The Promise of Music

From Jose Bergher via Jaime Austria (both members of El Sistema-NYC and donors to our organization-thank you!!):

The Promise of Music, (go watch the teaser!) the documentary film directed by Enrique Sánchez Lansch

...this is not just the story of some prodigy. Dudamel himself describes music as a „social life-saver” ...

... The Bolívar Youth Orchestra owes its existence to the musician, economist and politician José Antonio Abreu. In 1975 he was gripped by the vision of offering children living in poverty a new perspective on life through music. Despite several changes in government his state-funded network of music schools, the „Fundación del Estado para el Sistema de Orquesta Juvenil e Infantil de Venezuela” (or FESOJIV), continues to be successful in pulling young people out of difficult and criminal situations and showing them the way to a new life. There are now around 30 professional orchestras, 125 youth orchestras, about 15,000 music teachers and a quarter of a million pupils receiving musical training. Children as young as two years old are offered music lessons free of charge and the instruments are provided free of charge. Of course, children are not given one-to-one-lessons but are immediately integrated into an orchestra, since motivation, mutual respect and joint efforts towards communal success are at the heart of this project.

We can do this here. It will change our city.