about collaboration and
relationship building. They also prepared for their
upcoming month-long residency in Venezuela. Martha
Castaño provided basic Spanish instruction, and the
Fellows readied themselves for teaching music in Spanish.
“I feel like I’ve been tested in unimaginable ways, not
only mentally and intellectually, but also spiritually and
personally. The reason I moved to Boston, my passion
to use music as a tool to strengthen communities, is
also my struggle. I say I’ve struggled because often
times I am scared by own vision. I’ve noticed that
theoretically I can talk about what I hope to see change,
but the actual “doing it” part is far more intimidating.
Recently, a Venezuelan administrator said something
very powerful to me, “Just stop worrying. It’ll come. If it
is in your heart, you will find a way. Just encourage your
heart.” Encourage my heart? The only person who had
ever said this to me was Greg Kandel, our arts nonprofit
professor. I was stunned by the same message. Was fear
written all over my face? Probably, and yet I’ve decided
a little fear isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes we need our
heart to be scared in order to become courageous
enough to try.” — EXCERPT FROM “ENCOURAGING THE
HEART” BY ELISE SEYMOUR ’13
“Grey space has come up in conversation a number
of times lately, ranging from career goals to
cultural considerations to personal life. Though
it’s uncomfortable for me, I’m learning that most
situations are nowhere close to black-and-white; there
is usually an infinite amount of grey space in between,
leaving plenty of room to celebrate small victories,
learn from minor setbacks, and give people the benefit
of the doubt.
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We are all working hard to figure out where we will end
up six months from now, while simultaneously striving
to build community through love and music. We’re
getting as comfortable as we can, believing that the
world can be improved even when we’re operating from
the depths of the grey spaces.” — EXCERPT FROM “GREY
SPACE” BY RACHEL HOCKENBERRY ’13
Phase V | April: Venezuela
The much-anticipated annual capstone event of the
Sistema Fellows Program was the month spent in
Venezuela as special guests of FundaMusical Simón
Bolívar. The Fellows observed daily activities and taught
in the large urban núcleos of Caracas and Barquisimeto
as well as in smaller núcleos, such as in the city of Mérida,
located many miles from the country’s capital. Many
Fellows were inspired to document their experiences in
Venezuela, as evidenced by the writing that follows on
pages 15-19.
“As I prepare for my journey to Venezuela today, I
am struck by excitement, anticipation, joy, and
inquiry. So far, I’ve spent months just thinking about
El Sistema—personal questions, philosophies, and
just “how does this work?” I am very fortunate to
have the opportunity to go learn, discover, and be
immersed in the rich musical culture of El Sistema. I’ve
been delving into personal questions such as teaching
practices, pedagogies, choral excellence, and of course,
the amazing programs for children with special needs!
Over the next few weeks, please join me in my journey
throughout Venezuela as I begin to witness firsthand
this program that has changed thousands of children
and families and also the communities and country
of Venezuela.” — EXCERPT FROM “MY JOURNEY TO
VENEZUELA BEGINS” BY ELISE SEYMOUR ’13
Phase VI | May: Reflection and Graduation
In the final few weeks of the Program, following their
return from Venezuela, the Fellows reflected on the year
as a whole, provided constructive feedback about their
experience, set up job interviews, readied themselves
for entering the field, and brought closure to an intense
nine-month experience at NEC with a celebratory
graduation ceremony.
“I’m completing this post from a coffee house in
Lexington, KY. I have accepted a position as the
program director for North Limestone MusicWorks,
which is the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra’s
new El Sistema-inspired initiative. I could not be
more excited!
About two weeks ago, the Sistema Fellows graduated
from NEC. It was a small, intimate ceremony with some
family members and lots of friends in attendance.
The ceremony opened with encouraging words and
anecdotes related to our class from NEC president
Tony Woodcock. Then, each Fellow had the floor for a
few minutes. Everyone spoke; some used media; some
played music.
I did, of course, say a few words before I played my
horn. I spoke of the theme of firsts, and the number
one, in my young Sistema life. I had one year with
nine amazing fellows. I experienced my first trip to
a Latin American country. I taught music lessons
with a language barrier for the first time. I’m about
to move to Lexington to help start Kentucky’s
first El Sistema-inspired program. Following this
theme, and furthering my exploration of musical
relevance, my commencement performance was
another first: I played bluegrass music on my horn.”
— EXCERPT FROM “BLUEGRASS ON THE HORN” BY RACHEL
HOCKENBERRY ’13
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Resonant Lessons from Venezuela
For the Sistema Fellows, having the opportunity to travel to the source of their inspiration and experience El Sistema
firsthand was undoubtedly the highlight of their year in the Program. On these pages are reflections about the experience
of being in residence in Venezuela, presented by Sistema Fellows in their own words.
“Often times, we realize significant moments in
retrospect and don’t have the opportunity to prepare.
Yet even after months of preparation and inquiry, I was
still completely blown away by my initial encounters
with El Sistema. Intention creates reality and here in
Venezuela, the intention of creating social programs
through music is meticulous.” — ELISE SEYMOUR ’13
“Yesterday we had the honor of meeting with Maestro
Abreu. It was an unforgettable experience. He took the
time to listen to each of our dreams and experiences in
Venezuela, and also responded to each of us. I realized
that, through the Foundation, three generations have
been raised that love music, and realize their worth.
Maestro Abreu has truly passed the ‘baton’ successfully.
Intent, purpose, passion and vision were seen in every
núcleo we visited. The feel of every núcleo was different,
but there was an underlying alignment to the vision
that was unmistakable.” — MONIQUE VAN WILLINGH ’13
“Witnessing El Sistema in Venezuela has validated many
of my own ideas. Often times I approach my work in an
unorthodox manner, and it’s usually very different from
the current trend. The diversity within the singular
umbrella of FundaMusical has inspired me to ignite my
own spark, start my own trend, and have total devotion
and faith in what I plan to do.” — RICKI NELSON ’14
“I was shocked again and again at some of the smaller
núcleos, when I would give a cello lesson to a student
who was working on a very basic piece and then see
them later in the afternoon sitting in an orchestra
and playing Beethoven’s Third Symphony. For me,
the “magic” of El Sistema happens in the orchestra.
The children who are more advanced raise the level of
everyone when they sit together in the orchestra with
beginners, and the beginners can play things they
never could play on their own. When you work together
you can achieve more than you can achieve alone.”
— LAURA JEKEL ’11
“The process may vary, but the goal set forth by Dr.
Abreu is constant: ‘creating better human beings.’
This mission drives the decisions of its teachers and
permeates the walls of every núcleo we visit. We hear it
in the impassioned voices of the young núcleo directors
and teachers (not much older than their students)
and see it in the determined faces of children in the
orchestra focused so intently on the music that they
seem unaware of the crammed spaces and stifling heat.
It’s become commonplace to enter a room of a núcleo
and be deeply affected by music played in ensemble by
hundreds of kids. Each núcleo is living out Dr. Abreu’s
conviction that ‘the culture for the poor cannot be a
poor culture.’” — LORRIE HEAGY ’10
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“The beauty and spirit of the Venezuelan people are
infectious. It was so wonderful to be in a place that
celebrates the music of life so remarkably. Most
impressive was perhaps seeing the vision of Maestro
Abreu implemented so thoroughly throughout an
entire country! On our last night in Venezuela, we
enjoyed a glorious evening with Maestro Abreu. We
walked out of that meeting with a renewed sense of
purpose and passion. Now, more than ever, I am ready
for the journey that lies ahead.” — AISHA BOWDEN ’12
“In Venezuela, the music is incredible. But what
resonates even deeper within us is respect for the spirit
of ‘luchar,’ the struggle to succeed against all odds and
the culture of merit, effort, perseverance and discipline
that the youth are undoubtedly growing in their
country. We celebrate these human qualities when we
applaud their music.” — BEVERLY HIONG ’14
“El Sistema has succeeded in infusing an enthusiasm
and a knack for teaching in the fabric of the musician.
Children who know two notes are encouraged and
asked to teach children who know one note. Teenagers
who have three years of experience on their instrument
are asked to lead large-group sectionals. Many times,
children spontaneously sit down with others and begin
teaching. How empowering it must be for a child to
always have opportunities to be both teacher and
student.” — CLARA YANG ’14
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“I would love to see a day when all of the world’s major
artists no longer see performance and education as two
separate things. When institutions for higher education
no longer separate music education from music
performance. When there are more bridges between
genres so that musicians can become more versatile
musically, and in life. When young people no longer
insist on hip-hop, but also demand orchestras in their
neighborhoods, and jazz ensembles, and choirs. I think
that the more people who can come to Venezuela, and
teach, learn, play, and ask questions, the better chances
we have of tipping the scales in making music a focal
point of society, to thrive in a life with a love of learning
and playing.” — JENNIFER KESSLER ’12
“I keep returning to a common thread I found: the deep
desire to share. I wondered how this attitude could
be embedded so deeply in the culture of El Sistema,
and in one rehearsal of the children’s orchestra in
Barquisimeto, I found it eloquently captured. As
their conductor paused during coaching the young
musicians through a difficult passage and encouraged
them to help out their neighbor, he said to them, ‘Each
person here is responsible for another person. And that
other person is responsible for everyone else.’ It is the
idea that giving to someone else is giving to everyone,
and that everyone includes you.” — ANDREA LANDIN ’13
“Why do they sing? Why does it matter so much? It became clear to
me that the children of El Sistema sing and play because it brings
them to a world of tangible opportunity, giving them a sense of
unencumbered freedom that allows them to express themselves.”
Finding Purpose
Excerpted from Aesthetics of Generosity: El Sistema,
Music Education, and Social Change (2012)
By José Luis Hernández-Estrada ’12
At Valle de le Pascua, a small rural town in the heart of
Venezuela’s state of Guárico, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and
Juliet Overture never sounded so endearing to me. It is
a score undeniably compelling—the heart-rending story
of two star-crossed lovers—one that we know almost too
well. In our rehearsal, I asked the students to imagine
themselves in the story of the music and give in to the
drama of the Shakespearian narrative. Without hesitation
the musicians quickly became absorbed by the music. It
was an electrifying exchange. It was so intense that during
our rehearsal the power went out. Somehow the orchestra
didn’t miss a beat! For an instant (which seemed like an
eternity) we continued in darkness; finding our way back
to a dimly lit room and striving to uncover a sense of
ownership and purpose to our music-making.
El Sistema in Venezuela has fashioned pervasive paradigms
for the rationale and purpose of art. Music is never seen
as a luxury, but as a natural extension of a young person’s
life. In Mahomito, at a very poor elementary school,
we heard a group of choristers singing a repertoire of
boleros, merengues, and música llanera (songs from the
Venezuelan plains).
I saw young children holding hands, feeling every nuance
in the songs, and cherishing the splendor of doing
something well together. Many of them were immersed in
the musical experience, eyes closed, as if somehow they
had found their own sanctuary of peace. They were proud
to perform for us.
Very seldom have I experienced such potent musicianship.
In their performance, I heard a new kind of intention
and aesthetic of sound. Their music in two-part harmony
accompanied by the energetic strumming of a cuatro
shone with palpable relevance—illuminating the crowded
rehearsal room and bringing many of us to tears. What
made their performance so moving?
I couldn’t help by think of the children’s own life stories
and musical aspirations. Why do they sing? Why does it
matter so much? It became clear to me that the children
of El Sistema sing and play because it brings them to
a world of tangible opportunity, giving them a sense
of unencumbered freedom that allows them to express
themselves.
Most students I’ve spoken to have told me that “music is
their life,” or that “it brings them to a place of possibility.”
Both statements echo the words of Maestro Abreu as he
instructs fellow educators on the role of artistic doingness:
“Let us reveal to our children the beauty of music and
music shall reveal to them the beauty of life.”
In pursuing music, students generate a level of motivation
that leads to re-imagining a new purpose in life, creating
both improved social environments and poignant musicmaking experiences. This framework gives us a new
aesthetic of possibility where students’ capacity for growth
is extended as far as the universe of music. It is only up to
each individual to decide how far they may choose to go.
“What is happening in Venezuela is truly remarkable,
but it wasn’t until I came to NEC that I fully understood
and realized El Sistema’s global influence and all its
implications for the future of music education.”
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“What is happening in Venezuela is truly remarkable,
but it wasn’t until I came to NEC that I fully understood
and realized El Sistema’s global influence and all its
implications for the future of music education.”
A Memorable Five Weeks in Venezuela
By Marie Montilla ’11
Classical music has been taught in the same way all
over the world for decades, how different could it be in
Venezuela? When I finally went there and started teaching
and observing I realized that their approach to classical
music is in fact very different. In Venezuela, children as
young as five sit in orchestra with their instruments from
day one even if they cannot read their parts. Sectionals and
group lessons take priority over private lessons. What is
happening in Venezuela is truly remarkable, but it wasn’t
until I came to NEC that I fully understood and realized
El Sistema’s global influence and all its implications for
the future of music education. Venezuela has been called
the land of orchestras and El Sistema has been referred
to as the fountain of youth for classical music. Based on
my experience in Venezuela, I have to agree with both of
these claims.
They use every inch of space available to them to make
music. Outdoor lessons and classes are very common
in Venezuela because of lack of space. El Sistema has a
policy that prohibits turning away any student who wants
to participate in a music program. While this could be a
logistical nightmare for a lot of institutions, in Venezuela
it is just a bump in the road. They do everything they
can to find space and instruments for all children who
approach a núcleo with the interest to join.
I spent eight days in Barquisimeto observing activities
and interviewing teachers. In every classroom or rehearsal
room I walked into the children were eager to show off
their skills. They love to perform for visitors and never
seem to mind the intrusion. Every teacher I met was
open to sharing their experiences and eager to answer
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questions. Yahaira, who oversees the very young musicians
in the preparatory level in Barquisimeto allowed me to
observe all of her beginner orchestra rehearsals. Her
students range from age 5 to 12 and they start orchestra in
her class.
I asked her what it’s like on the first day when 5 and 6
year olds come in to sit in orchestra without ever having
played their instruments. She smiled and said “total
chaos.” She went on to explain that in El Sistema children
learn together, as a community, and the orchestra is that
community. And so from day one, they all start learning
together and their teachers are very patient and ready
to help. Most young orchestra rehearsals have several
teachers present sometimes sitting within the ensemble.
Every moment is a teaching opportunity.
These children are champions in their communities.
Everybody knows who they are, and they represent
what is best from their neighborhoods and barrios. In
Venezuela music education has become a universal right
and the image of the orchestra is now a part of their
national identity.
I could go on sharing anecdotes from my trip but I want to
share with you the main impression I took away with me.
This is the devotion of a whole country to classical music.
Every single teacher in El Sistema has a blind devotion
to the children and youth that reaches beyond adversity.
El Sistema represents Venezuela’s hope in its youth and we
can learn a lot from them.
Building Eagerness
By Clara Yang ’14
Núcleo Santa Rosa in Barquisimeto is a núcleo noted for
a nearby outdoor plaza, where children dismissed from
schools crowd its tiles at 2:30 PM. When we arrived at 2:32
PM, there were already three sectionals going on under the
shade of trees.
After being briefed on the núcleo with the director, our
group parted ways. The vocalists went off to observe choir,
and the instrumentalists visited an extension of Núcleo
Santa Rosa that serves a poorer population in a remote
area of Barquisimeto.
Our van sped up a series of small hills, and we parked
right outside a slaughterhouse, which was a landmark of
the village. We stepped into a sandy courtyard where fifteen
children sitting in plastic chairs with violins, violas, or
cellos were scattered about.
Tatjana, Megan, Eriel, and Beverly went to work with their
respective string cohorts, and I poked my nose in here and
there until I saw a group of children who couldn’t have
been older than 6- or 7-years old hanging out. Curious as
to what they were doing, I hustled over to them.
Me (in hopefully what is grammatically correct Spanish):
What are you doing?
