Comments on: El Sistema: Changing Lives Through Music
Bob Simon On Venezuela's Groundbreaking Musical Education Program
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- I just watched the repeat and update of this story tonight.I was not only moved and uplifted by this story but encouraged as well.My daughter, Jeanne, was our "free spirit" and loved to reach her pre-school students through her art and music.She was a talented artist as well as a self-taught pianist and guitarist.Many of the children with whom she worked suffered with learning challenges, and many were diagnosed with autism.Through her love for the Arts, she was able to connect with these children on levels that I had never seen before.In October of 2006, Jeanne dove into the Pacific ocean to try to save the life of a four-year-old child who had been swept into the surf by a "rogue" wave.She lost her life in the process.Her 21 years with us was not nearly long enough, and now we have chosen to honor her life by starting the Miss Jeanne''s House Bookshoppe and Foundation in Elk Grove, CA.Our mission is to introduce and instruct all 33,000+ elementary-aged school children in our school district to all aspects of the Arts through volunteers/mentors in the classrooms and after-school programs.One-third of our schools are designated Title 1, so funding for anything "extra" is out of the question. Like "el sistema", we too rely on monetary and in-kind donations to operate.Maybe if enough of us band together across this great nation, our grassroots efforts will pay off for our children.When I saw this story, it gave me great hope that our mission can indeed be accomplished.Bravo El Sistema!
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- I just watched the repeat and update of this story tonight.I was not only moved and uplifted by this story but encouraged as well.My daughter, Jeanne, was our "free spirit" and loved to reach her pre-school students through her art and music.She was a talented artist as well as a self-taught pianist and guitarist.Many of the children with whom she worked suffered with learning challenges, and many were diagnosed with autism.Through her love for the Arts, she was able to connect with these children on levels that I had never seen before.In October of 2006, Jeanne dove into the Pacific ocean to try to save the life of a four-year-old child who had been swept into the surf by a "rogue" wave.She lost her life in the process.Her 21 years with us was not nearly long enough, and now we have chosen to honor her life by starting the Miss Jeanne''s House Bookshoppe and Foundation in Elk Grove, CA.Our mission is to introduce and instruct all 33,000+ elementary-aged school children in our school district to all aspects of the Arts through volunteers/mentors in the classrooms and after-school programs.One-third of our schools are designated Title 1, so funding for anything "extra" is out of the question. Like "el sistema", we too rely on monetary and in-kind donations to operate.Maybe if enough of us band together across this great nation, our grassroots efforts will pay off for our children.When I saw this story, it gave me great hope that our mission can indeed be accomplished.Bravo El Sistema!
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- I have a couple of used violins which I would gladly donate to the young musicians of this Venezualan symphony. Will anyone e-mail me additional information about what to do next? teletek@aol.com thank-you
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- At the end of the story, Bob Simon asks one of the organizers of this incredible music program "Do you think this would work in the US?" This idea, while not on the scale as the Venezuelan El Sistema program, is one that Father Bruce Wellems uses with young parishioners in his parish, Holy Cross, in Chicago''s Back of the Yards neighborhood. He replaces weapons with musical instruments, enlisting young parishioners successfully in a marimba band.
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- Hi to every one and thank you so much for your interes and support. if you are interest in helping us you can send your letter to www.fesnojiv.org
Rafael Elster - Reply to this comment
- Come on! CBS look alive. We would love to donate to this organization and you don''t provide the proper information. This wonderful organization is losing donations from your faithful viewers. Make it happen.
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- This story brought tears to my eyes, what a wonderful thing "El sistema" has achieved!
I can''t say that I am surprised, as I have myself dedicated my life to music and know that Music can be Magical! The connection that is made between the mind, body and spirit can only yield these positive results.
www.SynergyPerformingArtsAcademy.ca would like to donate instruments to "El sistema". Helping change the world one lesson at a time! Kindly let us know how we may contact them. Thank you for bringing this story to us! Sonia Isidro, Director of Synergy Performing Arts Academy, Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
Que Dios los bendiga! - Reply to this comment
- Hello again! I wrote the other day! This story brought tears to my eyes & joy to my heart! I apologize that my entry was posted several times. When I pressed the publish button it kept saying to wait & indicated I could press it later so this led to mass postings! Please CBS, do right by "El Sistema" & your viewers, like me who has been watching your show since my dear, departed Dad; classical music aficionado turned me on to your program over 25 years ago!. Have the heart to let us know the website and addresses where we may write the fabulous Dr. Abreu & his counterparts to connect, donate, share & begin our own programs here with all the children who desperately need our help. Gracias!
Cindy - Reply to this comment
- I, too, would like to donate something to support El Sistema.
Come on, CBS!
Please find or provide a means for the many viewers who want to respond to such an obvious need. There should be a Web site, or at least an address, where financial support can be sent.
It would be nice to see someone organize a clearinghouse function for donations of instruments, etc. to support the Venezuelan youth programs.
Finally, someone should help to publicize the efforts like those of several posters who are instituting similar programs here. Is there some way to obtain El Sistema''s curriculum, teacher notes, and the like to assist those trying to implement a similar program in the U.S.?
