El Sistema

El Sistema (known more formally as Fundacion del Estado para el Sistema Nacional de las Orquestas Juveniles e Infantiles de Venezuela, abbreviated FESNOJIV, and sometimes translated to English as "National Network of Youth and Children Orchestras of Venezuela") is a publicly financed private-sector music-education program in Venezuela, originally called Social Action for Music.

In 1975, Venezuelan economist and amateur musician José Antonio Abreu founded Social Action for Music and became its director. He received the National Music Prize for this work in 1979. Abreu was appointed as Special Ambassador for the development of a Global Network of Youth and Children orchestras and choirs by UNESCO in 1995, also as special representative for the development of network of orchestras within the framework of UNESCO's "World Movement of Youth and Children Orchestras and Choirs".[1][2]

Its network of 102 youth and 55 children's orchestras (numbering approximately 100,000 youngsters) later came under the supervision of the Venezuelan Ministry of Family, Health and Sports. As El Sistema, its goal is to use music for the protection of childhood through training, rehabilitation and prevention of criminal behaviour.

The program is known for rescuing young people in extremely impoverished circumstances from the environment of drug abuse and crime which they would likely otherwise be drawn into. [3] Participants of the program who have begun international careers include Gustavo Dudamel and Edicson Ruiz

In September 2007, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced on television a new government program, Misión Música, designed to provide tuition and music instruments to Venezuelan children, with Abreu present on the TV program.

A documentary film has been produced on the subject of El Sistema, entitled Tocar y Luchar, ("To play and to struggle")[4]. The film has won several awards, including "best documentary" at the Cine Las Americas International Film Festival and also the Albuquerque Latino Film Festival. El Sistema has also been featured on news programs such as 60 Minutes.[5]

An important product of El Sistema is the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra (Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar) which made its Carnegie Hall debut in 2007 under the baton of Dudamel, receiving enthusiastic reviews.[6][7]

On 6 June 2007, the Inter-American Development Bank announced the granting of $150 million loan to FESNOJIV; the goal is to support 500,000 children by 2015.[8]

On 28 October 2007, Arthur Lubow wrote in the NY Times: "Weighing such benefits as a falloff in school dropout rates and a decline in crime, the bank calculated that every dollar invested in the sistema was reaping about $1.68 in social dividends."[9]

El Sistema will be imported into Scotland for the specific purpose of breaking the cycle of poverty in an economically depressed area where male life expectancy is less than 63 years.[10]

Drew McManus wrote a 4-part series about El Sistema: The Future of Classical Music is in Venezuela.[11][12][13][14]

A public symposium on EL SISTEMA took place on 7 November 2007 in Boston, Massachussetts and is available as a webcast.[15] The panel of speakers included: Jose Antonio Abreu, founder, El Sistema (not included in the webcast.) Mark Slavkin, vp, education, LA Music Center Leni Boorstin, director, community affairs, LA Philharmonic Sebastian Ruth, founder, director, Community MusicWorks Steve Seidel, director, Project Zero George Simpson, director, Roland Hayes School of Music John Tobin, chair, arts committee, Boston City Council Polly Kahn, vp, League of American Orchestras Mark Churchill, dean, preparatory & continuing ed., NEC

External links

• Official site
• National System of Children and Youth Orchestras of Venezuela -- PRI's The World
• The Street Children Saved by Music, London Independent