Chicas: We are waiting for our lesson!
Me: What are you doing between now and then?
Chicas: We’re practicing!
Me: Should we play until then?
Chicas (unanimous): YES!
Within thirty seconds, eleven children rapidly mobilized
themselves. In a flourish, they arranged two rows of plastic
chairs in front of me. Two kids who were on the outskirts
of the group grabbed their cases, found chairs, and took
out their violins. Three others, having seen the others
getting ready, ran up the small hill to participate. Multiple
children were shushing each other. Before I knew it, I was
looking out at a group of neatly seated children sitting in
rest position with twinkling eyes.
Their eagerness to learn shocked me. They were
empowered enough to self-organize and disciplined
enough to ready themselves, without adult supervision. As
a teacher, I know that it takes a certain type of culture to
create an atmosphere such as this. I also know that culture
isn’t just handed on a silver platter.
I simply asked the children, “Show me?” A self-assigned
leader counted them off: “Un, do, tre” and the group
began playing a song. It wasn’t perfect, but while I
was listening, I couldn’t help but think, “How are the
Venezuelan El Sistema teachers building this kind of
eagerness?”
About five minutes into working together, I noticed one
girl had stopped. I approached her with a smile, asked her
name, and asked why she was not playing. She answered
that she didn’t know the piece.
As soon as I asked for a volunteer to teach her the piece,
half of the hands shot up. I randomly chose a boy sitting
next to her. Here was the miraculous thing: without my
saying a single word, they both moved their chairs about
three meters away and began working immediately. No
side conversations, no management issues. He began
pointing to her fingerboard and showing her his own
fingerings. This was peer mentoring at its best. I left the núcleo with this one word lingering in my mind—
eagerness. How can we cultivate such desire to learn in
programs across the United States?
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Contributions to the Field
As Eric Booth described earlier in this report, the Fellows
are uniquely positioned to respond to and provide for
some of the major needs and interests arising across the
El Sistema-inspired field in the U.S. Included here are
synopses of five such projects undertaken by the Fellows
to increase the knowledge and effectiveness of their
colleagues.
National Needs Assessment (2012)
Summary by Ben Fuller ’12, and Jennifer Kessler ’12
The third cohort of Fellows undertook a national needs
assessment in order to provide a picture of the state of the
national field of El Sistema-inspired programs. Through
conversations with program directors of self-identified
El Sistema-inspired programs across the country, they
took snapshots of the variety of programs, synthesizing
these into common statistics, further questions, and
identification of some of the major national needs. They
hoped that this data would serve as a launching pad for
future investigation into what is needed for successful
El Sistema-inspired work. They presented their findings at
the inaugural Take A Stand conference hosted by the Los
Angeles Philharmonic in 2012, the first major convening of
the national El Sistema-inspired field.
The major quantitative findings at that time were as
follows:
• There are approximately 7,000 students in 54 U.S.
programs
• 54 programs were identified, providing programming
at 91 sites (second sites are most often started in
organizations over three years old)
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• These 54 programs included 16 in the Northeast, 13
in California, 10 in the South, 9 in the Midwest, 6 in
the West
• Sites for El Sistema-inspired programs include 48 public
schools, 18 community centers, 5 charter schools,
2 churches, 2 Boys and Girls Clubs, 1 Catholic private
school, and 1 library
• Programs provide 9 hours of instruction/week on
average
• Programs serve students from ages 2 to 17, with most
programs serving predominantly elementary-school aged
students
• On average, programs spend $1,800 per child per year
The national needs assessment also identified that:
• Programs overwhelmingly stated youth development,
community development, musical excellence, and access
as their core values
• Descriptions of program success were also indicative of
core values. Success was described as youth development
by 41% of program directors, musical growth by 32%,
and community development by 27%
• The most frequently cited biggest challenges were
financial sustainability and funding, and organizations
with budgets greater than $500,000 listed “growth” as
their greatest challenge
• Almost all programs reported challenges related to
hiring qualified teaching artists and guiding them to
implement the vision of the program
• Regarding the greatest challenges faced by teaching
artists in their classrooms on a daily basis, 68%
reported classroom management, 19% reported student
attendance, and 13% reported teaching to mixed abilities
• Program directors feel that the key skills their students
are learning are musicianship, discipline, self-esteem,
and teamwork
• Most programs are not evaluating anything, and
programs that are evaluating tend to be focusing on
musical evaluation
The national needs assessment concluded that evaluation
and funding are two of the most important arenas that
need support in the El Sistema-inspired field. The field
could also generally benefit from the sharing of resources
such as repertoire, teacher training practices, and hiring
practices. The needs assessment also brought up several
questions for the national field to consider. Some of
these include: Why are El Sistema-inspired programs
mainly working in schools? Why do programs primarily
serve elementary school students? When is a good time
for expansion, and why should a program do so? It is
hoped that the needs assessment indicated areas in which
increased work would broadly serve and benefit the
national El Sistema-inspired field.
It is important to note that since the Sistema Fellows
conducted this assessment in early 2012, the number of
núcleos across the U.S. has doubled. El Sistema USA,
formerly known as the National Alliance of El SistemaInspired Programs, now conducts an annual census of
the field.
Strategic Plan for New Orleans (2012)
Summary by the 2012 Sistema Fellows
The third cohort of Sistema Fellows was invited to do
community mapping and develop a strategic plan for
building an El Sistema-inspired program in the Lower
Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans, Louisiana. For
many of the Sistema Fellows, this also served as crucial
practice toward developing strategic plans for their own
future programs.
The Lower Ninth Ward was thrown into the nation’s
spotlight when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in
2005 resulting in catastrophic flooding and population
loss. Violence is increasingly prevalent in this community;
many consider the neighborhood to be the city’s most
dangerous.
The Sistema Fellows developed a strategic plan to build
an El Sistema-inspired program in this neighborhood,
responding directly to mounting violence by using music
education as an intervention. The program developed is an
intensive, ensemble-based music program called the Youth
Orchestra of the Lower Ninth Ward (YOL9W), which
strives for a combination of social and musical goals.
YOL9W’s central mission is to strengthen individual youth
competencies that promote pro-social, anti-aggressive,
and civically minded behaviors, while simultaneously
building social capital across the Lower Ninth Ward. The
goals within this mission are to strengthen executive
function skill development and intrinsic motivation
through collective musical ensemble learning, as well as to
increase social capital through the development of strong
pro-social relationships with peers, parents, and other
adults. An additional goal is to promote civic engagement
of Lower Ninth Ward youth through the development
of problem-solving and leadership skills that can be
transferred into out-of-program contexts.
The Sistema Fellows developed YOL9W as a program
of All Souls Episcopal Church and Community Center,
and supported by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Foundation. The program works with children ages four to
thirteen, primarily drawn from Dr. King Charter School,
and is designed with string orchestra as the core ensemble
together with a pre-orchestra musicianship class offered to
prepare and engage younger students.
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21
These ensemble-based experiences emphasize teamwork,
cooperation, and self-efficacy as well as collective
responsibility through classical ensemble practice
and performance. The program is striving to include
additional specialized courses such as choir, bucket band,
composition, and chamber music. Students also have the
opportunity to take advantage of tutoring and homework
help before their musical studies commence and receive a
nutritious dinner before heading home.
The event began with the convergence of young
instrumentalists and vocalists from these programs,
aged 6 to 16 (and at varying stages of musical growth),
to participate in several icebreakers and welcoming
The program elements outlined above, supported by
a highly qualified and caring team of artistic leaders,
combine to create an intensive and joyful musical
intervention aimed at empowering the program
participants with the experiences and tools necessary
to rise above the cycle of chronic violence in the Lower
Ninth Ward.
MacAdam-Somer and Prescod led the children in a call
and response chant, followed by participants transferring
the vocalized chant to their instruments. The beginners
plucked a rhythmic ostinato on open strings, while the
more advanced string students played the melody and the
high school-aged vocalists learned a harmony to place on
top of the string tune. After a snack and socializing, the
event culminated in more music making with the addition
of dance steps corresponding to the call and response
chant.
Boston Area Seminario and Symposium (2013)
Summary by Rachel Hockenberry ’13, and Heath
Marlow, Program Director
The fourth class of Sistema Fellows, realizing how many
El Sistema-inspired programs were newly present in
the greater Boston area, as well as the importance of
fostering collaborative efforts in the national El Sistemainspired movement generally, developed a symposium
and seminario event bringing together students, teachers,
staff, supporters, and thought leaders associated with the
El Sistema-inspired movement in the area.
On March 26, 2013, six El Sistema-inspired programs
convened at New England Conservatory for an afternoon
of music making: Conservatory Lab Charter School;
El Sistema Somerville; Bridge Boston Charter School;
Josiah Quincy Elementary School; Margarita Muñiz
Academy; and Youth and Family Enrichment Services.
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songs. The session was then handed over to two of NEC’s
Contemporary Improvisation faculty members, Eden
MacAdam-Somer and Nedelka Prescod, who led the
students in the rest of the afternoon’s music making,
comprised primarily of aural learning and improvisation.
On March 27, the Sistema Fellows organized a symposium
at NEC. The morning began with the local Boston núcleo
directors and teachers meeting with the Sistema Fellows to
discuss the events from the previous afternoon: what went
well, what didn’t go so well, and what could be better next
time. They hoped that this discussion would provide the
platform for continued collaboration within the growing
El Sistema network in Greater Boston.
The next portion of the morning was devoted to discussing
collaboration and relationship building between local
núcleos and other like-minded organizations in Boston.
An opening “provocation” (via Skype) by California-based
writer and activist Arlene Goldbard led into a fishbowlstyle conversation featuring Elizabeth Hollander (former
board president, Community MusicWorks), Tanya Maggi
(director, Community Performances and Partnerships
at NEC), Karen Zorn (president, Longy School of Bard
College), and Ronald Zecher, a veteran music teacher
in the Santa Barbara (California) public schools. They
discussed elements of successful collaborations, providing
participants with valuable insights.
The third and final element of the morning was an
opportunity for the participants to engage with each other
by dividing up into smaller discussion groups covering a
variety of topics related to collaboration.
This two-day event was the first of its kind in Boston. The
goal of the convening was to serve as a springboard for
building stronger relationships between local núcleos,
as well as between núcleos and other practitioners in the
fields of arts and youth development. It is the hope of the
current class of Sistema Fellows that this event will be
repeated in the future.
Say Yes to Assess: An Exploration in El
Sistema-Inspired Assessment Practice (2013)
Summary by Elaine Sandoval ’13
One of the main areas of need identified by the 2013
Sistema Fellows (as well as by the national needs
assessment completed in 2012) was for increased
assessment and evaluation practice across the El Sistemainspired field in the United States.
Realizing that growth and sustainability are impossible
without such research initiatives, as well as the sheer
difficulty for most El Sistema-inspired programs to
initiate such endeavors alone, the fellows spent the year
consulting with experts in the field and pursuing their
own research to produce a document outlining a rigorous
assessment process and examining several proposed
indicators of success.
The resulting document defines key terms and concepts,
discusses the importance of this research, outlines a
process for initiating assessment, and demonstrates the
designing of methods and tools relevant and specific
to El Sistema-inspired work. The three major outcomes
explained and discussed in the document included musical
literacy, sense of community, and personal agency. It also
encourages programs to begin working with their local
expert researchers, research institutions, and universities
to develop and implement documentation and measuring
practices, which capture the specific circumstances and
practices of their programs.
The document has been well received in the field. Jonathan
Govias ’10, described this work on his blog as “one of the
very few must-reads for anyone genuinely serious about
having impact in [evaluation of Sistema programs]… Aside
from being impeccably written, it is one of very few papers
to connect its proposals and frameworks to a broad base
of scientific research while clarifying the major points
under consideration. It is intelligent, readable and most
of all, useful.” Elaine Sandoval ’13 and Andrea Landin ’13
presented this project at the 2014 Take a Stand Symposium
in Los Angeles.
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An Inquiry into Creating Intentional
Social Change through Ensemble-Based
Music Programs (2014)
Summary by Ayriole Frost ’14
Rather than presenting scientific research, the paper
seeks to encourage new perspectives and reflection. The
questions raised by this inquiry organizes the paper into
the following sections:
In 2014, the fifth class of Sistema Fellows authored a paper
synthesizing a year of inquiring, discussing, observing
and experiencing the El Sistema movement. Seeking
to contribute to ongoing dialogue around using music
for social change, they outlined reflections potentially
helpful to the leaders and instructors working within the
El Sistema-inspired field, as well as those interested in
joining the field.
• Social Impact. “How can we consider the impact of
intentional social change in a wider context?”
Through probing and thorough reflection, the fifth class
• Artistic and Educational Practices. “How can a
program cultivate social change through its artistic and
educational practices?
of Fellows collated a selection of mission statements
that show how other organizations have defined social
change. Drawing upon visits and observations of
these organizations, this paper highlights examples of
best practice from the many socially driven initiatives
encountered during the Fellowship: Venezuela’s
El Sistema, El Sistema-inspired programs, community
music schools and arts programs. These programs
include many different forms and models, a variety of
artistic genres, and international settings. The examples
were selected for having particular resonance with the
fifth year Fellows, and were not necessarily evaluated
for effectiveness.
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• Community Engagement. “How can a program involve
all constituents and become an intrinsic part of the
community?”
• Organizational Culture. “How can a program reflect the
social change it wants to see?”
It is the hope that careful consideration of these questions
can motivate ensemble-based music programs to better
determine what social change looks like in their community
and how it may be reflected in their programming.
“What none had to learn was how to follow their
passion, to articulate a sense of purpose, to know
who they wished to impact, and to move forward
with great courage and drive to fulfill their mission.”
Faculty Reflection
By Greg Kandel, Principal, Management
Consultants for the Arts
I’ve had the distinct pleasure of being a member of
the planning team that developed the Sistema Fellows
Program, launching new leaders for this wonderful
“System” in which rigorous music training is a tool for
community change. I’ve also had the privilege of teaching
most of the Fellows.
Of course, New England Conservatory deserves great
credit for responding to Dr. Abreu’s call to train fifty
young musicians to build núcleos around the United
States and overseas. NEC’s board, faculty, staff, students,
and donors heeded that call in order to help build strong
young people—particularly those underserved—as well
as communities.
Now, after fulfilling this promise, NEC has committed
to support these Fellows to make a real difference in the
sustainability of the programs to serve youth through
music. It has launched a Resource Center that will provide
these Fellows with professional development, research
about innovative ideas, and consulting advice. NEC will
often be doing all this through facilitating opportunities
for the Fellows to interact and learn even more from
one another.
However, the essential story of this program is really about
these young musicians. All fifty Fellows (and others who
have felt the calling) are talented musicians who were
blessed with multiple options to pursue in their careers.
They all believe in the transcendent power of music and
music-making to transform lives. These Fellows are heroes,
really, who have made a conscious choice to forgo a year
of wage earnings to steep themselves in training about all
things El Sistema, young people, music education, and
organizational life.
Each has followed his or her own path through the
program, or more precisely, each has taken varying paths
until they have found one that seemed right for them.
Every academic year they have faced many questions from
the mundane—Where am I going to live? How can I afford
to do this?—to the profound—Can I practice my instrument
enough to maintain my standards of musicianship while
immersing myself in this training? And, if not, am I
prepared to make that sacrifice, too?
They each have brought to the program an insatiable hunger
to learn, along with a powerful curiosity and skepticism of
all established processes. This has been both inspiring and
daunting. They have a fearlessness, empowered by passion,
that teaches us how to pursue a formidable mission for
change and achieve one’s dreams.
Each has revealed a striking willingness to learn and
understand matters for which they have had little training
or knowledge. For some, this was about how to develop
a staff, or how to build organizational partnerships with
schools and other institutions. For others, it might have
been about learning sufficient techniques to teach young
people and/or to manage others who will teach. What
none had to learn was how to follow their passion, to
articulate a sense of purpose, to know who they wished to
impact, and to move forward with great courage and drive
to fulfill their mission.
