Blog

Virtual Winter Concert a Success

December 16, 2020 | Hillary Harder

One of the most rewarding aspects of participating in a music program is performing in a concert: the adrenaline, the sense of pride and accomplishment, and sharing your hard work with family and friends make concerts positive and memorable experiences for students. Frequent performance is also a fundamental element of El Sistema, serving as a goal to work toward and a key way to engage families.

This year due to the pandemic, we knew we wouldn't be able to hold a typical concert in person with an audience. So instead, we planned a virtual winter concert, consisting of pre-recorded videos that we assembled into a YouTube playlist. While this was a very different experience from giving a live concert, our virtual winter concert was still rewarding, encouraging, and fun for us and our students! Here are several reasons why.

First, our virtual concert was accessible to family members who were far away. One student in Presto Orchestra excitedly informed us that her grandma in Mexico would be watching, and that she couldn't wait to share the link with her abuela so she could hear her play. This was particularly meaningful because the song our student was most excited to share was "Dale Dale," a Mexican song traditionally sung around the piñata at birthday parties and the Christmas tradition of Las Posadas.

For each piece in our concert, we recorded a student giving an introduction to the piece with some contextual background information. We asked students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and buy-in to read these introductory statements. Our students showed amazing poise and professionalism recording their introductions. Later we heard from the parent of one 5th grader that her student has struggled with reading in the past, but has recently jumped up several grade levels in her reading ability. For her to read this introduction statement as part of a concert that peers and audience members would see was a big deal!

The introductions were not just spoken: one student also used her beautiful singing voice! This student takes music very seriously: in addition to ECoSistema, she also participates in her school orchestra and in the Rejoice Children's Choir through the Goshen College Community School of the Arts, our sister organization. When introducing her piece, this student sang the first stanza of the song, a beautiful example of the ways in which ECoSistema seeks to empower the whole child and connect with other music initiatives in our community.

Finally, as with live concerts, our virtual concert gave students a chance to hear other ensembles perform. This is mutually beneficial: younger students get a chance to see older students play and see themselves in their place someday, while older students get a confidence boost knowing that younger students are looking up to them. One 5th grade student was excited to see the Teen ECoSistema ensemble perform and said, "I can't wait to be in Teen ECo next year!"

Although we will be hold in-person concerts again, our virtual winter concert was a successful experience full of rich learning opportunities and positive memories!

Song Circle: "Tiny Surfer"

Crescendo Orchestra: "Jolly Old St. Nicholas"

Presto Orchestra: "Feliz Navidad"

Teen ECo: "Auld Lang Syne"

Student Story: Sharing Knowledge, Spreading Joy

October 6, 2020 | Hillary Harder

One of the fundamental elements of El Sistema is peer-to-peer teaching. In Venezuela and other places where El Sistema took root early on, students often jumped into the role of teacher right away, sometimes out of necessity when there weren't enough teachers to go around. The idea is that as soon as you know something - even something as simple as three notes - you are equipped and encouraged to share what you know with someone who only knows one note. Not only does this embody Paulo Freire's philosophy in Pedagogy of the Oppressed that students are empowered by also becoming teachers and teachers constantly remain learners and co-create knowledge with their students, it also just creates a lot of joy and excitement when students can share what they know with their peers.

I witnessed this very idea play out yesterday at the Boys & Girls Club. I had just finished a private lesson with one student (we'll call her Camila) and the next student was on his way in (Adam). As Adam unpacked his instrument he could barely contain his excitement and burst out, "We're going to learn a new note today - the note B! And you play it with one finger on the A string!" Surprised, I asked how he knew that. He replied, "Camila just told me in the hallway."

This image stuck with me all day: Camila leaving her lesson, bursting with her newfound knowledge. As Adam comes down the hall on the way to his lesson, Camila can't help but share with him the knowledge that she had such fun learning, that she knows he is about to experience as well: a moment of connection, no longer than 30 seconds, full of genuine excitement, buy-in, joy in learning and the desire to share it with a friend. This is how El Sistema-inspired music education can impact lives: by flipping the script of who holds the knowledge (and therefore the power), by contagious enthusiasm that is student-powered, by students feeling like a part of something and wanting to bring others along.

Our task as El Sistema-inspired music educators is to find ways to build peer teaching into the classroom. In ECoSistema at the Boys & Girls Club, we do this with frequent partner and small-group work. To be perfectly candid, it's challenging as a music teacher to relinquish the authority in these moments and truly make peer teaching a core component of each class, not just a fun side activity. As usual, students are leading the way: this impromptu teaching moment in the hallway between Camila and Adam reminds me that students have the tools and the drive to share their knowledge with one another - it's up to us as teachers to make space for this in the classroom.

Fall Programming Begins!

