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Changing the Rythym of Life |
by Martha Hammond
VENEZUELA is brimming with classical music, having more than 57 children's orchestras, 125 youth orchestras and at least 30 adult professional symphony orchestras.
This began in 1979 when José Antonio Abreu resolved to change the social conditions of his country through music. He founded the State Foundation for the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, a youth music project locally known as El Sistema.
José sought to improve the lives of vast numbers of marginalised young people living in Caracas by involving them in orchestras. His first rehearsal involved 11 young musicians and it was held in an underground car garage.
El Sistema offers music lessons to children. It also lends instruments and gives free tuition to pupils as young as two. It was, and still is, a social inclusion project, offering Venezuelan young people a unique, artistic and cultural opportunity. Through this, the quality of their lives has been greatly enhanced.
These Venezuelan musicians create an amazing sound, providing listeners a raw, exciting show, which offers a unique perspective on very familiar and well-loved classical works. The Simon Bolivar Orchestra, which is the pinnacle of the El Sistema music system, has performed across Europe, gaining vast acclaim from audiences who rise to applaud their passionate and dynamic playing.
More notable graduates include the conductor Gustavo Dudamel - one of classical music's brightest young stars. In a recent interview with The Sound Exchange, Gustavo paid tribute to El Sistema, describing its impact on impoverished, disadvantaged communities. "In Venezuela there are lots of social problems which music takes young people away from and, at the same time, teaches them a sense of co-operation, teamwork and being involved in a common project that is positive," he said. "Music is all about harmony but not just about harmony of the music itself. It's the need for harmony in the people who play the music together."
This has also received a great deal of praise from high-profile figures in the music world. The Conductor, Simon Rattle, described it as being ‘the most important thing happening in classical music anywhere in the whole world.' Opera singers Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo have spent time working with some of the Venezuelan ensembles.
El Sistema's success is undeniable. It has had an unprecedented, positive impact on the lives of young people and it has reinvigorated the classical music scene in Venezuela. Today, the programme continues its pioneering work and includes a new orchestral project, which reaches out to residents at Los Choros, a juvenile detention centre, near Caracas. The model of El Sistema is also being replicated and 23 other countries in the Southern Hemisphere have now set up similar musical education programmes.
José Abreu has already achieved phenomenal amount but he seems discontent to rest on his laurels. His ambition, he says, is to ensure that every Venezuelan child has access to an instrument and can enjoy a musical upbringing. One can only wonder what that would sound like!
Contact: Sistema Nacional de Orquestas
Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela
Tel: +58 212 576 5511
Email: fesnojiv2@cantv.net
Story from Living Lightly Magazine
VENEZUELA is brimming with classical music, having more than 57 children's orchestras, 125 youth orchestras and at least 30 adult professional symphony orchestras.
This began in 1979 when José Antonio Abreu resolved to change the social conditions of his country through music. He founded the State Foundation for the National System of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela, a youth music project locally known as El Sistema.
José sought to improve the lives of vast numbers of marginalised young people living in Caracas by involving them in orchestras. His first rehearsal involved 11 young musicians and it was held in an underground car garage.
El Sistema offers music lessons to children. It also lends instruments and gives free tuition to pupils as young as two. It was, and still is, a social inclusion project, offering Venezuelan young people a unique, artistic and cultural opportunity. Through this, the quality of their lives has been greatly enhanced.
These Venezuelan musicians create an amazing sound, providing listeners a raw, exciting show, which offers a unique perspective on very familiar and well-loved classical works. The Simon Bolivar Orchestra, which is the pinnacle of the El Sistema music system, has performed across Europe, gaining vast acclaim from audiences who rise to applaud their passionate and dynamic playing.
More notable graduates include the conductor Gustavo Dudamel - one of classical music's brightest young stars. In a recent interview with The Sound Exchange, Gustavo paid tribute to El Sistema, describing its impact on impoverished, disadvantaged communities. "In Venezuela there are lots of social problems which music takes young people away from and, at the same time, teaches them a sense of co-operation, teamwork and being involved in a common project that is positive," he said. "Music is all about harmony but not just about harmony of the music itself. It's the need for harmony in the people who play the music together."
This has also received a great deal of praise from high-profile figures in the music world. The Conductor, Simon Rattle, described it as being ‘the most important thing happening in classical music anywhere in the whole world.' Opera singers Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo have spent time working with some of the Venezuelan ensembles.
El Sistema's success is undeniable. It has had an unprecedented, positive impact on the lives of young people and it has reinvigorated the classical music scene in Venezuela. Today, the programme continues its pioneering work and includes a new orchestral project, which reaches out to residents at Los Choros, a juvenile detention centre, near Caracas. The model of El Sistema is also being replicated and 23 other countries in the Southern Hemisphere have now set up similar musical education programmes.
José Abreu has already achieved phenomenal amount but he seems discontent to rest on his laurels. His ambition, he says, is to ensure that every Venezuelan child has access to an instrument and can enjoy a musical upbringing. One can only wonder what that would sound like!
Contact: Sistema Nacional de Orquestas
Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela
Tel: +58 212 576 5511
Email: fesnojiv2@cantv.net
Story from Living Lightly Magazine
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