The Fellows are now in the field throughout the world,
and they are making a difference. Many are recognized as
leaders. Many are unlocking the secret of joining forces
with other music educators who have been developing
different methods of reaching young people. And all
continue to heed the call of their hearts.
We salute these fifty Fellows! Their life’s work will be a
source of inspiration. And they will make a difference in
the lives of the children.
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Program Evaluation
Elaine Sandoval ’13, and
Heath Marlow, Program Director
In advance of the fifth year of the Sistema Fellows Program
(hereafter SFP), New England Conservatory leaders
reached out to alumni fellows for feedback on the SFP,
specifically from the perspective of the career positions
that fellows are currently occupying. In particular, they
wanted to know how NEC could continue to support
fellows post-graduation.
Most alumni responded to a written survey, and ten
fellows, representing each of the four classes, were
interviewed via phone to elicit more nuanced and
detailed responses. The questions on the original survey
probed the continued training needs of fellows, the
professional development needs within El Sistema-inspired
organizations, the fellows’ level and mode of connection
with El Sistema and other professional fields, and what the
fellows would most like to discuss with the incoming fifth
class. The survey also asked for the most and least helpful
aspects of the SFP given the fellows’ current positions.
The ten fellows interviewed by phone were asked additional
questions including the mode in which they would
like to access supplemental training and professional
development, what they would like their staff members to
learn from visiting Venezuela if they had the opportunity
to travel there, what they themselves would wish to gain
from a second encounter with El Sistema in Venezuela,
and what NEC could do to support them or fellows
generally post-graduation. Since the phone conversations
were all conducted as semi-structured interviews, they also
naturally led into other topics including feedback that
fellows wanted to share with NEC leadership.
Alumni fellows occupy a wide range of positions in the
El Sistema-inspired movement—from teaching artist to
chief executive officer, and from program director to
consultant. The organizations that employ them also
represent a variety of organizational models, including
partnerships with schools, community centers, churches,
and professional symphony orchestras. In addition,
programs are at different stages of development, with
annual budgets ranging from $25,000 to $1.3 million.
That being said, there were several clear areas of agreement
in the responses, particularly in terms of ongoing training
and professional development needs, and the ways in
which NEC could assist in meeting those needs:
“I feel like this year has been about learning how to get through situations within the
group, but also about closely observing people who have led me, and how they deal
with situations and people. I have learned so much from who people are, as opposed
to what they say. I have learned that who I am shouts louder than anything I say or
do. And therefore, the importance of working on who I am is a process I need to
constantly be involved in.”— Monique van Willingh ’13
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• Maintaining the fellows’ network is absolutely vital
to each fellow individually as well as to the future
development of the movement overall. Overwhelmingly,
fellows recommended that NEC facilitate more regular
communication between fellows, and reunions that
would encompass both the opportunity to get better
acquainted and to learn from each other.
Significantly, the surveys and interviews indicated that
fellows from the second, third, and fourth classes found
that learning from previously graduated fellows was crucial
to their current work. Indeed, many fellows believed their
residencies at programs founded by alumni to be as or
more formative than their experiences in Venezuela.
• The ability to interact with the field and colleagues
from other programs is crucial. Most fellows found
that the opportunity during the fellowship to intern or
spend residency periods at other El Sistema-inspired
programs (significantly, those run by previous fellows)
as absolutely formative. They also articulate that this
continues to be a prized mode of continued learning and
developing fresh ideas, and they cherish opportunities
to visit other El Sistema-inspired programs and other
fellows. Fellows would appreciate NEC’s support in
coordinating such visits and exchanges, particularly
through financial assistance.
Several fellows in the larger organizations receive multiple
visitors a week, which, while gratifying, is also challenging.
They would like to see NEC contribute to the planning and
organizing of such exchanges, particularly in a hosting
capacity.
Fellows also value the opportunity to participate in
national El Sistema conferences and events, and find lack
of financial resources as the greatest barrier to attendance.
They also seek to bring their staffs and teaching artists to
such conferences.
• The ability to return to the source of inspiration,
and bring their staff is one of the most sought-after
professional development needs of fellows. The majority
of, if not all, graduated fellows found the opportunity
to spend time in Venezuela as transformative and one of
the most valued and unique aspects of the SFP. Fellows
agree that an important part of their organizations’
development lies in sharing firsthand their Venezuelan
experiences with their teaching artists and staff.. Fellows
themselves would also appreciate the opportunity to
return to Venezuela, and several have specific objectives
they would like to pursue.
• More training in management, finance, and
fundraising is sought across the board. While most
fellows did find that the nonprofit organizational
training at NEC was extremely helpful, gaps in
their knowledge continue to challenge them in their
professional positions. Fellows need help managing
staff teams and particularly hiring and training teachers.
They also seek more financial and fundraising expertise,
whether in broader areas such as board and partnership
development or in specific skills such as effectively using
software and planning budgets.
• Resources for music teaching and pedagogy issues
represent a significant need for a majority of fellows.
While most fellows are in administrative leadership
roles, they also find themselves responsible for training
and evaluating teaching artists, and many double as
music educators themselves. Many express the need
to develop pedagogy that is specifically designed for
a socially-oriented music education program. Those
who wish to emulate specific elements of El Sistema
pedagogy, such as peer teaching and group teaching,
want more training, repertoire, and models to develop
these areas. In addition, several fellows shared the need
to be better connected to the wider ecosystem of music
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education. They seek the background and vocabulary
to effectively interact with and learn from the general
discourse on music education. They also want to stay
current with research, including that having to do with
social/youth development issues.
• Ongoing mentorship for long-term career
development and self-sustainability is important to
fellows. There is a clear sentiment that most fellows do
not feel particularly secure or satisfied in their current
At the same time, the cohort also presented great
challenges to itself, especially during the fellowship year.
In fact, many fellows found the least helpful aspect of
the fellowship was pursuing everything as a group of
ten together. In particular, unclear leadership and group
dynamics hindered project development and completion,
and the third and fourth classes of fellows found that the
Venezuela experience was adversely affected by traveling as
one large group.
positions, and that they don’t know how to chart their
careers or have the resources to expand their staffs so
that they can focus on the aspects of the work they find
most fulfilling. One fellow shared that the SFP focused
on preparing him to start a program the day after
graduation, but there was no discussion of long-term
career trajectories.
Finally, there are several instances of critical feedback
about the fellowship experience itself, although these
arose less in survey responses* and were more prominent
in the year-end reports from each class. Some fellows
question the mission of the SFP and what outcomes the
training is preparing them to achieve. Tellingly, one fellow
shared that:
An interesting theme that arose in the course of these
interviews and surveys was the significance and challenges
“I wish the fellowship program could take another
focus. I learned more in the first month of my job than
I did in a year in the fellowship. It’s great to assemble a
lot of people, but what if you could choose ten leaders
who have recently started/leading programs and
brought them to Boston for 2-3 days each month. They
would report their opportunities and challenges each
time, and work with a network of specific people that
could guide them.”
of the group of ten itself during the fellowship year.
Many felt that their cohort was the best part of the
fellowship, and that their relationships are crucial to
continued professional and personal support even a few
years later. Many fellows also found regular discussions
among a group of people with such diverse professional
and personal backgrounds were an invaluable aspect
of the fellowship year. They felt it was a good training
opportunity to work deeply and intimately with such a
multifaceted team.
Such feedback could be productively used to influence the
ways in which NEC can continue to support alumni fellows
who are in the beginning leadership phase.
* The surveys included the evaluation questions alongside basic data collection questions, which were expressly stated as for the sake
of sharing with Dr. Abreu. The juxtaposition made the question of anonymity unclear. It is likely that the lack of critical responses
regarding the least helpful parts of the SFP is a result of fellows not wanting their criticisms attached to their name.
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Proliferation of El Sistema-Inspired Programs
Following is a list of El Sistema-inspired initiatives across the U.S. that have either been
founded by, or employ a Sistema Fellow (or, in some cases, more than one Sistema Fellow).
Juneau, Alaska
Ventura, California
Atlanta, Georgia
Juneau Alaska Music Matters
Glacier Valley Elementary School
Lorrie Heagy (2010-present)
New West Symphony Harmony
Project
Andrea Landin (2013-present)
Atlanta Music Project, AMPlify
Dantes Rameau (2010-present)
Aisha Bowden (2012-present)
Los Angeles, California
Denver, Colorado
Chicago, Illinois
Heart of Los Angeles
(YOLA at HOLA)
Christine Witkowski (2010-present)
El Sistema Colorado
Megan Moran (2014-present)
YOURS Project
People’s Music School
Albert Oppenheimer (2012-2014)
Youth Orchestra Los Angeles
Daniel Berkowitz (2010-present)
Harmony Project Leimert Park
Monique van Willingh (2014-present)
Santa Barbara, California
Incredible Children’s Art Network
Xochitl Tafoya (2013-present)
Washington, D.C.
Children’s Orchestra of DC
Graciela Briceño (2013-2014)
Elizabeth Schurgin (2013-present)
Palm Beach, Florida
Encore Project of the Palm Beaches
Carlos Roldan (2013)
Shift: Englewood
Ayriole Frost (2014-present)
Albert Oppenheimer (2014-present)
Lexington, Kentucky
North Limestone MusicWorks
Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras
Rachel Hockenberry (2013-2014)
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Boston, Massachusetts
Six programs in Greater Boston;
see detailed map on following page
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Kids4Harmony
Marie Montilla (2011-2012)
Baltimore, Maryland
OrchKids
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Hana Morford (2014-present)
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Advocates for Community through
Musical Excellence
Sara Zanussi (2012-2013)
St. Paul, Minnesota
ComMUSICation
Sara Zanussi (2013-present)
Durham, North Carolina
Kidznotes
Kathryn Wyatt (2010-present)
New York, New York
Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Jennifer Kessler (2013-present)
Clara Yang (2014-present)
Corona Youth Music Project
Alvaro Rodas (2010-present)
WHIN Music Project
David Gracia (2012-present)
Andrea Profili (2012-present)
Cincinnati, Ohio
MYCincinnati
Laura Jekel (2011-present)
Cleveland, Ohio
El Sistema@Rainey
Isabel Trautwein (2011-present)
Allentown, Pennsylvania
El Sistema Lehigh Valley
Allentown Symphony Association
Steven Liu (2011-present)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Play On, Philly!
Stanford Thompson (2010-present)
Ben Fuller (2013-present)
Sister Cities Girlchoir
Alysia Lee (2012-present)
Providence, Rhode Island
El Sistema@University Circle
Isabel Trautwein (2013-2014)
David Malek (2013-2014)
Daily Orchestra Program
Community MusicWorks
Adrienne Taylor (2012-present)
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Austin, Texas
El Sistema Oklahoma
José Luis Hernández-Estrada (2013)
Austin Soundwaves
Patrick Slevin (2011-present)
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Fort Worth, Texas
(program name TBA)
Boston Avenue United Methodist
Church
José Luis Hernández-Estrada
(2014-present)
B Sharp Youth Music Program
Liz Schurgin (2012)
Yakima, Washington
Yakima Music en Accion
Stephanie Hsu (2012-present)
“I have realized this year that, because what I want do is absent from the field, I must
be intentional about creating my own initiative in the field. My passion for this work
has grown so much that I have cast away my fears of starting my own program and
I am going for it. I want to create a program that is fully aligned, and I believe that
after this year, I have an idea of how to do that.” — Elise Seymour ’13
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Boston Area Programs
Bridge Boston Charter School
Julie Davis (2012-present)
Conservatory Lab Charter School
Rebecca Levi (2010-2013)
David Malek (2010-2012)
Josiah Quincy Orchestra Program
Josiah Quincy Elementary School
Graciela Briceño (2011-2013)
Avi Mehta (2012-present)
Margarita Muniz Academy
Avi Mehta (2013-present)
Revolution of Hope
David France (2013-present)
Open Access to Music Education
Youth and Family Enrichment Services
Marie Montilla (2012-2013)
“My vision is to have a network of El Sistema programs, of Kidznotes, across the state
of North Carolina. North Carolina is about the same size as Venezuela. A networked
system of orchestras empowering kids and families who would not otherwise have an
opportunity like this, could change the face of orchestras and what people think of
when they think of classical music. Wouldn’t it be amazing if when you think of great
musicians, you thought of kids from Durham?” — Kathryn Wyatt ’10
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
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Sistema Fellows
2010
Dan Berkowitz
Jonathan Govias
Lorrie Heagy
Rebecca Levi
David Malek
Dantes Rameau
Alvaro Rodas
Stanford Thompson
Christine Witkowski
Kathryn Wyatt
2011
Graciela Briceño
David Gracia
Laura Jekel
Steven Liu
Marie Montilla
Andrea Profili
Elizabeth Schurgin
Patrick Slevin
Adrienne Taylor
Isabel Trautwein
2012
Aisha Bowden
Julie Davis
David France
Ben Fuller
José Luis Hernández-Estrada
Stephanie Hsu
Jennifer Kessler
Alysia Lee
Avi Mehta
Albert Oppenheimer
Current locations of the Sistema Fellows, as of October 2014
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
2013
Jessie Berne
Rachel Hockenberry
Andrea Landin
Diogo Pereira
Carlos Roldan
Elaine Sandoval
Elise Seymour
Xochitl Tafoya
Monique Van Willingh
Sara Zanussi
2014
Amelia Combrink
Ayriole Frost
Beverly Hiong
Eriel Huang
Tatjana Merzyn
Megan Moran
Hana Morford
Ricki Nelson
Aubree Weiley
Clara Yang
Dan Berkowitz ’10
Manager, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California
Through Gustavo Dudamel’s Youth Orchestra
Los Angeles (YOLA) program, the Los Angeles
Philharmonic and its community partners
provide free instruments, intensive music
training, and academic support to over 700
students from underserved neighborhoods,
empowering them to become vital citizens,
leaders, and agents of change.
Dan was hired in 2010 and serves as the Manager of YOLA. Under his
leadership, YOLA has grown from serving 160 students to serving over
700 students at three sites (EXPO, HOLA, and LACHSA). Students
receive 12-15 hours of weekly instruction for 43 weeks each year. In
2014, YOLA saw its first cohort of graduating high school seniors and
offered one exceptional graduate the YOLA Citizenship Award—a college
scholarship of $10,000. They also launched YOLA camp, a 7-day
overnight camp focused on leadership and intensive musical training.
YOLA currently employs over 30 teaching artists and staff, and
appreciates the support of over 50 volunteers and mentors. Dan and
YOLA also regularly welcome domestic and international visitors who
wish to see El Sistema-inspired programming in action, including the
programming at HOLA led by Christine Witkowski ’10.
In 2014, Dan was named one of Forbes 30 under 30 for Education. In
addition to the YOLA initiative, he has co-designed and implemented
four international conferences on music and social change for over 1,000
participants from 15 countries. In 2014, the Take a Stand Symposium
featured a Leadership Forum for Young Musicians for 26 students from
13 El Sistema programs around the United States that included a travel
stipend and full tuition. Dan also advises organizations worldwide
through various stages of development, including residencies at
El Sistema Japan and Sistema Taiwan.
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Jonathan Govias ’10
Assistant Professor and Director of Orchestras,
University of North Carolina at Charlotte | Charlotte, North Carolina
Jonathan is internationally recognized for his
activities as a conductor, writer, educator and
public speaker. He has worked with some of
the leading orchestras of the world, including
the symphonies of Montréal, Cincinnati, San
Diego, and the Tonhalle Orchester of Zurich,
and studied with conductors Kurt Masur, Ivan
Fischer, Gustav Meier, David Zinman and
Marin Alsop.
His speaking engagements since 2010 include keynotes at Cape Town
University, Liverpool John Moores University, Hub Zurich, Hub Vienna,
Western Washington University, the NAMM, Alberta and Québec music
education association conferences, and two appearances at London’s
Southbank Centre.