September 11, 2020 | Hillary Harder and Kent Dutchersmith

ECoSistema classes have officially started at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen! Classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 3:30 and 6:00 pm - class offerings include Song Circle (movement and percussion), Crescendo Orchestra (beginning strings), and Presto orchestra (intermediate strings).

This year two new initiatives have been rolled out!

1) Private lessons: All students in Crescendo and Presto Orchestras will take part in a private lesson every week with either Mr. Kent, Ms. Hillary, or a Goshen College intern teacher. Due to COVID-19, we are meeting less frequently as full ensembles, but private lessons will help students progress, learn at their own pace, and receive individualized instruction.

2) Teen ECoSistema: For students in grades 6-12, Teen ECo is a way to engage our continuing students who have graduated from Presto Orchestra while also providing another point of access for students who are new to ECoSistema. Teen ECo includes three components: a private lesson, musical mentoring, and chamber music each week. Teen ECo provides the opportunity for students to grow musically, play in a small group with other middle/high school students, and use their musical skills to give back to others around them.

Check out these fun facts to see who is taking part in ECoSistema this year, and see below for some snapshots of our first week of programming!

  • Students enrolled in ECoSistema for the 2020-21 season: 44

  • String players: 30

  • Song Circle: 14

  • Families in ECoSistema: 38

  • Families with 2 or more children in ECoSistema: 6

  • Students who were in ECoSistema last year: 19 (43%)

  • Number of students who have been in ECoSistema since the first year: 11 (25%)

  • Students who are new to ECoSistema: 25 (57%)

  • Students who have become Boys & Girls Club members because of ECoSistema: 14 (32%)

Crescendo Orchestra student tries out her cello for the first time

Mr. Kent leads Song Circle in a drumming activity

Crescendo Orchestra students in action

Goshen College music major Sofia Sanchez gives a special guest performance

"Music Mondays" Launched at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen

September 3, 2020 | Hillary Harder

ECoSistema at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen now includes a new musical offering: Music Mondays! Due to COVID-19, the Club's structure looks different this fall: students are placed in home rooms according to school and remain there throughout the day. Since students can't leave their home room, we are bringing the music to them!

Every Monday during the 3:00 hour, all students in grades 1-5 participate in an interactive music lesson that includes playing percussion instruments, music listening, and creative movement. Each home room has its own tub of instruments, which are thoroughly sanitized after each use. Students and teachers are masked and remain six feet apart. Two weeks in, students are already enjoying the chance to be creative and burn off some energy during Music Mondays!

Thanks to Yejin Kim, ECoSistema Intern through Goshen College's Music for Social Change Program

April 24, 2020 | Hillary Harder

Yejin Kim, a graduating senior at Goshen College, is concluding a three-semester-long internship with ECoSistema through GC’s Music for Social Change program. Though her internship ended sooner than expected due to COVID-19, she made a lasting impact on ECoSistema and our students, and her contributions are deeply appreciated.

Yejin assisted with the ECoSistema orchestra at the Boys & Girls Club from the fall of 2018 through the spring of 2020. As a violinist, Yejin was well-suited to coach string players of varying ages and abilities. Her regular internship activities included working one-on-one with students who were just beginning or needed extra support, as well as coaching small groups of students.

However, Yejin is also a gifted pianist, vocalist, and arranger, and her musical versatility highly enriched our program. As part of her internship, Mr. Dutchersmith invited Yejin to take charge of teaching and conducting a particular piece, and she chose to arrange several folk songs from her native Korea. The students immediately gravitated to these pieces, not only because the tonality and metric feel were new and beautiful, but also because they were personally special to Ms. Yejin, whom they admire and respect.

One sixth grade violinist is especially captivated by Ms. Yejin’s arrangements. Currently during virtual programming, she repeatedly chooses to play them during her video lessons and wants to take this learning a step further. “I love this piece because it is in 6/8 time,” she says, “I want to learn more about 6/8 time!” Yejin has provided inspiration and support for students at all stages in their music learning.

Throughout her internship Yejin has been dedicated, hard-working, enthusiastic, and willing to jump in wherever she is needed. ECoSistema has benefited immensely from her leadership and we look forward to working with future Goshen College interns in the Music for Social Change program.

Goshen College intern Yejin Kim teaches an ECoSistema orchestra class at the Boys & Girls Club of Goshen

Student Story: Creativity and Self-Motivation During Quarantine

April 16, 2020 | Hillary Harder

Although El Sistema is built on the principle of ensemble-based instruction, many students are finding ways to thrive with one-on-one video lessons and individual practicing at home during this time of quarantine. One third grade student (we'll call her Ashley) has demonstrated extraordinary self-motivation in practicing her violin: not only has she made marked progress, she has also found some creative ways to make music an important part of her life in quarantine.

