"I have seen the future of music in Venezuela and [it] is a resurrection" - Sir Simon Rattle.
El Sistema is a music program that began in Venezuela, but the concept has gradually moved outside of Latin America. A few years back, New Brunswick adopted the program and its philosophy and the results have been amazing!
El Sistema (literally, "The System") was started in the 1970s and began growing due to its success and popularity. Today, it serves some quarter of a million Venuzuelan children, using music as a tool to pull them out of poverty.
Each day after school, children head to their Sistema programs for music classes. It keeps them off the street and it gives them a sense of purpose. The results have been simply staggering. Conductor Gustavo Dudamel (director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) is the star product of Sistema but he's just one of many. This trailer for a fantastic film on El Sistema gives you a sense of the program.
A few years back, educators from New Brunswick visited Venezuela to observe El Sistema for themselves. They were blown away by the program and they decided to bring it to Canada. Sistema New Brunswick was born.
It's the grand daddy of Sistemas in Canada. Now in its third year, the Moncton centre is going strong and they've added a second centre in Saint John. Reporter Karen Rawlines visited the program in Moncton and brings us this report.