His articles in the same time span include more than nineteen in various
international print publications on social music theory and practice.
The Five Fundamentals of El Sistema has been translated into nine
languages and is the only text on the Venezuelan national orchestral
network specifically endorsed by its founder, Dr. José Antonio Abreu.
Regularly appearing as a guest conductor for professional or all-state
honors orchestras, Jonathan also actively consults for music education
programs around the world, leading advanced teacher training
sessions on orchestral conducting and social learning techniques and
environments. In 2013, he became Assistant Professor and Director of
Orchestras at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Lorrie Heagy ’10
Founder, Program Director & Music Teacher,
Juneau, Alaska Music Matters | Juneau, Alaska
The El Sistema-inspired program Juneau,
Alaska Music Matters (JAMM) uses the social
experience of the orchestra and ensemble to
inspire and motivate young children, especially
those who could not otherwise afford music
education. JAMM is a unique program among
public schools nationwide: its success relies
upon school and community partnerships. The
community funds instruments and specialized
musical training, while the Juneau School District provides space
and time during the school day for both school music teacher and
kindergarten teachers to work alongside local string instructors. Through
these mutually benefitting partnerships, JAMM helps the school district
reach its goals of access and equity, student success, and community
engagement.
Lorrie founded JAMM in 2010, piloting the program by providing
90 minutes of violin instruction per week to Kindergartners at Glacier
Valley Elementary School. Under Lorrie’s leadership, JAMM has grown
to reaching every kindergarten and first grade student at three local
elementary schools (a total of nearly 500 students), and expanded to
include additional programming in composition, Tlingit dance and
drumming, creative movement and dance, and rock band. JAMM
students currently spend between one and seven hours in the program
per week, with instruction provided by three teaching artists and 23
classroom teachers.
Lorrie has 18 years of classroom experience, and her renown as an
educator has resulted in invitations for her to provide teacher training
at nearly 20 El Sistema-inspired initiatives across the United States,
Japan, and Taiwan. She has been honored as a Yale School of Music
Distinguished Music Educator and as the 2011 Alaska Teacher of
the Year.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
35
Rebecca Levi ’10
Music Teacher, La Red de Escuelas de Música de Medellín | Medellín, Colombia
With David Malek ’10, Rebecca Levi co-founded
the El Sistema program at the Conservatory Lab
Charter School in 2010. Conservatory Lab serves
families across Boston, providing 2.5 hours of
in-school daily music instruction. All students
play in an orchestra starting in kindergarten,
and the El Sistema program employs 14 teaching
artists and welcomes the support of dozens of
regular volunteers. As program director between
2010 and 2013, Rebecca created curricula, organized concerts and
collaborations, and designed early-childhood programming, including an
original curriculum for paper orchestra. In 2013, Rebecca was honored as
a Distinguished Music Educator by Yale University.
Rebecca currently lives in Colombia, where she teaches beginning
musicianship to 100 students at La Red de Escuelas de Música, an
El Sistema-inspired program. She also offers piano instruction at
Studio Ensamble Music Academy, leads teacher-training workshops with
the National Pedagogical University of Colombia and the Colombian
Ministry of Culture, and performs songs in Spanish, Italian and English
around Medellín.
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
David Malek ’10
Artistic Director, Sistema Armenia | Cleveland, Ohio
Since 2010, David has been globally engaged
with the El Sistema-inspired movement. After
completing the Sistema Fellows Program, he
co-founded the El Sistema program at Boston’s
Conservatory Lab Charter School with Rebecca
Levi ’10. At Conservatory Lab, all students play in
an orchestra starting in kindergarten, with music
integrated into the school day; the El Sistema
program provides 2.5 hours of music per day.
In 2013, David teamed up with Isabel Trautwein ’11, launching
El Sistema@University Circle in Cleveland, Ohio. After serving 35
students in its first year, the students and faculty from El Sistema@
University Circle have transitioned into a local music school.
Currently, David serves as the Artistic Director for Sistema Armenia,
a program that reaches 120 students with a mission of strengthening
civil society in Armenia through collaborative, ensemble-based
music education.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
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Dantes Rameau ’10
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Atlanta Music Project | Atlanta, Georgia
Founded in 2010, the Atlanta Music Project
(AMP) provides intensive music education for
underserved youth right in their neighborhood.
Serving 120 students at three sites, AMP provides
all its children with an instrument, a teaching
artist, classes, and numerous public performance
opportunities. AMP’s young artists have
performed at Atlanta’s most prestigious venues,
including the Woodruff Arts Center, Spivey Hall
and Philips Arena. AMP currently offers programming for 4-6 hours a
week, provided by 16 teaching artists and 10 volunteers.
Serving as Co-Founder and Executive Director, Dantes has raised over
$1 million for AMP and he plans to help the program grow to serve over
300 students annually in the coming years. In 2010, Dantes was awarded
$25,000 from AOL Artists’ 25 for 25 grant program. He was selected for
Ebony Magazine’s 2013 Power 100, a list of the nation’s most influential
African-Americans, and he is also the recipient of the McGill University
Alumni Association’s 2014 James G. Wright Award. Dantes has spoken at
conferences and symposiums including TEDxPeachtree, Digital Atlanta,
Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta and the Yale School of Music Symposium
on Music Education. A passionate educator, his prior teaching credits
include El Sistema in Venezuela and the Yale School of Music’s Music in
Schools program.
Recruited to the Sistema Fellows Program by Dantes, Aisha Bowden ’12
returned to Atlanta in 2013 to work alongside Dantes as the Co-Founder
and Director of AMPlify, the choral program of the Atlanta Music Project.
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Alvaro Rodas ’10
Director, Corona Youth Music Project | Queens, New York
The Corona Youth Music Project (CYMP) in
New York City works to empower youth, fight
poverty, and promote social inclusion through
music education and performance. It is the first
organization in the borough of Queens modeled
on El Sistema, and it emphasizes ensemble
performance and individual mentoring with
progressive, cyclical programs designed to start
children in this process as early as preschool.
Alvaro founded the CYMP in 2010 with 12 students. As of 2014, it has
grown to serve 200 students in three orchestras and a choir. Under the
guidance of five teaching artists, CYMP students spend up to 4.5 hours a
week in CYMP programming. CYMP students are quickly taking initiative
within the program, and the fall of 2014 will mark the debut of a studentled orchestra.
Alvaro first became involved in the El Sistema movement in 1998,
when he was on the leadership team developing El Sistema-inspired
programming in his home country of Guatemala. He has also consulted
for the government of El Salvador to help them plan a national system of
youth and children’s orchestras and choirs.
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Stanford Thompson ’10
Founder and Artistic Director, Play On, Philly! | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Play On, Philly! (POP) is an innovative education
and social initiative that provides opportunities
for personal development to children through
the study of music. Inspired by El Sistema,
POP seeks to enrich the lives of Philadelphia
youth by providing daily musical instruction
in communities that have little access to music
education. POP strives to maintain a flexible
curriculum and remain responsive to community
needs while engaging the community through partnerships, events, and
a season of 30 performances in venues across the Philadelphia region.
Stanford founded POP in 2011 with 110 students, and serves as
Founder and Artistic Director alongside Executive Director Ben
Fuller ’12. POP has doubled the number of students it serves, currently
employing 9 full-time staff and 38 part-time teachers, with 15 hours
of programming each week. In 2014, POP expanded its curriculum in
composition, improvisation, and jazz. Notably, the orchestra recently
performed portions of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with conductor Sir
Simon Rattle.
Since 2011, Stanford has raised over $5 million for POP, to the benefit
of hundreds of Philadelphia’s young people. In addition, he also serves
as the Chairman of the Board of El Sistema USA, advocating for and
supporting individuals and organizations inspired by El Sistema.
Stanford is on the boards of the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the
Philadelphia Chapter of the American Composers Forum. He is also the
Chairman of The Curtis Institute of Music Alumni Council.
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Christine Witkowski ’10
Director, Youth Orchestra Los Angeles at Heart of Los Angeles
Music Director, Heart of Los Angeles | Los Angeles, California
Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) functions as one
program site within Youth Orchestra Los Angeles
(YOLA) and also provides programming through
its HOLA Music Studios. HOLA is committed to
providing underserved youth with exceptional
programs in academics, arts and athletics within
a nurturing environment, empowering them to
develop their potential, pursue their education
and strengthen their communities.
As the YOLA at HOLA Director and Music Director at the Heart of
Los Angeles, Christine is dedicated to providing El Sistema-inspired
music programming to children and families in the Rampart District of
Los Angeles. She has grown the program to now serving 240 students
in YOLA at HOLA and 60 students in the jazz and rock program of
HOLA Music Studios. Students spend between 12-15 hours a week in
programming, and HOLA currently employs 14 teaching artists and is
supported by 50 volunteers.
Christine recently co-designed, with Dan Berkowitz ’10, the Leadership
Forum for Young Musicians at the 2014 Take a Stand Symposium, which
focused on leadership, citizenship and musicianship for 26 musicians
from 13 El Sistema programs. She also participated in a keynote session
at Take a Stand, facilitating a conversation about assumptions and
privilege. Christine looks forward to publishing the first practical book
on El Sistema’s adaptation to the United States—complete with the
contributions of relevant voices from around the world—in 2015.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
41
Kathryn Wyatt ’10
Executive Director, Kidznotes | Durham, North Carolina
Kidznotes transforms children’s lives through
classical, orchestral music. Envisioned as
an educational and community enrichment
program based on El Sistema and adapted to
the local realities of North Carolina, Kidznotes
provides free-of-charge orchestral music training
(including musical instruments) to interested
children who live in low-income neighborhoods.
Katie founded Kidznotes in 2010, beginning with 60 students in three
schools. She has since grown the organization to serve 315 students at 10
sites, across the cities of Durham and Raleigh, and she intends to expand
to reach 1,000 students by 2020. Kidznotes students spend 10 hours per
week in rehearsal, including Saturday mornings. Recently, the Kidznotes
curriculum expanded to including a guitar ensemble.
Katie supports the El Sistema-inspired movement on the East Coast
and nationally. In May of 2014, she brought together programs from
Connecticut to Florida for a two-day conference and musical gathering
that hosted 150 students in Durham. Katie also serves on the board of
El Sistema USA. Recently, Katie was honored as one of Musical America’s
“30 under 40,” and she was accepted into the Duke in Durham Fellows
program, a community investment fellowship in leadership development
sponsored by Duke University.
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Graciela Briceño ’11
Music Teacher, Boston Public Schools
Education Consultant, Josiah Quincy Orchestra Program | Boston, Massachusetts
Graciela’s El Sistema credits include founding
the Josiah Quincy Orchestra Program (JQOP)
in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood in 2011,
and founding the Children’s Orchestra of DC
(CODC) in 2013.
The JQOP provides more than 8 hours of weekly
orchestral and general music instruction to 130
students in kindergarten through 6th grade.
The program aims to teach students valuable social skills, including grit,
responsibility, and teamwork.
The CODC began with 22 students during after-school hours in Fall 2013,
and partners with the DC Youth Orchestra Program (led by Elizabeth
Schurgin ’11) to allow high school volunteers to gain teaching and
leadership skills by serving as mentors to CODC student musicians.
In August 2014, Graciela returned to Boston to teach in the East Boston
Early Education Center and begin a research project on the non-cognitive
benefits of El Sistema programs. She also now serves as Education
Consultant at the JQOP, a position that includes teacher training and
program evaluation.
Additionally, Graciela supports teacher training for two international
El Sistema-inspired programs, Sistema Pilipino (Philippines) and Ghetto
Classics (Kenya). She has presented on El Sistema fundamentals at the
Massachusetts Music Educators Association Conference and the Young
Education Professionals Conference in Washington, D.C.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
43
David Gracia ’11
Founder & Co-Director, Washington Heights Inwood Music Project | Washington Heights, New York
The Washington Heights and Inwood (WHIN)
Music Project strengthens the Washington
Heights and Inwood of communities of New
York City by providing music instruction as
a vehicle for personal development, social
inclusion, community building, and artistic
excellence for their children and youth. WHIN
Music Project is based on the practice of using
music—particularly through the experience of
playing and learning together in ensembles—to
encourage children to express themselves emotionally, to appreciate
the value of discipline, to persevere, to collaborate; and to provide
a life-changing alternative to self-destructive and harmful behaviors
and influence.
With Andrea Profili ’11, David co-founded WHIN in 2012, and the
program has served 120 students per week since its inception. Under
their leadership, WHIN has now grown to including both Saturday and
early childhood programming, and WHIN students spend between one
and four hours each week in the program. WHIN employs 14 teachers
and regularly welcomes the support of 20 volunteers, and has also
formed a parent committee. Recently, David and Andrea have increased
efforts to collaborate with other NYC El Sistema-inspired programs, and
participated in three seminarios and a benefit concert over the past year.
In addition to his work at WHIN, David currently serves as Associate
Music Director at Playground Sessions, a music software company
co‑created by Quincy Jones that uses the most advanced technology to
help people learn how to play the piano, and as Associate Music Director
of the New York Society for Ethical Culture.
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Laura Jekel ’11
Founder & Program Director, Music For Youth in Cincinnati | Cincinnati, Ohio
Music for Youth in Cincinnati (MYCincinnati)
is a free, daily youth orchestra program for
children in Cincinnati’s Price Hill neighborhood.
The program meets for two hours every weekday
and students learn violin, viola, cello, or bass,
and play in an orchestra.
MYCincinnati’s mission is to use classical music
as a tool for youth development and community
engagement by providing urban children with access to free, intense,
high-quality musical instruction. Modeled on El Sistema, MYCincinnati
uses music to build discipline, self-confidence, focus, and strong work
habits, and social skills.
Laura founded MYCincinnati in 2011 as a grassroots effort, originally
using instruments on loan and starting with 11 students. Now, just
three years later, MYCincinnati owns all of its own instruments, has 75
children enrolled, employs five teaching artists, and is supported by a
dozen weekly volunteers. Recently, their curriculum expanded to include
bucket drumming, choir, and pre-orchestra.
Laura also contributes significantly to the broader El Sistema movement.
In 2014, MYCincinnati hosted a Midwest Seminario, with 130 students
attending from seven El Sistema-inspired programs in five cities across
three states. Working with Cincinnati Symphony musicians and teaching
artists from participating programs, the event consisted of all-day
rehearsals and culminated in a concert.
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Steven Liu ’11
Program Director, El Sistema Lehigh Valley | Allentown, Pennsylvania
El Sistema Lehigh Valley (ESLV), founded by
the Allentown Symphony Association in 2011,
brings underserved and special needs youth a
free opportunity to develop life skills learned
by participating in high-quality daily music
instruction, large ensemble experience and
performances, and academic tutoring within a
safe and nurturing environment. Participants
develop discipline, the ability to set and achieve
long-term goals, and a sense of social responsibility within a community
that cherishes creativity, imagination, and music. This empowers the
Lehigh Valley community when their young artists, respective families,
and community members come together to celebrate the achievement of
their youth.
Steven has served as the founding Program Director for ESLV since 2011.
Under his leadership, ESLV has grown to serve 110 students annually and
provide over 350 hours of programming for each student throughout the
year. ESLV employs five teaching artists and is regularly supported by
volunteers from DeSales University as well as local high school students.
While ESLV currently serves elementary to high school students, they
have just opened a second site for Middle School and High School
students, so the children can continue to be enrolled in the program as
they grow older.
Over the last three years, ESLV has partnered with local organizations
(Youth Education in the Arts, United Way, Music Therapists of Whitehall,
Camp HERO, Kutztown University, Muhlenberg University, Moravian
College) to pilot many unique programs, including a deaf and hard of
hearing music program, percussion workshops, and joint performances.