Ashley has been practicing every day and was one of the first students to receive a "thank you for practicing" care package in the mail from Mr. Dutchersmith. (When students log at least 5 days of practice on their practice chart, they receive a package consisting of orchestra-related coloring pages, colored pencils, and a personalized thank-you card.) Ashley's mom notes that "she’s getting better and is excited about practicing all the time. She even played this morning before her lesson.”

Not only is Ashley practicing her assigned pieces, she has also gone above and beyond. In her most recent Zoom lesson with Mr. Dutchersmith he was amazed to hear her play "Twinkle Twinkle," a piece he hadn't taught her yet. It turned out that Ashley had heard the song playing on her young sister's children's recording, learned to play it by ear, and even wrote out the notes! She was proud and excited to demonstrate this new skill.

In fact, Ashley's excitement for playing her violin has persisted even through obstacles that have arisen. Despite the fact that her parents work long hours, leaving her without access to a device to access ECoSistema virtual content, Ashley has asked to borrow her parents' phones when they're at home in order to watch Mr. Dutchersmith's practice videos on the ECoSistema YouTube channel. She even reports that she plans to save up her money to buy a tablet so that she can keep up with her practicing and lessons. Even a broken E string didn't stop Ashley from playing - and thanks to Mr. Dutchersmith she quickly received a replacement through safe, socially distanced means.

Ashley's resilience and dedication remind us that even during this time away from making music together, music can be a source of growth, joy, and pride in one's accomplishments.

ECoSistema YouTube Channel is now live!

April 8, 2020

Find it at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJerduSm0b-l84ldlqI56yQ

Virtual Programming Launched During COVID-19 Pandemic

April 8, 2020 | Hillary Harder

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools, businesses, and community centers to shut down throughout Elkhart County, ECoSistema teachers had to find some creative ways to continue offering programming for our students. A solution was reached with the launch of ECoSistema virtual programming for students at the Boys & Girls Club!

During the week of March 23, Lead Teaching Artist Kent Dutchersmith took the lead on designing and implementing ECoSistema virtual programming, with support from Coordinator Hillary Harder. Below is a summary of what it took to transform ECoSistema into an online learning space!

  • Building and planning for online ECoSistema. This included organizing music and putting together binders for each student, creating forms like the Instrument Care Contract, the How to Practice at Home guide, a practice log, and a video e-learning consent form. Hillary translated all these documents into Spanish as well.

  • Delivery of instruments and supplies to students' homes. This meant contacting every individual parent, setting up home visit times, verifying addresses, and plotting out a route to complete the visits around town. This took two days and Kent put 40 miles on his car the first day and 20 the second! At each home visit Kent stood outside and talked with the parents through the door, explaining the procedures and paperwork to them, and collecting their signatures. Then he delivered the student's instrument, music stand, and music binder. He kept careful records of who has what supplies.

  • Setting up and conducting virtual lessons. This involved contacting every parent to schedule their child's lesson and verifying all parents' email addresses and whether they have internet access (everyone does!). When it came time to actually teach the lessons, Kent provided support with troubleshooting any technology issues, talking parents through Zoom on the phone and trying other options until they found a medium that worked! This also involved coaching students through aspects of playing their instrument at home, whether making sure a cellist is sitting in a chair and not on their bed or guiding students to keep their instrument in safe place in their house.

  • Positive opportunity to connect with students one-on-one. Students who are shy in a group setting have been thriving with private lessons - one student in particular was clearly practicing every day and was just flying through the book and loving every minute! Video lessons with elementary students also necessitate parent involvement in setting up the technology, and Kent reflected that it's been really cool to see each parent working with their student to set this up, showing their level of dedication and investment in helping their child's music education continue during this time. Video lessons are like a window into the students' home lives, which is often very telling and helpful as an educator to continue getting to know students on a deep level.

  • Instrument troubleshooting. Kent has made several visits back to homes to tune instruments from his car and even exchange instruments, going to the Boys & Girls Club to swap a hopelessly out-of-tune instrument for another that will hold its tune better. He even successfully coached a student and parent through tuning the instrument via video!

  • It has been such a joy to see the number of students that are taking this seriously and practicing at home! Even from the first week of video lessons, this has been incredibly successful. Within the first three weeks Kent made 15 home visits, delivered 12 instruments, and taught 16 lessons.

Overall, Kent and Hillary both found themselves reflecting on the positive impact and importance of virtual music programming at a time like this: they have already seen evidence that it is helping create a space of resilience, consistency, structure, and joy in a very turbulent time in kids' lives.

ECoSistema instruments loaded up in Kent's car ready to be delivered to students' homes.

ECoSistema student joyfully receiving her instrument at her home.