CBS, please take the lead and at least point people to the proper resources.
An old sometime musician. - Reply to this comment
- I, too, would like to donate something to support El Sistema.
Come on, CBS!
Please find or provide a means for the many viewers who want to respond to such an obvious need. There should be a Web site, or at least an address, where financial support can be sent.
It would be nice to see someone organize a clearinghouse function for donations of instruments, etc. to support the Venezuelan youth programs.
Finally, someone should help to publicize the efforts like those of several posters who are instituting similar programs here. Is there some way to obtain El Sistema''s curriculum, teacher notes, and the like to assist those trying to implement a similar program in the U.S.?
CBS, please take the lead and at least point people to the proper resources.
An old sometime musician. - Reply to this comment
- The music that is being cultivated in Venezuela is truly wonderful. What a medium to bring such riches to the public. I would like to support this effort. How can this be done. Perhaps DVD''s and CD''s or a mechanism to contribute to a fund. Such wonder and goodness deserves to be supported
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- I first became aware of "El Sistema" 8 years ago when I saw Ed Bradley''s feature about it on "60 Minutes". Since then I have closed out a 45 year career as a symphony conductor, and have formed the Foundation to Assist Young Musicians. Through the efforts of many, we hope to plant "Il Sistema" in the United States. For more information see: http://www.myspace.com/halweller.
Bravo Dudamel! Bravissimo Abreu!! - Reply to this comment
- This piece touched me down to my bones! I am crying. I got to see the trailer Sunday night, but of course this is when everyone decided to go out and eat (we''d been watching the Masters) So I knew it would probably be on line and I just finish viewing it. Of course! Classical music changed me years ago and I look around and I am the only one in my surroundings who feels as I do about it. But I am also the only whose had the opportunity to have this when I was younger thanks to my Mom and Dad. We listened to the Sunday evening classics on the radio (ie the Bell Telephone Hour; the First Piano Quartet) and after buying us ice cream cones we would drive around town eating ice cream and listening to Band of America on the radio. By the time my siblings were born, things like this were already gone. When I saw the Bell Telephone orchestra in a movie short, it changed my life; it was the first time I ever saw a performing orchestra, though I had heard them for years. I am ashamed that I have been surpressing this love and joy--just keeping it to my self--because I thought it was an elitist feeling in me. Oh my gosh! It wasn''t! It is supposed to change us! This has been the most wonderful thing I have seen--I hope I can be true to what I have just seen to see what I can do with the rest of my life. My gosh, my gosh, my gosh!
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- I too would like to know how to help them whether it be financially or through donations.
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- BRAVO! Dr.Abreu''s intuition is heavenly inspired. The Inner Center of Fine Arts Institute applauds his "el Sistema''s" global outreach through Classical Music. Truly, all of humanity would benefit from this approach to life.Gracia, "IC"Fine Arts Institute,Trinidad, CA
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- I''m glad to see that I''m not the only old man who wound up crying while watching this piece.
My first exposure to classical music was when I was 23 years old at a small junior college in northeast Colorado and it effected my life in a positive way; who knows what might have happened if I''d been turned on by it in grade school?
My prayers go to those kids and adults in Venezuela in the El Sistema; may it continue and grow--especially to other places it''s needed...like the good ol'' USA! - Reply to this comment
- The people who should have been listening and watching just weren''t. How many governors of states, presidents of our country, senators, congressmen, state senators and representatives... how many city councilmen, school board members, etc. throughout the country, were watching? Most of them went to the potty or the ''fridge to get something when a story about classical music came on, or they weren''t even watching CBS at the time, but some stupid show like "American Idol" or "Dancing with the Stars" or reruns of basketball playoffs or some other worthless KR@P.... El Sistema is alive and well at my house. My wife and I are both college music professors, and my two children study violin... and my son''s violin teacher is a PRODUCT OF EL SISTEMA and an exquisite violinist in a local professional orchestra. VIVA EL SISTEMA!!!!!!!!!
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- Gustavo Dudamel, the young conductor mentioned in this story was recently hired as music director by the L.A. Philharmonic Orchestra. I wonder if he has any plans to start similarly inspired programs in Los Angeles. The area could certainly use some good influences on its'' kids.
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- That story brought tears to this old man''s eyes.
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- We have begun a program somewhat modeled after El Sistema here in Birmingham, AL. In February, we started teaching free music lessons at a local rock club that donated space and after school at Hill Elementary (70+ children!). Recently we began free lessons at the AL Jazz Hall of Fame. I cashed in all my savings to get us started. My partner has donated all his instruments. The results are so wonderful--bringing together people across music genre, zip code, generation, race. Read about it here:
http://metroyo.blogspot.com/ and here:
http://jeane-metroyo.blogspot.com/
As we await our 501(c)3 determination, we are struggling to find enough instruments and funds to pay our dedicated teachers at least for gas. But the program has proved to be so obviously a way to improve our community that we are determined to do whatever it takes to continue. - Reply to this comment