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Marie Montilla ’11
Independent | Boston, Massachusetts
Since participating in the Sistema Fellows
Program, Marie has been an active participant
in the growing El Sistema-inspired movement in
the United States, particularly in Massachusetts.
In 2011, Marie was the Founding Director of
the El Sistema-inspired program Kids4Harmony
in Pittsfield, MA. Under her leadership,
Kids4Harmony delivered high levels of intensity
and authenticity, providing programming every
day during after-school hours and providing access to teaching artists
who had personally experienced El Sistema in Venezuela.
In 2012, Marie became the Artistic Director of the Open Access to
Music Education for Children (OAMEC) program of Youth and Family
Enrichment Services in Boston’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Through
Marie’s leadership, OAMEC grew to serve 200 students and provide
music education for 10 hours per week.
When Marie gave birth to twins in 2013, she discontinued her
organizational affiliations. Currently, Marie continues to work
independently on several projects, drawing on inspiration from her years
spent in Venezuela, particularly her daily experience of teaching music
in El Sistema. She is committed to broadening the reach of El Sistema
throughout the United States.
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Andrea Profili ’11
Co-Director, Washington Heights and Inwood Music Project | Washington Heights, New York
The Washington Heights and Inwood (WHIN)
Music Project strengthens the Washington
Heights and Inwood communities of New
York City by providing music instruction as
a vehicle for personal development, social
inclusion, community building, and artistic
excellence for their children and youth. WHIN
Music Project is based on the practice of using
music—particularly through the experience of
playing and learning together in ensembles—to encourage children to
express themselves emotionally, to appreciate the value of discipline, to
persevere, to collaborate; and to provide a life-changing alternative to
self-destructive and harmful behaviors and influence.
With David Gracia ’11, Andrea co-founded WHIN in 2012, and the
program has served 120 students per week since its inception. Under
their leadership, WHIN has now grown to including both Saturday and
early childhood programming, and WHIN students spend between one
and four hours each week in the program. WHIN employs 14 teachers
and regularly welcomes the support of 20 volunteers, and has also
formed a parent committee. Recently, David and Andrea have increased
efforts to collaborate with other NYC El Sistema-inspired programs, and
participated in three seminarios and a benefit concert over the past year.
Andrea supports other El Sistema-inspired programs in New York City,
conducting and teaching for UpBeat NYC and the Youth Orchestra
of St. Luke’s, a program developed by Jennifer Kessler ’12. Her most
recent endeavor to support collaborations between El Sistema-inspired
programs across New York City and New Jersey involves compiling an
organized sequence of orchestral repertoire specifically suited to the
students within local El Sistema-inspired programs, in conjunction with
offering teacher training in order to share best practices across NYCbased programs.
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Elizabeth Schurgin ’11
Executive Director, DC Youth Orchestra Program | Washington, D.C.
After graduating from the Sistema Fellows
Program, Liz served as a consultant supporting
program design and development at the
Kalamazoo Symphony’s El Sistema-inspired
program Kids in Tune. She then served as Interim
Director for B Sharp Youth Music, an El Sistemainspired program of the Goff Family Foundation
in Fort Worth, Texas.
Liz currently works as Executive Director of the DC Youth Orchestra
Program (DCYOP), overseeing all aspects of the organization’s
management. With a mission of “music for young people, achievement
for life,” the DCYOP serves 500 students for 1-4 hours per week, employs
35 teaching artists, and works with 100 volunteers. Notably, the DCYOP
travelled to Colombia in 2014, partnering with students from the
Colombian El Sistema-inspired program Fundacion Batuta.
In 2013, Liz co-founded the Children’s Orchestra of DC (CODC)
with Graciela Briceño ’11. In the fall of 2014, CODC will be adopted
by DCYOP. CODC aims to enhance D.C. Public Schools low-income
students’ interest in learning, strengthen their connection to school, and
improve their academic and social skills through quality, accessible and
intensive classical music education. DCYOP is committed to expanding
the CODC program to one elementary school in each of D.C.’s eight
Council Wards over the next four years.
Liz has also co-founded the LeDroit Chamber Players, a collective
of musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra, elite military
ensembles and other professionals who perform uniquely collaborative
concerts in Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.
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Patrick Slevin ’11
Founder & Program Director, Austin Soundwaves | Austin, Texas
Austin Soundwaves provides high quality music
education to artistically underserved youth as
a means to strengthen resiliency and awaken
intrinsic motivation to learn, create, and achieve.
Patrick founded Austin Soundwaves in 2011,
and currently serves as Program Director. He
shapes the educational and musical vision for
the program, conducts its orchestras, teaches
sectionals and private lessons, and assists in
areas related to development, communications, and program evaluation.
Over the past three years, Patrick has developed the program to serve
more than 100 students in grades 3-11 at three sites. Austin Soundwaves
employs 10 teachers and welcomes support from 15 volunteers, offering
8-10 hours of programming per week. In 2014-2015, Patrick looks forward
to piloting an in-school, district-based initiative.
Patrick has also consulted for nearly a dozen El Sistema-inspired
programs across the United States, as well as in Venezuela. He is a
member of the board of directors of El Sistema USA and chairs its
governance committee.
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Adrienne Taylor ’11
Director, Daily Orchestra Program at Community MusicWorks | Providence, Rhode Island
Through the permanent residency of its core
group of professional musicians, Community
MusicWorks (CMW) has provided free afterschool education and performance programs
that build meaningful long-term relationships
between professional musicians, children, and
families in urban neighborhoods of Providence,
RI, since 1997. CMW’s Daily Orchestra Program
is a free, daily after-school string orchestra
program in partnership with Federal Hill House, a social service agency
and former settlement house, based on the model of El Sistema.
Adrienne is a resident musician at CMW and founded the Daily Orchestra
Program in 2012. The Daily Orchestra Program provides 7 hours of music
programming per week, employing two teaching artists and working
with 9 volunteers. In the past year, the Daily Orchestra Program doubled
the number of students it serves, currently working with 25 elementary
school age children.
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Isabel Trautwein ’11
Instructor, The Music Settlement Cleveland
Violinist, Cleveland Orchestra | Cleveland, Ohio
A tenured violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra,
Isabel has founded two El Sistema-inspired
programs in Cleveland, El Sistema@Rainey and
El Sistema@University Circle.
The Rainey Institute is dedicated to positive
change for Greater Cleveland’s youth and
families through education and participation in
the visual and performing arts. Rainey students
learn to be leaders and positive role models, and
to be prepared to be “on stage” at all times, enabling them to succeed
in school and life. El Sistema@Rainey, modeled after El Sistema in
Venezuela, provides underserved children the opportunity to learn music
and to play in orchestras. The program emphasizes community-based
orchestra training from a young age, with a focus on making music fun,
and inspiring young musicians with a passion for music and for life.
Currently, El Sistema@Rainey serves 55 students for 10 hours per week,
and employs 5 teachers.
Isabel also founded El Sistema@University Circle with David Malek ’10
in 2013. In its inaugural year, El Sistema@University Circle served 35
students for 10 hours per week, employing 5 teachers and enjoying the
support of local high school and college volunteers, as well as volunteers
from the Cleveland Orchestra. In 2014, El Sistema@University Circle’s
students and key faculty, including Isabel, transitioned to The Music
Settlement, an organization serving the same neighborhood. At this
historic community music school founded in 1913, students study
privately, in chamber music groups and in orchestra, allowing for full
access to a traditional and integrated music education experience in a
larger school community.
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Aisha Bowden ’12
Co-Founder & Director, AMPlify | Atlanta, Georgia
Founded in 2010, the Atlanta Music Project
(AMP) provides intensive music education for
underserved youth right in their neighborhood.
Serving 120 students at three sites, AMP
provides all its children with an instrument, a
teaching artist, classes, and numerous public
performance opportunities. AMP’s young
artists have performed at Atlanta’s most
prestigious venues, including the Woodruff
Arts Center, Spivey Hall and Philips Arena. AMP currently offers
programming for 4-6 hours a week, employing 16 teaching artists
supported by 10 volunteers.
Recruited to the Sistema Fellows Program by Dantes Rameau ’10,
Aisha returned to Atlanta in 2013 as the Co-Founder and Director of
AMPlify, the choral program of the Atlanta Music Project. Aisha has
been recognized for excellence in arts education by the Arts for Every
Student Program, Who’s Who in American Educators, and the Mayor’s
Arts Awards. She was featured in the April 2012 issue of Teaching
Music, a publication of the National Association for Music Education.
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Julie Davis ’12
Music Teacher, Bridge Boston Charter School | Dorchester, Massachusetts
Founded in 2011, Bridge Boston Charter School
encourages students to thrive in a challenging,
joyful, inclusive K-8 public school community
that values close partnerships with families
and a focus on the whole child. Music is a vital
component of the rigorous academic curriculum
at Bridge Boston Charter School, and a
powerful vehicle to impart the school’s values of
empowerment, grit, teamwork, and community.
Starting in the first grade, all students begin to study a string instrument
daily to enrich and inform students’ memory, processing and sequencing
skills, stamina, peer-to-peer teaching practices, and teamwork skills.
Under Julie’s leadership, the Bridge Boston Charter School music
program serves 72 students in the study of violin and cello for 5-6 hours
a week.
In the year prior to participating in the Sistema Fellows Program,
Julie was an instructor for the El Sistema-inspired YOURS Project,
teaching group lessons in violin and cello, music theory, and orchestral
musicianship in Chicago.
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David France ’12
Founder & Executive Director, Revolution of Hope | Roxbury, Massachusetts
The El Sistema-inspired Revolution of Hope,
home of the Roxbury Youth Orchestra,
strengthens individual youth competencies
that promote pro-social, anti-aggressive, and
civically minded behaviors. The goals within this
mission are to strengthen executive function
skill development through collective musical
ensemble learning, as well as to increase social
capital through development of strong pro-social
relationships with peers, parents, and other adults. An additional goal is
to promote civic engagement of Roxbury youth through the development
of problem-solving and leadership skills that can be transferred to out-of
program contexts.
David founded Revolution of Hope in 2013, starting with just a handful
of students at Roxbury’s Dearborn Middle School. Under his leadership,
the program has grown to serve 16 students, with four teaching artists
and three volunteers providing 15 hours of music instruction per week.
Revolution of Hope offers group lessons on violin, viola, and cello,
as well as string orchestra. In 2014, the orchestra has been invited
to perform at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, Hubspot’s national
Conference Inbound 2014, and local community centers. In the spring
of 2014, Revolution of Hope launched a professional development series
that serves teachers in New England who work with El Sistema-inspired
programs.
David is also recognized for his presentations on and writing about
El Sistema. He has presented at Music Tech Fest, Northeastern
University, Eastern Illinois University, Longy School of Music at Bard
College, New England Conservatory, SXSW V2V, the Together Boston
Festival, and TEDx Fenway.
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Ben Fuller ’12
Executive Director, Play On, Philly! | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Play On, Philly! (POP) is an innovative education
and social initiative that provides opportunities
for personal development to children through
the study of music. Inspired by El Sistema,
POP seeks to enrich the lives of Philadelphia
youth by providing daily musical instruction
in communities that have little access to music
education. POP strives to maintain a flexible
curriculum and remain responsive to community
needs, while engaging the community through partnerships, events, and
a season of 30 performances in venues across the Philadelphia region.
Ben joined POP in 2013 as Operations Director and was promoted to
Executive Director in 2014 where he works alongside Founder & Artistic
Director Stanford Thompson ’10. POP has doubled the number of
students it serves, currently employing 9 full-time staff and 38 parttime teachers, with 15 hours of programming each week. In 2014,
POP expanded its curriculum in composition, improvisation, and jazz.
Notably, the orchestra recently performed portions of Beethoven’s 5th
Symphony with conductor Sir Simon Rattle.
Leading up to his year in the Sistema Fellows program, Ben was the
Program Manager for Kidznotes in Durham, North Carolina (directed by
Kathryn Wyatt ’10). Currently, Ben serves on the board of Philadelphia’s
Urban Affairs Coalition, a nationally recognized nonprofit that unites
government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiatives
to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban
communities, and solve emerging issues.
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José Luis Hernández-Estrada ’12
Independent | Tulsa, Oklahoma and Latin America
Since completing the Sistema Fellows Program,
José Luis has led successful initiatives to inspire
and help grow the international El Sistemainspired movement.
José Luis has nurtured artistic collaborations
with El Sistema-inspired programs in the United
States and mentors the growth and development
of similar initiatives in Mexico. He has traveled
with Venezuela’s FundaMusical Simón Bolívar to
Europe and throughout Latin America as an ambassador for El Sistema.
He also guest conducts orchestras and presents academic workshops
in Venezuela.
Called “one of the most lucid interpreters of El Sistema” by Dr. Abreu,
José Luis published Aesthetics of Generosity: El Sistema, Music Education,
and Social Change (2012) to share his Fellowship experience and inspire
educators who seek to enact social change through music. He has been
engaged as a speaker and consultant with organizations ranging from the
League of American Orchestras to local community foundations.
In Oklahoma City, he facilitated the creation of a 100-student flagship
núcleo for El Sistema Oklahoma and, at Oklahoma City University,
he taught the first college-level course on the subject of “social action
through music.” José Luis is currently guiding the development of a new
El Sistema-inspired initiative in Tulsa, Oklahoma under the auspices of
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church.
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Stephanie Hsu ’12
Founder & Program Director, Yakima Music en Acción | Yakima, Washington
Yakima Music en Acción (YAMA) follows
El Sistema’s intensive orchestral training model
as a vehicle for healthy community building and
positive youth development. It is structured
as an active community partnership of OIC of
Washington, the Yakima Symphony Orchestra,
and the Yakima School District.
Stephanie founded YAMA in January of 2013. In
the 2014-2015 academic year, YAMA is serving 55
students in third to seventh grades and is led by a team of eight teaching
artists, an administrative team of two, and a strong team of regular
volunteers. YAMA operates throughout the school year for 10 hours
weekly, and runs a summer camp for 15 hours weekly for three weeks.
YAMA is proud to be a strong force for the development of El Sistemainspired programs in the northwest, and YAMA staff look forward to
bringing the YAMA Orchestra to Portland, Oregon in 2015 for the first
Northwest regional seminario.
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Jennifer Kessler ’12
Director of Community & Education, Orchestra of St. Luke’s | New York, New York
Located in the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood of
Manhattan, Orchestra of St. Luke’s (OSL) new
youth orchestra program, Youth Orchestra of
St. Luke’s (YOSL), aims to help young people
develop collaborative and leadership skills, selfconfidence, curiosity, a love of learning, and a
deep connection to their community. Inspired
by youth orchestra systems around the world,
including the philosophies of El Sistema, YOSL
is founded on values of striving for musical excellence, intensive group
instruction, accessibility to children from all backgrounds, and regular
performance opportunities.
As OSL’s Director of Community & Education, Jennifer develops music
programs that aim to give communities in New York City access to
deeply enriching experiences in music, including free concerts for school
children as well as the new YOSL program. Under Jennifer’s leadership,
YOSL offers daily after-school music instruction to students in grades
3-7. This year, in response to demand from local families, YOSL will
expand to three sites at elementary schools in the Clinton neighborhood
of Manhattan, in addition to its home at the Police Athletic League.
In 2012, Jennifer and the OSL collaborated with Carnegie Hall to
host a seminario for New York City’s El Sistema-inspired programs
and guest musicians from Venezuela. Jennifer is also a facilitator for
TEDxNewYorkSalon, an independently organized TED community in
New York City.
YOSL employs Andrea Profili ’11 and Clara Yang ’14 as teaching artists.
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Alysia Lee ’12
Founding Artistic Director, Sister Cities Girlchoir | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Inspired by El Sistema, Sister Cities Girlchoir
(SCG) is a girl empowerment choral academy
serving at-risk girls in Philadelphia, PA and
Camden, New Jersey. SCG builds communities of
music makers that empower girls to occupy their
unique advantage in transforming our world.
