From 2007 to 2017, El Sistema–Venezuela’s national music education system–experienced a remarkable rise, followed by an equally dramatic decline. While it may be tempting to dismiss this decade as an anomaly in the history of music education, it more accurately represents a significant return to a long-standing rationale for music education: social activism. By placing this brief yet impactful period of El Sistema’s influence within a broader historical context, including Venetian Ospedali, British Brass Bands, and American Settlement Music Houses, El Sistema and similar music education initiatives highlighted the potential of music education to directly address societal inequities.
Research on El Sistema-inspired (ES-i) programs has identified key program characteristics and potential outcomes for students, such as fostering student pride and persistence, creating a sense of community within ensembles, providing low-barrier access, promoting peer mentoring, offering frequent performance opportunities, and enhancing emotional regulation skills and psychosocial well-being. However, despite these positive impacts, El Sistema and its derivatives remain highly controversial. Reports of abuse within El Sistema in Venezuela have been described as an open secret, and philosophical critiques highlight issues with the model’s ties to the Venezuelan government, its failure to address deep structural problems in society, and its reliance on propaganda to exaggerate claims of social change.
In this context, post-El Sistema programs may provide an additional lens through which to view musical contexts for citizenship education. These programs must confront the challenge of redefining the El Sistema model, determining whether the program serves to normalize and reproduce social structures or to foster political participation.
This according to “Ritornello: El Sistema, music education, and a centuries-long narrative of socio-musical activism” by Stephen Fairbanks (Music education research 24/1 [2022] 18–30; RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, 2022-21042) and “Teaching citizenship through music education: A case study of a community youth orchestra program” by Amanda E. Ellerbe (Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education 236 [spring 2023] 43–57; RILM Abstracts of Music Literature, 2023-14178).
The week of 17 March is International Teach Music Week.
Below, a performance by the Teresa Carreño Youth Orchestra, featuring some of Venezuela’s best high school musicians, led by Gustavo Dudamel, playing Shostakovich’s symphony no. 10, 2nd movement.
