MUSAIC, a Video Library of Learning for Classical Musicians
MUSAIC is a collaborative digital project from some of of the most distinguished institutions in classical music: the New World Symphony, Guildhall School of Music and Drama (London), Manhattan School of Music, Royal Danish Academy of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Curtis Institute... Read More →
Do you know about these seven black composers?
You may know about Florence Price and Scott Joplin, but do you know the work of George Bridgetower, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, and Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges? Make sure you know about these seven black composers who made classical music history. ... Read More →
Expanding the Ways We Evaluate Excellence
For twenty years, the initiative Animating Democracy, from Americans for the Arts, has been the most prominent national organization supporting arts for social and civic change in the United States. A few years ago they produced a significant report called Aesthetic... Read More →
Teach to Learn
Although we live in a world connected extensively through the web and social media, it can still be challenging to forge meaningful connections between creative individuals from different cultures. This is especially true for individuals who seek mentorship within the... Read More →
Discover Musical Explorers: A Teaching Resource for Little Ones!
Musical Explorers has long been a beloved live program at Carnegie Hall for kindergartners through second graders. Using singing, listening, and movement, it builds fundamental musical skills through a diverse global music curriculum. Carnegie Hall has now made its curriculum... Read More →
Announcing the launch of Music In Action Journal: A Knowledge Hub for the Frontlines of Music-For-Social-Action
When cultural historians reflect on the late 20th and early 21st centuries, one of the most significant paradigm shifts noted will be the explosion of music-for-social-action initiatives across the globe. Inspired by the work of pioneering figures including Jorge Peña... Read More →
Editorial: Loving a Community into Wholeness
Some years ago, I was mocked by a Sistema critic for my statement that the essence of Sistema learning environments is to love children into wholeness. Although my statement was taken out of context, to make a point (as Sistema’s... Read More →
Addressing Teacher-Student Racial Bias
In some instances, Sistema teachers are from a different race or ethnic background than their students and families. In the U.S. Sistema field, the racial disparities between faculty/staff and students/families are widely recognized as a challenge, and the issue of... Read More →
Symphony for a Broken Orchestra
Found Sound Nation, in collaboration with Symphony for a Broken Orchestra, meticulously recorded the sounds of over 800 broken instruments from the Philadelphia public school district, in an effort to inspire the public to ‘adopt’ these instruments and fund their restoration for... Read More →
Like Your Life Depends on It
It’s a fact: how much a student cares about a piece she is learning makes a gigantic difference to her learning experience. It makes a gigantic difference to how she feels about her ensemble and what they are trying to... Read More →