SCG provides an all-girl learning environment
and safe space offering a tuition-free music
education program with a shared bottom line of
musical excellence and positive youth development. Students build vocal
technique, musicianship, and showmanship in addition to critical soft
skills for school and life success.
Alysia founded SCG in 2012 with 12 singers, and has since expanded the
program to serve over 250 girls. Students spend three hours a week in
SCG programming, and SCG currently employs seven teaching artists
and works with 25 volunteers. SCG has performed for over 15,000
people, including former President George Bush and the Honorary
Blondell Reynolds Brown. The girls have sung side-by-side with
professional artists from Opera Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Singers,
and Broadway Dreams.
In addition, Alysia has become sought-after as a fundraising consultant
for her special events and individual giving campaign success.
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Avi Mehta ’12
Music Teacher and Conductor, Margarita Muniz Academy
Conductor, Josiah Quincy School Orchestra Program | Boston, Massachusetts
Avi’s work encompasses three main areas:
conducting several ensembles in Boston,
organizing collaborative events for students in
the Greater Boston region, and maintaining
active relationships with El Sistema-inspired
programs throughout the United States and
internationally. He has visited Venezuela twice
since the he completed the Sistema Fellows
Program, continuing to build relationships and
share resources with the students and teachers there. Avi currently works
as music teacher and conductor at the Margarita Muniz Academy in
Jamaica Plain, and as conductor for the Josiah Quincy School Orchestra
Program in Chinatown (founded by Graciela Briceño ’11), the first two
El Sistema-inspired programs within the Boston Public School District.
Through the creation of a fun and nurturing musical environment,
100 students in the Josiah Quincy Orchestra Program learn valuable
social skills, including perseverance, responsibility, and teamwork. The
program is now in its fourth year and provides instruction, which takes
place before the school day begins for seven hours per week, giving each
child an enjoyable and engaging jump-start to his or her day. The JQOP
students perform regularly in the community, attend performances
by professional orchestras, and work collaboratively with other youth
orchestras and El Sistema-inspired programs around Boston.
The Margarita Muñiz Academy is the first dual language high school and
an Innovation School of the Boston Public Schools. Muñiz Academy is
dedicated to preparing citizens and leaders who are fluent in English
and Spanish. El Sistema is a natural fit for the school given its cultural
relevance, advocacy for social change, and promotion of bilingualism.
Almost every student at the growing school (currently 160) participates
in choir or wind ensemble for five hours per week, using these
ensembles as a vehicle to build community within the school and share
their talents with their surrounding neighborhood.
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Albert Oppenheimer ’12
Independent Consultant, Program Development and Impact Assessment | Chicago, Illinois
Albert was the Director of The People’s Music
School Youth Orchestras (formerly known as the
YOURS Project) between 2012 and 2014. While
at The People’s Music School, he developed
programs in four communities around Chicago,
serving 200 students in intensive orchestral
music making for 10 hours each week and
supported by a staff of 25 teaching artists
(including Ayriole Frost ’14 who Albert recruited
to the Sistema Fellows Program) and 10 volunteers. Albert also increased
revenues at The People’s Music School Youth Orchestras by 70 percent
during his tenure. Invested in developing future leaders and teachers
of music for social change, Albert co-founded North Park University’s
Certificate in Music of Social Change (including a class about El Sistema
currently taught by Aubree Weiley ’14).
Albert has also been deeply involved with El Sistema USA. In 2012, Albert
helped to write the bylaws for the organization and he was elected as
a board member. He has served on various subcommittees, including
national assessment, marketing, and development. A sought after
speaker and educator, Albert has also presented at TEDxMidwest, the
Midwest ECO Conference for Community Psychologists, and the Erikson
Institute for Childhood Development.
As of September 2014, Albert is a board member for Shift: Englewood,
an El Sistema-inspired initiative that he co-founded with Ayriole Frost
’14 in a neighborhood of Chicago which is commonly known for having
the most gun violence in the United States.
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Jessie Berne ’13
Independent | Boston, Massachusetts
Jessie is a multi-instrumentalist, with her first
love being the piano accordion, which she
started at age six. She is a graduate of Miami
University and Youngstown State University,
where she received her Master’s degree in music
performance.
Following the Sistema Fellows Program, under
the auspices of AmeriCorps, Jessie completed a
one-year position as music teacher for two public schools in the Roxbury
neighborhood of Boston where she implemented methods of democratic
and holistic education and worked with 200 children. The Dudley
Promise Corps is a pilot AmeriCorps program that places AmeriCorps
members in Dudley neighborhood elementary schools to address one
of Boston’s most pressing education challenges: eliminating the deep
and persistent achievement gaps that disproportionately affect children
living in poverty, students of color, and students who are English
language learners.
Jessie is planning to continue to pursue the social mission of El Sistema
in her next endeavor.
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Rachel Hockenberry ’13
Independent | Los Angeles, California
Rachel is deeply passionate about El Sistema,
music performance, and excellence in teaching.
While in the Sistema Fellows Program, Rachel
focused her efforts on observing El Sistemainspired programs with brass components,
with the intention of creating an instructional
manual on providing high quality instruction to
beginning horn players in a group setting. This
manual is serving as her dissertation project
for the completion of her DMA from College-Conservatory of Music,
University of Cincinnati, to be published by the end of 2014. She has
worked with horn students in El Sistema-inspired programs across the
United States and Venezuela, conducting instruction both in person
and virtually.
In the year following the Sistema Fellows Program, Rachel moved
to Lexington, Kentucky to serve as the founding Program Director
for Kentucky’s first El Sistema-inspired program, North Limestone
MusicWorks. As Program Director, she collaborated with two teaching
artists to provide daily instruction for 21 second and third grade students
at Arlington Elementary School. Under Rachel’s leadership, MusicWorks
students performed in 12 concerts, including a collaboration concert
with MYCincinnati (directed by Laura Jekel ’11) and the Midwest
Seminario—a convening of five El Sistema-inspired program—held in
Cincinnati, OH, in May 2014. She is excited to continue her work,
inspired by El Sistema, as a performer, educator and entrepreneur in
Los Angeles.
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Andrea Landin ’13
Program Manager, New West Symphony Harmony Project
of Ventura County | Ventura, California
The New West Symphony Harmony Project
(NWSHP) is a youth development program
that uses music as a tool for social change. The
mission is three-fold: to promote the healthy
growth and development of children through
the study, practice and performance of music; to
build healthier communities by investing in the
positive development of children through music;
and to develop children as musical ambassadors
of peace, hope and understanding amongst people of diverse cultures,
backgrounds and beliefs.
Children participate in tuition-free music classes after school and on
weekends, receiving at least five hours of instruction per week. Through
practice, performance, and ensemble rehearsal, participants improve
their focus, long-term goal setting, and teamwork. The NWSHP began
as an affiliate of Harmony Project Los Angeles in 2012 at Sheridan Way
Elementary School in West Ventura, where 100 percent of children
receive free or reduced lunch. Harmony Project commits to students
through their high school graduation.
Under Andrea’s leadership, the NWSHP’s curriculum has grown to
include not only orchestral music, but Son Jarocho (Mexican folk music),
chamber music, and improvisation. The program, in cooperation with
the local school district, serves 120 students, who participate in the
program for five hours per week and employs eight teaching artists. In
May 2014, NWSHP students participated in a seminario with students
from the Incredible Children’s Art Network’s music program (directed by
Xochitl Tafoya ’13).
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Diogo Pereira ’13
Program Director, Community Music Program
Conductor & Coordinator, Musica nas Escolas (Brazil) | Phoenix, Arizona
Since 2007, Diogo has been involved in the
implementation and development of Musica
nas Escolas, the largest El Sistema-inspired
program in Brazil. Every year, Diogo spends
three months developing curricula, evaluation
plans, fundraising strategies, and conducting
orchestras and bands in Barra Mansa, a lowincome town in Brazil. The top orchestra of
the program has played for the Kirov Ballet,
Scalla di Milano Ballet, and for Pope Francis during his visit to Brazil in
2013. Musica nas Escolas has fulfilled its mission to re-establish music
education in schools. In addition to general music classes, all children
enrolled in the public school system have the opportunity to choose and
play an instrument. Currently, there are 22,000 students in the music
program. The students who advance in the program improve their selfesteem, sense of belonging, and their grades in school.
In 2014, Diogo founded the Community Music Program in Phoenix,
Arizona, an innovative social initiative designed to use music to help
young people in underfunded communities in greater Phoenix acquire
positive values through the collective practice of music. Sponsored by the
Tanner Community Development Corporation, the Community Music
Program is a collaborative effort to bring high quality music making and
instruction into the lives of remarkable young people of South Phoenix—
young people who would not otherwise have access to it. During its pilot
year, the Community Music Program will serve 48 children, providing
programming for eight hours per week through the efforts of five
music teachers.
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Carlos Roldan ’13
Program Director, Student Advocates for Healthy Living in Underserved
Demographics | San Diego, California
After completing the Sistema Fellows Program,
Carlos was hired by Encore Project of the Palm
Beaches (Florida) to provide El Sistema-inspired
programming to over 200 children at 4 Title I
elementary schools. In 2014, he relocated to
San Diego and continues his work with Student
Advocates for Healthy Living in Underserved
Demographics (SAHLUD), now preparing for its
seventh year of programming in Ecuador.
SAHLUD provides free medical treatment to rural families that do not
have the resources to afford it, and works with U.S. and Ecuador-based
physicians to provide the best care possible to each family. SAHLUD
provides arts and health educational programming, renewable sources
of potable water, free medication, free medical visits, and provisions
for healthy communal living. Carlos is overseeing the expansion of
SAHLUD’s volunteer force on its fourth campus, the University of
San Diego.
Carlos currently coaches trumpet at Mission Bay Montessori Academy
and plans to attend University of California, San Diego to pursue
graduate studies.
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Elaine Sandoval ’13
PhD Student, The Graduate Center, City University of New York | New York, New York
Elaine is currently pursuing doctoral studies
in ethnomusicology at the Graduate Center,
City University of New York as a Presidential
MAGNET Fellow. Following the Sistema
Fellows Program, she consulted for El Sistemainspired programs in Northern California, and
she currently works in a research capacity for
Sistema Global, the worldwide online space for
El Sistema resources and advocacy.
Elaine’s recent and ongoing work focuses on cosmopolitanism and
cultural responsiveness as related to El Sistema, and is generally
concerned with how music education can contribute to peace and social
justice in the context of globalization. In addition to her academic work,
she hopes in the future to build an ensemble-based cosmopolitan music
education project inspired by El Sistema and Soka education.
Elaine has presented internationally about El Sistema, including at
the International Society for Music Education World Conference,
International Peace Research Association Conference, Soka Education
Conference, In Harmony Liverpool Research Network Conference, Take a
Stand, and the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain graduate
summer school. She also works for the consulting firm WolfBrown,
supporting the evaluations of El Sistema-inspired programs in the
United States.
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Elise Seymour ’13
Music Teacher, Marie G. Davis Military and Global Leadership Academy | Charlotte, North Carolina
Upon completing the Sistema Fellows Program,
Elise returned to North Carolina where she
served as the music teacher at KIPP Charlotte,
within the national network of KIPP’s free, open
enrollment, college-preparatory public schools
“dedicated to preparing students in underserved
communities to be a success in life and college.“
Music served as a core class, and all of Elise’s
100 fifth grade students received music every day
for 1.5 hours.
After her music program was cut mid-year, Elise found a position in
the Charlotte Mecklenburg School Systems, where she served as the
general music teacher, serving grades K-5 at Devonshire Elementary. As
of Fall 2014, Elise is teaching at the Marie G. Davis Military and Global
Leadership Academy, serving grades K-6.
Through teaching, Elise has reawakened her passion for creating
well-balanced curriculum with a focus on differentiated learning. She
continues to concentrate on curriculum development for students
with special needs and building classrooms with a variety of learning
techniques geared to reach every type of learner.
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Xochitl Tafoya ’13
Director, Music Program, Incredible Children’s Art Network | Santa Barbara, California
Founded in 2005, the Incredible Children’s
Art Network (iCAN) brings high quality
arts programs to children in Santa Barbara
County, particularly those least likely to receive
them. Through sustained creative learning
opportunities that emphasize both artistic
excellence and access, iCAN seeks to affect
positive change in the communities it serves.
iCAN currently has both an El Sistema-inspired
music program as well as a visual arts program; the music program
began as a pilot in 2011.
Xochitl began working for iCAN in 2011 as a Strings Teaching Artist, and
returned as the Associate Director of Music Program following her year
as a Sistema Fellow. In 2014, Xochitl became Program Director of the
music program. Under her leadership, iCAN now serves 160 students in
the music program, providing 12 hours of instruction per week including
a string instrument, choir, instrumental sectionals, musicianship, theory
and solfege. All classes are designed to strengthen musicality and provide
an opportunity for children to study a diverse and global repertoire.
iCAN employs ten music teaching artists, and is supported by eight
volunteers through a mentorship program. In 2014, iCAN created a joint
summer camp called Youth Arts Collective where students created their
own art projects and music compositions for a summer solstice festival.
iCAN is also active in collaborations with other El Sistema-inspired
program in the Southern California region. In May 2014, Xochitl
helped to coordinate a seminario with New West Symphony Harmony
Project (led by Andrea Landin ’13), bringing together students from
Ventura and Santa Barbara through improvisation. They look forward to
supporting future seminarios with other El Sistema-inspired programs in
Southern California.
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Monique Van Willingh ’13
Program Manager, Harmony Project Leimert Park | Los Angeles, California
Harmony Project is Los Angeles’ largest
nonprofit organization solely dedicated to music
education for youth in low-income communities.
Recognized as one of the most effective artsbased youth interventions in the nation,
Harmony Project serves 2,000 students, teaching
music mainly after school. Harmony Project
brings quality music instruction and ensemble
playing to children who otherwise would not
have access to it; complementing music education with supporting
resources and opportunities; and, fostering a community of families that
actively support their children’s growth and development.
Monique is a Program Manager for Harmony Project in Los Angeles’
Leimert Park community. She manages five sites, which serve 230
students, providing programming for 3-6 hours per week. Leimert Park
employs 12 teaching artists, and its curriculum includes funk orchestra,
instrumental group lessons, choir, drumline, a hip-hop collective, spoken
word, composition, and improvisation.
Following the Sistema Fellows Program, Monique obtained her Masters
of Arts in Teaching through the Longy School of Music of Bard College’s
MAT Program, where she furthered her training in El Sistema through
practicum teaching and classes at the El Sistema-inspired Youth
Orchestra of Los Angeles’ Heart of Los Angeles (directed by Christine
Witkowski ’10) program site.
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Sara Zanussi ’13
Founding Director, ComMUSICation | St. Paul, Minnesota
ComMUSICation’s (CMC) mission is to
empower all youth with life skills through
musicking and building community. The program
utilizes community partners including St. Paul
Conservatory of Music, the citywide youth
development network, St. Paul City Charter
School, and the St. Paul Promise Neighborhood.
CMC is open to all students attending schools
in the neighborhood and it provides an intensive
after school choral program with frequent community performances.
Sara founded CMC in 2014, developing a multicultural repertoire
and welcoming 23 third through fifth graders to free programming
provided 10 hours per week, with a staff of three teaching artists and
an accompanist who provide creative movement, music literacy, and
choir. In addition to daily choral rehearsals, programming includes
frequent community performances, writing to local pen pals, creative
movement, body percussion, solfege, and music literacy. In the summer
of 2014, CMC held a two-week summer camp focusing on West African
drumming and dancing, including songs from both West and East
Africa. CMC sang for over 1,000 people in these two weeks, and this
fall, CMC’s children will sing the National Anthem at a Twins game and
partner with Minnesota Opera to compose an operetta about tolerance
and acceptance.
