Volume 19 Issue 4 - December 2013

SEEING ORANGE | EDUCATION WATCHWho Needs Music?ALLAN PULKERThere is mounting scientific evidenceto substantiate what just about everyonewho has studied music knows to betrue, that making music makes a differenceto the quality of one’s life. Studies nowabound indicating that playing an instrumentcauses the cerebellum to develop in ways thatit just doesn’t in the absence of music, thatmusic makes us more intelligent, preventsthe deterioration of mental functions in theelderly and that it makes a difference in theway we relate to one another.“If you put an instrument in the hands of achild, he will never pick up a gun,” said Dr.José Antonio Abreu, founder, El Sistema.an intensive social program ... to inspire childrenat risk to realize their full potential asstudents, musicians and citizens.” In Abreu’swords, “The huge spiritual world that musicproduces in itself overcomes material poverty.From the minute a child is taught how to playan instrument, he or she is no longer poor.”El Sistema sees itself not primarily as a musicprogram but as a social development programthat uses music as a way of transforming childrenby teaching them the habits, attitudesand practices of people who leadfulfilling and successful lives.Abreu was awarded the Glenn GouldPrize in 2009. A little less than two yearsbands at three different levels, ranging fromabsolute beginners to advanced players, theaverage age is about 60, with members asyoung as 36 and as old as 90. What motivatesthem to participate, according to Kapp, is“their love of playing music in a band,” goingback decades to their “fond memories of bandin high school, the excitement of performing,travelling, close friends and the sense ofaccomplishment when you get a hard passageunder your fingers.”“Playing a musical instrument is one ofthe very few things you can do that engagesthe whole mind at one time. It involves anddevelops memory, problem-solving, physicalco-ordination, gross and fine motor skills,muscle use, lung capacity, mental focus/attention span and self-discipline. It alsoI am reminded of one Valent Lesso, amulti-talented Toronto musician who tradedhis violin in for a handgun at a pawn shop,changed his name to Steve Suchan andjoined the notorious Boyd gang around 1950.He subsequently shot and killed a Torontopoliceman. It seems Suchan’s need to belongto a gang outweighed his love of music.This need to belong is central to thethinking behind El Sistema, the ensemblebasedmusic instruction method developedin Venezuela by Abreu. It is significant thatEl Sistema rejects the “traditional” methodof one-on-one instruction and daily solitarypractice, in favour of group instruction fivedays a week for three hours. Co-operation,collaboration and mutual support are frontand centre in the method.El Sistema’s most tangible goal is to trainmusicians. To say that it has been successfulin this endeavour is an understatement:Gustavo Dudamel, a graduate of the programand now the conductor of the Los AngelesPhilharmonic Orchestra, is only one of manyexamples of this success. Its mission, however,goes well beyond this goal. Sistema Toronto’smission, for example, is “to build and sustainlater, in September 2011, the fledgling ElSistema Toronto began its first classes.New Horizons: Although music educationin Ontario public elementary and secondaryschools has generally lacked the intensityof El Sistema’s three hours a day it used tohave a profound effect on many who experiencedit. Out of this past success a new andequally remarkable musical enterprise hascome into existence,the New Horizons Bandprogram, under thedirection of retiredmusic teacher, DanKapp, now in its fourthyear at Long andMcQuade’s Bloor Streetcomplex. The concept,Kapp told me, is “a safegroup environmentwhere mature/retiredadults can come tolearn to play a musicalinstrument for the firsttime or reconnect withone they haven’t playedin decades.” Withaddresses the need to care for our emotionalwell-being, self-esteem, self-worth, andsocial interactions with friends who genuinelycare for you.” Many of the mature adultsin Dan’s bands acquired skills and habits inhigh school band classes that have helpedthem throughout their lives. They are participatingin his programs in order to continue todevelop those skills and habits. It’s too late forSteve Suchan, but if you’re reading this, it’snot too late for you!So the New Horizons program grows and!!SISTEMA TORONTO IS COMPETING in the Aviva CommunityFund, an annual competition in which several charities and communitygroups across Canada share in a $1 million prize. Sistema is in therunning for $150,000, which would be a major boost in its effortsto sustain its two current “Playing to Potential” programs, and toexpand them to other GTA neighbourhoods. Winning the award isdetermined by popular support from voting online from December 2to 11. Anyone can vote by going to the main Aviva Community Fundwebpage. You’ll need Sistema’s contest code which is ACF16874. Eachvoter gets ten votes – one for each day of the campaign – so votingevery day is essential. Voting ends at 12:00 midnight on December 11.thewholenote.com December 1, 2013 – February 7, 2014 | 67