Prior to founding CMC, Sara co-founded Advocates for Community
through Musical Excellence, an El Sistema-inspired strings program in
North Minneapolis, in 2012.
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Amelia Combrink ’14
Founder, The Elewana Music Project | Arusha, Tanzania
Prior to the Sistema Fellows Program, Millie was
employed by the Braeburn International School
in Arusha, Tanzania, where she taught the British
curriculum to children of all ages, led music
clubs, choirs, coached singing and dancing for
theatre productions, and managed other musical
events. In particular, she enjoyed incorporating
Kiswahili songs and traditional dancing and
drumming into her curriculum.
Millie has been involved in development work in the Arusha community
since 2010, and serves as a secretary and education advisor on the Board
of Directors for the NGO Shining A Light. The project consists of an
empowerment program for underprivileged women; teaching them
leatherwork, beading and textiles, business skills, finance, healthcare,
English, reading and writing.
Millie has returned to being an active member of the music community
in Arusha, where she has managed events including a collaboration
concert between Kenyan and Arusha choirs and workshops with
traditional Tanzanian musicians. She is excited to use music education,
particularly her experiences during the Fellowship, as a powerful tool for
transforming communities, and she is passionate about seeing children
experience their rich musical heritage and celebrate their musical
identity.
The Elewana Music Project, founded by Millie in September 2014, will
provide Tanzanian teachers with the tools to create and direct excellent
ensembles where community members from different socioeconomic
backgrounds can regularly participate in musical ensembles that
will feature traditional Tanzanian music and dance. Elewana means
“harmony” in Swahili.
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Ayriole Frost ’14
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Shift: Englewood | Chicago, Illinois
Ayriole is an active composer, performer and
teacher. She received her Bachelor of Music in
Composition from Ball State University, and
a Master of Music in Composition and her
teaching certification from Carnegie Mellon
University.
Ayriole began her El Sistema-inspired work with
The People’s Music School Youth Orchestras
as a viola teacher, string specialist, and orchestra and choral director
in Chicago in 2012. In addition to her work as a faculty member of The
People’s Music School, she has taught for the Chicago Public Schools.
After completing the Sistema Fellows Program, Ayriole returned to her
native Chicago. As of September 2014, Shift: Englewood is an El Sistemainspired initiative that Ayriole co-founded with Albert Oppenheimer ’12
in a neighborhood of Chicago which is commonly known for having the
most gun violence in the United States. The 10-hour per week program
consists of strings, choir, composition, and improvisation activities for
20 students, ages 9-12.
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Beverly Hiong ’14
Founder, Music and Makan
Executive, Sector Development, National Arts Council | Singapore
Beverly is the founder of Music and Makan, a
salon-style concert series in Singapore that aims
to dispel the general apprehension that many
young adults have towards Classical music. By
combining Classical music and food, Music and
Makan provides a casual and intimate setting in
which young professionals can feel comfortable
listening to performances by up and coming
musicians.
Born and raised in Singapore, Beverly holds a B.Sc. in Economics from
the London School of Economics and Political Science. She previously
served as principal cellist of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra and
the Orchestra of the Music Makers, a volunteer orchestra with a focus on
philanthropy.
Beverly is now working for Singapore’s National Arts Council, a
government linked organization overseeing the promotion of art
appreciation in Singapore. Her responsibilities include championing
initiatives to further develop the music sector, partnership management
with key organizations, and grants administration.
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Eriel Huang ’14
Independent | Cape Town, South Africa
Born in Taiwan and raised in South Africa, Eriel
is passionate about cultural diplomacy. For
almost two decades she has travelled extensively
both locally and abroad, volunteering,
engaging in social music programs, community
development projects, and youth leadership
initiatives whilst working as a teacher, performer,
and administrator in the professional music
industry.
Eriel has participated in numerous community and regional discussion
panels, interfaith dialogues, and awareness forums, developing a keen
interest in mediation and diplomacy. As a Mellon Foundation Fellow, she
pursued her interdisciplinary Master’s degree at the University of Cape
Town, studying Music Performance, Social Development, and Conflict
Resolution. She has also toured as an electric violinist for the award
winning South African band Sterling EQ.
Most recently Eriel attended the Bologna Symposium on Conflict
Prevention, Resolution & Reconciliation, and moving forward, she plans
to continue bringing together the ideals of El Sistema and peacebuilding.
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Tatjana Merzyn ’14
Director of Academic and Institutional Development, Arpegio | Trujillo, Peru
Arpegio is a Peruvian nonprofit organization
in Trujillo that promotes social inclusion and
cultural development through ensemble-based
music education. The project was founded in
2004 and is the first of its kind in Peru. Arpegio’s
vision is to support the students in their personal
development and to educate them to be creative,
tolerant and responsible citizens that have a
positive impact on their social environment.
Arpegio started out with 30 recorder students in El Porvenir, an
underserved neighborhood of Trujillo. Over the past ten years, Arpegio
has reached more than 1,000 children in Northern Peru. Tatjana is the
Program Director of Arpegio, which currently serves 350 kids in seven
núcleos, providing 4 to 10 hours per week of instruction by 10 teaching
artists and supported by a 19 volunteers. Those who can afford it—about
15 percent of the students—pay for their classes and help to finance the
classes for the other students. By bringing students from all different
social backgrounds together in the seven orchestras, Arpegio aspires to
build bridges between parts of society that used to be separate.
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Megan Moran ’14
Lead Teaching Artist, El Sistema Colorado | Denver, Colorado
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Megan’s
passion for music began at an early age, largely
due to school music programs and the Portland
Youth Philharmonic. Acknowledging the
gifts she continually receives from music, she
has developed a love for giving back through
teaching and sharing her passion.
After beginning her career as an orchestral
librarian, she served as a music facilitator in rural communities across
Oregon through AmeriCorps. In 2008, she joined Ethos Music Center,
a nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of music and music-based
education for underserved youth. In her roles as Rural Coordinator,
Rural Outreach Project Manager, and Director of Programs, Megan
helped the Ethos team bring music to thousands of students. She has
also enjoyed working with Caldera, where arts and the environment are
used to help transform the lives of young people.
In September 2014, Megan was hired to be a Lead Teaching Artist at
Garden Place Elementary School for El Sistema Colorado, a threeyear-old El Sistema-inspired program in Denver that serves more than
600 children.
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Hana Morford ’14
Teaching and Learning Specialist, OrchKids | Baltimore, Maryland
Possessing a diversity of experience as a
performer, educator, and administrator, Hana
is continuing her work in her native city of
Baltimore as Teaching and Learning Specialist
for the El Sistema-inspired program, OrchKids.
Prior to the Sistema Fellows Program, Hana
served as Education Associate for the Baltimore
Symphony Orchestra, managing their Academy
programs for adult musicians. Hana formerly
served as Education Director of the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestras’
Bridges program, leading an after-school and weekend program for
underserved students in seven Baltimore City Public Schools.
Her past experiences as a teaching artist include positions at OrchKids,
the Baltimore School for the Arts’ TWIGS program, and GBYO’s
Bridges program. Hana has also served on the faculty of the Peabody
Conservatory’s Preparatory department, leading group classes and
maintaining a large private studio.
Hana holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music,
a Master’s degree from Rice University, and a Graduate Performance
Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory.
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Ricki Nelson ’14
Independent | Sacramento, California
Ricki currently works with El Sistema-inspired
programs in his native Northern California.
Drawing upon his experience from the Sistema
Fellows Program, Ricki aims to develop
programming that will engage communities of
the San Francisco Bay Area, and promote social
justice values and musical excellence through his
teaching.
Prior to the Fellowship, Ricki was a freelance clarinetist and private
teacher. He holds a Master’s Degree and a Professional Studies Diploma
from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Before moving to Boston,
Ricki taught at the Young Musicians Program at University of California,
Berkeley, a program that provided advanced musical training and weekly
tutoring services for motivated, college-bound students from minority,
low-income households.
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Aubree Weiley ’14
Adjunct Faculty, North Park University | Chicago, Illinois
Aubree has spent over a decade working
as part of the global movement for youth
empowerment and social development through
music education. During her tenure at The
People’s Music School in Chicago, Aubree
created the school’s first complete curriculum
and corresponding evaluation and assessment
infrastructure, and facilitated the delivery of free,
quality music instruction to over 4,000 youth
throughout the Chicago area.
Combining her love of music with her service as a Peace Corps Education
Volunteer in Lesotho, Africa, Aubree worked with middle and high school
choir students in rehearsal, performance, country-wide competition and
collaborative musical composition.
Aubree has served as Secretary of the Chicago Consortium of
Community Music Schools and been an active member of the
Festival Design Committee of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s
Youth in Music Festival since its inception. She holds a Bachelor of
Music in Vocal Performance and Musical Theatre Certificate from
Northwestern University.
Aubree is currently an adjunct faculty member at North Park University
where she is teaching a course about El Sistema for the University’s new
Certificate in Music for Social Change program.
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Clara Yang ’14
Teaching Artist, Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s | New York, New York
Clara is a flutist and conductor who believes
passionately in the power of music as a vehicle
for social change. She holds a double degree
(Biology and Music) from Duke University, where
she graduated magna cum laude in 2011. At
Duke, she was the music director and conductor
for the Duke Chamber Players, and she won the
Benenson Award for the Arts, allowing her to
continue her conducting studies in New York
City with flutist and conductor Ransom Wilson. In New York, she was a
Teach for America corps member in Red Hook, Brooklyn and she was the
associate conductor for the Manhattan Wind Ensemble.
She is contributing to the El Sistema-inspired field and the larger
community arts field in New York City as a teaching artist for the
Youth Orchestra of St. Luke’s (directed by Jennifer Kessler ’12) as well
as with the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program.
In addition, she will continue her active exploration of the intersection
between music and medicine, and she will matriculate at Harvard Medical
School in 2015. She is currently developing a hybrid model of care, which
incorporates a teen clinic and El Sistema-inspired music programming.
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A Precious Legacy
Remarks delivered at graduation (May 2014) by Suki de Bragança,
Board of Trustees, Chair, Friends of the Sistema Fellows
I warmly greet the Class of Sistema Fellows 2014 and
all of those Fellows who came before, and with whom
the Friends of the Sistema Fellows have shared such an
enriching and meaningful time.
More than ever I am convinced that each class of ten
was appointed by the Muses to experience growth and
discovery together, in short, was compelled to meet at
the crossroads of Boston. I applaud our fearless leader
Tony Woodcock for pledging to commit the resources to
this Program that fosters in this country and beyond the
now legendary movement for social change, El Sistema.
Whether on a mountain top in Peru scanning the web
to locate such a Fellowship as NEC offered, or holding
dear the dream to integrate native Alaskan music within
a curriculum of classical music that would unify an entire
state across indigenous cultures, or harboring the promise
of bringing change and hope to communities in cities such
as Baltimore, Cleveland, Los Angeles—and countless other
ones besides—you sought out and were selected for this
pioneering mission that NEC offered you.
While each one of you, “the fifty,” possess much in
common—the stamp of a professionally engaged musician,
the dedication to education of youth through music, and
prior commitment to community service work—you each
also hold in your hands a set of unique gifts and personal
experiences to better inform your work. Some have
brought a love for composition, or choral music to their
quest; another possesses a desire to combine medicine
with music; and many more besides, are entrepreneurially
inclined and strive to interface with other community
groups to find creative ways to become sustainable. But
beyond these goals, it is your caring for others, your
capacity to share the joy in music, your deep humanity and
your sparkling charismatic personalities that resound in a
personal way for me.
If you can make children as happy as I find I am in your
company, there are no bounds to your success! My fellow
Committee members and I believe that you are entrusted
with a precious resource that in five years has already
benefited the communities in which you serve, making an
impact on countless children’s lives and neighborhoods,
and assisting in the rapid fire growth and high quality of
nascent núcleos both in the United States and abroad.
Following the model of El Sistema that insists on
excellence in music, places absolute trust in teachers and
peer teaching, and promises equal access to music, you
too will take these values and as the core group of fifty,
transfer this precious legacy to those who have not been
privileged to train directly at NEC.
As El Maestro said to us in Caracas seven years ago when
we pondered where to even begin our efforts to launch this
program, “we must look to the young and trust in them to
find creative solutions to build this movement in the U.S.”
Please rest assured that in the next years, the Friends and
all of us at NEC will strive to provide you with the ongoing
resource of connectivity, advice and professional support
so that you can blossom in your endeavors. Boston is
always a home to you. The Friends of the Sistema Fellows
are deeply proud of all that you have accomplished and
personally, I cannot wait to take that big road trip (well,
maybe with a few hops in a plane) to visit the flourishing
núcleos that you have already created and will continue to
bring to life.
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Transformational Journeys
Remarks delivered at graduation (May 2014) by Leslie Wu Foley,
Dean and Executive Director of Preparatory and Continuing Education
“Our Fellows’ energy, humor,
for the courage that our Fellows
Every spring since 2010, with
optimism, and openness have
exhibit on a daily basis. After
equal parts joy and wistfulness,
all, it takes tremendous bravery
the NEC community sends
both inspired and humbled
to choose to live each day
an extraordinary group of ten
us, and the generosity of spirit
by deliberately asking tough
Sistema Fellows into the world.
questions, knowing that there
We reflect upon the learning
which has shone through their
are no quick and easy answers;
that has taken place during the
most challenging moments has
and more than that, dedicating
year, and adjust our curriculum
so that it remains relevant to the
been nothing short of profound.” themselves to wrestling with
the space in between. It’s much
needs of a constantly evolving
easier to live within clear boundaries, to intellectualize
field. We hope that our efforts have done justice to the
those tough issues, and to observe the world from a safe
extraordinary investment of time, energy, and heart that
distance. But, long before they arrived at NEC, our Fellows
each Fellow brings to their role as a member of the Sistema
made the choice to engage with the world and with those
community. More than anything, we celebrate the fact that
issues in ways that are truly authentic to them. They’ve
our family has grown, stand in awe at the transformational
thrown themselves into the breach in order to break down
journeys that have taken place, and pause at the threshold
boundaries for themselves and for others, all in the pursuit
of new life paths.
of changing things for the better.
Each class—as unique as an individual fingerprint—has
I also acknowledge that their chosen journey is not
changed and shaped our community in significant ways.
an easy one; after all, there is no magic pill for social
Yet the Fellows, individually and collectively, exhibit many
transformation, no quick fix-it for social justice. This
more similarities than differences; not only do they display
a passionate commitment to music and social change,
they have all demonstrated the ability to balance openmindedness with critical thinking, action with reflection,
heart with head. Our Fellows’ energy, humor, optimism,
and openness have both inspired and humbled us, and the
generosity of spirit which has shone through their most
challenging moments has been nothing short of profound.
In my role as Dean of Preparatory and Continuing
Education, I have the privilege of overseeing the
Fellowship program, and of addressing each class as they
prepare to graduate. Every year, I express my admiration
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work, this calling, can be equal parts heartbreak and
inspiration, breakthroughs and setbacks. However, when
they encounter a bend in the road, and begin to experience
whispers of doubt because they can’t see the way ahead,
I encourage them to remember that not knowing what
is around each corner presents them with a wonderful
opportunity; the chance to focus on what—and who—is
right in front of them. And even when they can’t “see,”
I encourage them to have faith in the strength of their
vision and the courage to take their next step, with the
confidence that it won’t be their last.
Seeing our alumni grow and develop, hearing them share
their triumphs and challenges, only adds to the admiration
that we feel for who they are not just as professionals,
but as human beings. They give us confidence and hope
for the future, and teach us as much—if not more—than
we have taught them. It is true that NEC has made a
significant investment of financial, intellectual, and
emotional resources in our Fellows. However, not one
of us would debate the fact that for what we have given,
we’ve gained tenfold from the opportunity to work
with these extraordinary young leaders, and to witness
the transformations that have already occurred in the
communities that are fortunate enough to have them as
part of their lives.
There are countless people to thank for their contributions
to the evolution and success of the Fellowship program,
too many to mention here. In particular, we will always
be deeply grateful to our FundaMusical colleagues in
Venezuela, especially Eduardo Mendez, the late Bolivia
Bottome, Valdemar Rodriguez, Patricia Abdelnour, and
Rodrigo Guerrero, whose unparalleled support and
friendship have been constant since the launch of the
Fellowship program. Sincere thanks also to The Sapling
Foundation and its TED Prize, which provided the spark
and impetus for this remarkable journey. Our faculty,
Friends Committee, colleagues in the field, and the NEC
family have been beyond generous in sharing their time,
talents, and gifts with our Fellows. I would also like to
thank the Fellows themselves for their passion, their
commitment, and the extraordinary work that they have
done and will continue to do.
Lastly, our most profound thanks to Maestro Jose Antonio
Abreu for sharing his vision with the world, demonstrating
the power of that vision, and for providing us with his
inspiration and support as we strive to help realize a piece
of it here in the United States and beyond. The work may
never be truly finished, but those of us who have been
touched it by will never give up the pursuit of his dream.
“The essence of El Sistema returns to the origins of creating common dialogue,
understanding the importance of an inclusive collective voice built on individual
strengths. Students don’t need to be rescued so much as they need to have the barriers
stripped away that keep them from rising to their potential. To be supported in their
intrinsic motivation to be part of something larger than themselves. It is participation
in creating music—the sharing of struggle and beauty, having fun with friends, a
positive empowered community—that ultimately changes lives.” — Megan Moran ’14
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Sistema Fellowship Resource Center
By Tony Woodcock, President
As we approached the end of the initial five-year Sistema
Fellows program, NEC began to imagine how it could
build on its success. How could we best contribute to
the now flourishing field of Sistema-inspired programs
throughout the country? After analyzing the projects that
exist, conducting a survey among the first four classes
of alumni, and listening to many specific requests, we
determined that our next step should be to strengthen
and enhance the expertise and skills of the 50 alumni
Fellows. To that end, we created the Sistema Fellows
Resource Center.
We engaged in detailed discussion with arts management
consultant Greg Kandel and senior advisor/teaching artist
Eric Booth, who were both deeply involved in the Sistema
Fellows Program and the entire field from its inception.
With their counsel, we decided to devote the next two
years to providing professional development, facilitating
field work, arranging networking and collaboration
opportunities, and developing online resources. Details
are provided below.
We also consulted with our admired colleagues who lead
El Sistema in Venezuela and who have inspired us and
supported us in countless ways. To our delight, they
embraced our new strategy, while celebrating the success
of the past five years.
Our plan, then, is one of reinvestment in our Fellows. We
are enormously proud of the great work they are doing and
we want to assist and sustain them as they move beyond
the foundational level of their programs into the more
mature phases.
Encouragement from Venezuela
To New England Conservatory, as a testimony of
our highest esteem, affection and eternal gratitude:
We hope that the year 2014 will mark the start of
a new stage in our relationship, through which we
shall be able to build permanent cooperation and
exchange programs in the pedagogic, social and
artistic realms. We hope to maintain an enriching
and fruitful connection through the inclusion of
a growing number of young students, teachers
and experiences.
May God bless our objectives, for the benefit of the
musical development of each of our countries and
in benefit of our mutual collaborations.
Many thanks, Maestro Woodcock, for your admirable
work and your noble support of the Venezuelan
children and youth.
Dr. José Antonio Abreu
Caracas, September 2013
Looking even more broadly, we are seeking ways to
integrate the ideals of El Sistema more completely into
our college curriculum, working in conjunction with
our outstanding Entrepreneurial Musicianship and
Community Performances and Partnerships programs.
Our hope is to deepen NEC students’ commitment
to become citizen artists. As the Fellows are already
demonstrating, El Sistema offers a new vision of musicians
in the community, one that takes them from the periphery
to the center as agents of transformation. It’s a vision
that beckons musicians to become what Dr. Abreu calls
“Apostles to Society.”
“I have been supported in my strengths and weaknesses, in experimenting and
learning, in taking smaller steps that lead to bigger change. As I think other fellows
have experienced, I have found my personal and professional growth to be interwoven
in this program.” — Megan Moran ’14
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SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
“The fellowship has given me the space to re-examine my beliefs, my customs
of processing and operating, and my interactions with others. In the process
of this journey, I have built life-long friendships that will no doubt enable me
to continue to develop throughout my career.” — Hana Morford ’14
Resource Center Details
As of July 2014, the Resource Center began focusing
on three main objectives, while continuing to explore
additional programming that would meet alumni needs:
Sustain the Cohort. Act as a convening body for the
Fellows, and their colleagues as appropriate, through
conferences, online meetings, and symposia.
Beginning with the National Guild for Community Arts
Education conference in Los Angeles in November 2014,
we are building Fellow-specific activities into relevant
national conferences. In addition, NEC continues to
seek opportunities to advocate for and promote the
work of the Fellows, both as representatives of their own
programs and as emerging leaders in an expanding field.
We anticipate hosting a symposium—designed by and
featuring Fellows—at NEC in 2015.
•O
utcome 1: Fellows continue to learn from and support
each other.
•O
utcome 2: Regular communication helps the Fellows
avoid isolation and burnout, and maintains the Fellows’
connection to each other, NEC, and to the El Sistemainspired movement.
•O
utcome 3: Fellows continue to develop their leadership
skills and gain influence on the national level.
Promote Innovation and Research. Invest in fieldwork by
the Fellows that will improve programming and contribute
to ongoing learning.
Modeled on our faculty professional development
competitive grant program, the Research Center offers
grants to defray the costs of field research. Recipients’
findings will be incorporated into the growing body of
knowledge to be disseminated by NEC through online
media and future class curriculum. Fellows may also
request domestic travel assistance for the purpose of
attending conferences and visiting the programs of other
Fellows.
• Outcome 1: In keeping with their role as the field’s
“designated learners,” Fellows identify and investigate
topics that need deeper study, thereby leading to
development and documentation of advanced strategies
and best practices.
• Outcome 2: Practitioners in the El Sistema-inspired field
have access to an accumulating body of research, ideas,
and best practices.
Offer Professional Development. Provide ongoing
learning opportunities and mentorship.
In addition to in-person opportunities, NEC is
experimenting with online content delivery utilizing
webinars and classes focused on topics suggested by the
Fellows. These range from specific management skills to
broad conceptual topics. By subsidizing the cost of their
initial membership, we are also providing Fellows access
to the extensive online resources of the National Guild for
Community Arts Education. What’s more, NEC will host
an institute in Summer 2015, featuring Fellows as trainers
and catering to teaching artists interested in El Sistemainspired teaching practices.
• Outcome 1: Fellows identify skill gaps and areas for
further development in order to receive additional
training from specialized Fellowship faculty.
• Outcome 2: Fellows increase their capacity as leaders,
and serve as mentors and advisors to colleagues in the
field.
• Outcome 3: NEC’s investment in the Fellows adds
depth—in addition to breadth—to a young field, creating
more varied opportunities for entry into the El Sistemainspired ecosystem.
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
87
Acknowledgments
There are many people who deserve recognition for their dedication and generous contributions
to the success of the Sistema Fellows Program.
Faculty
Charles Coe
Hubie Jones
Molly Peterson
Lyle Davidson
Saj-nicole Joni
Ellen Pfeifer
Core Faculty, Representative
of Years 4 and 5
Ruth Debrot
Tanya Kalmanovitch
Nedelka Prescod
Honora Englander
Esther Kaplan
Jeffrey Protas
Eric Booth, Senior Advisor
Eli Epstein
Anne Kelton
Kairyn Rainer
(Teaching Artistry, El Sistema
Mary Epstein
Matti Kovler
Dantes Rameau*
in the United States)
Corinne Ferguson
Rebecca Krause-Hardie
Jonathan Rappaport
Martha Castaño (Spanish)
Linda Fiore
Andrea Landin*
Eric Rasmussen
Bruce Cedar (Group Dynamics)
Anne Fitzgibbon
David Lapin
Laura Reeder
Ronald Florence (Finance)
Leslie Foley
Jerry Leake
Peter Renshaw
Bette Hoffman (Group Dynamics)
David France*
Rebecca Levi*
Aristides Rivas
Greg Kandel (Nonprofit Strategy)
Diane Freedland
Psyche Loui
Gibran Rivera
Ed Lesser (Finance)
Julia Gittleman
Yo-Yo Ma
Rachel Roberts
Heath Marlow (Resource Development)
Arlene Goldbard
Eden McAdam-Somer
Benjamin Roe
Tony Woodcock (Storytelling, Leadership)
Jonathan Govias*
Tanya Maggi
Sebastian Ruth
Guest Presenters
Daphne Griffin
David Malek*
Aisha Francis Samuels
Kati Agócs
Sean Hagon
Natalie Markoff
Marcus Santos
Randy Albelda
Ricardo Hausmann
Aaron McFarlane
Karen Schwartzmann
Mike Anderson
Marianna Hay
David McMullin
Margaret Sheridan
Natalie Apchin
Lorrie Heagy*
Michael Melcher
Gerald Slavet
Beth Babcock
Shirley Brice Heath
Marie Montilla*
Thomas Schapiro
Alizzandra Baldenebro
José Luis Hernández-Estrada*
Jorge Montilla
Holly Schindler
Larry Bell
Erik Holmgren
Linda Nathan
Elizabeth Schurgin*
Judy Bose
Elizabeth Hollander
Gretchen Nielsen
Larry Scripp
Alyson Bristol
Jesse Holstein
Eli Newberger
Warren Senders
Nell Buck
Kathleen Howland
Bill Nigreen
Susan Siman
Ben Cameron
David Howse
Albert Oppenheimer*
Nick Skinner
Charles Carter
Hermann Hudde
Lisa Parker
Kathe Swaback
Mark Churchill
Martin Jarvis
Myran Parker-Brass
Carol Sykes
Edward Clapp
Raquel Jimenez
Charles Peltz
Adrienne Taylor*
* denotes Sistema Fellows
88
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Friends Committee
Mr. and Mrs. Pierce Browne
Igor Tkachenko
Suki de Bragança, Chair
Katie and Paul Buttenwieser
Anthony Trecek-King
Daniela Bedoni
James K. Chang, Jr.
Dan Trahey
Nancy Coolidge
Alejandro Chavez and Irene Chavez
Joseph Tulchin
Alan Dynner
Mark Churchill ’72, ’75 and
Tricia Tunstall
Morella de Grossmann
Carina Voly
Carl Haney
Cisneros Family
Jeffrey Walker
Eloise Hodges
Henrique Cisneros
Kelly Weiley
Elizabeth Leatherman
Barbara Cleveland
Simon Welsby
Mercedes Rodman
Alan Coltharp
Eder Williams
Anna Verghese
Conservatory Lab Charter School
Stanford Thompson*
Mike Thonis
Hugh Wolff
Kathryn Wyatt*
Robert Zambrano
Gail Zarren
Karen Zorn
Program Staff
Tony Woodcock, President
Leslie Wu Foley, Dean and Executive
Director of Preparatory and
Continuing Education
Mark Churchill, Director (Years 1 & 2)
Erik Holmgren, Education Director
(Year 2), Program Director (Year 3)
Heath Marlow, Program Director
(Years 4 & 5)
Virginia Hecker, Communications and
Operations Director (Years 3, 4 & 5)
Raquel Jimenez, Program Assistant (Year 2)
Stephanie Scherpf, Managing Director
(Years 1 & 2)
Supporters
Brian Bubenik
Marylou S. Churchill ’67+
Nancy and Laury Coolidge
Crosett Family
NEC’s Institutional Advancement
team led by Don Jones, Executive
Vice President for Institutional
Advancement, deserves special
recognition and appreciation for
raising more than $2 million over five
years for the Sistema Fellows Program.
Sharon Dawson
Kathleen MacGrath and Jeffrey J. Abrams
Alan P. Ett and Sheila M. Hall
Jose A. Abreu
Harold A. Flegelman and
Mary S. Andersen
Suki and Miguel de Bragança
Morella M. and Oscar Z. de Grossmann
Karina Demourtchian
Marjorie Devito
Stacy A. DuPre
Mr. and Mrs. Alan R. Dynner
Deborah J. Irving
Anonymous (5)
Brian P. Folkins-Amador and
Linda Ashworth
Rosemarie Straijer-Amador
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Babcock
Susan H. Gauvin
Anna M. Baker
Leslie S. Gensburg
Susan Beckerman
Sari L. Gluckin
David A. Berkowitz
David S. Godkin and Pamela B. Haran
Leah Berkowitz
Aileen J. Goldstein
Herman Bern
Gretchen B. Graef
Jacklyn and Miguel Bezos
Glenda Greenwald
Carol Bloom
Christian G. Halby
Thomas Brendler
Carl Haney and Ani N. De Haney
Karen L. Broome
Sue Harrison
Christina Brown
Rick M. Hayman
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
89
Carolyn P. Henly
Arch Meredith
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Symchych
Lisa Henson
Dan Mitchell
Olga Teixeira
Carlos Herrera and Andreina Morales
Mark Morrison
The Bilger Foundation
Sandra F. Hillman
Mortimer Charitable Trust
The J. M. Kaplan Fund
Doreen Hing
Camille Norris
The Sapling Foundation
Eloise and Arthur Hodges
Jehane Noujaim
Mark P. Thomas
Ulyana Hrudzko
Amy Novogratz
Robert M. Thompson
Jill Hudson
Lucille Y. Osaki
Times 3
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Hurlbut, Jr.
Susan Parness
Thomas Vasquez
Kelly Ireland
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony D. Pell
Leonardo Vivas and Angelica Natera
Jean Evans
Constance E. Peterson
Natalie D. Voss
Joel Barlow High School
Jose L. Pichardo
Marissa A. Wagner
Procter & Gamble Gillette
Jean M. Wakem
Paul J. Klawunn
David W. C. Putnam
Qiang Wang
Peter B. Kroon
Sara Ramirez
Barnet and Sandra Weinstein
Sandra Kulli
Karen Ricker
Betty J. Weiss
Lisa Ladd-Kidder
Jonathan L. Rigg
Fumiko N. Wellington
Trinia Lagodlagod
Carol Rizzolo
Patrick Windmolders
Craig Lam
Emmy and Michael Robertson
William C. Wood
Julie A. Larios
Donald Rodman
James W. Wu
Lashar Lavenue
Mercedes E. Rodman and Bruce
Jess O. Yaryan III
Student Activities Fund
Elizabeth P. Willis Leatherman and
Joan and Michael Yogg
Linda K. Young
Rebecca A. Lee
Nushin Sabet
Bertram and Laima Zarins
Jack R. Lifsitz and Marilynn S. Lifsitz
William A. Sallee and Rebecca J. Brady
Gerald L. Zeitlin
Mark T. Llobrera
Santiago Samorano
Roy Lobb and Lesbia A. Ulpino De Lobb
Santa Barbara Foundation
Lili P. Longart
Ana C. Schlee
Betty S. Lykins
Thibaud L. Schneider
Ronald MacQuarrie
Margot Schwartz
Javier J. Marin and
Jenn Shallvey
Carolina Olavarria-Marin
Sandra Silvestri
Red Maxwell
Janet I. Simpson
Tita and Dan McCarty Advised Fund
Robert Stallman and
at Aspen Community Foundation
Hannah Woods Stallman
Mr. and Mrs. James S. McCluskey
Susanne Stauffer
Donald L. McLagan and
Jennifer A. Stern
Barbara B. McLagan
90
Rodman
Edward T. Rorer
William L. Leatherman
Roberto Suhr
SISTEMA FELLOWS PROGRAM | NEW ENGLAND CONSERVATORY
Preparation
of this Report
Heath Marlow, Director, Sistema
Fellowship Resource Center
Elaine Sandoval ’13
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