Venezuela's government
founded the national System of Venezuelan Youth and Children's Orchestras
thirty five years ago. Since them, half a million youths and children, most of
them from low class neighborhoods, have performed there advocating their lives
to music, and not to organized crime or drugs traffic, wich were more common in
their environment. In 1975 the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela
(SBYOV) was founded by maestro José Antonio Abreu. Gustavo Dudamel is the
living proof of selfsuperation, he has started as a violinist and currently he
is one of the most important orchestra directors in the world, showing that no
matter which one's origin is, as far as there are talent and dedication,
not only integration, but also success is possible
Cobelo, LuisGustavo Dudamel: maestro con fama de rockstar in La Nación (2012
August 19)http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1502236-gustavo-dudamel-maestro-con-fama-de-rockstar
(las accessed July 8th)
Ilden Imogdel Why Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra have a lot to prove in The guardian (2012 June 22)http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/jun/22/dudamel-simon-bolivar-symphony-orchestra (last accessed July 8th)
http://www.fesnojiv.gob.ve/en/el-sistema.html (last accessed July 8th)
Gustavo Dudamel was born in 1981, son of a couple of musicians, in
Barquisimeto, a neighbourhood, 500 kilometres from Caracas.
Charismatic, moving, and curious, has shown from a very young age his wishes to
be a director. "He used to direct an imaginary orchestra with a pencil at
school" a school mate narrates. HIs modest origins were not a challenge,
as his parents completely supported him from the very beginning and the Simón
Bolivar orchestra gave him the chance to be, firt a violinist, and in a couple
of years the director who took the orchestra around the world. His curly hair
appears in giant posters announcing his performances as if he were a rock star,
undoubtly he is changing the way classical concerts used to be.
"el sistema" has two main objectives, on one hand, obviously,
to create marvelous music, on the other hand, to integrate youths to society.
"As a Venezuelan musician, I proposed to make my art an instrument
of authentic social development, an instrument to build citizens, a powerful
vehicle to achieve an integral education for children, compensating in this way
the traditional deficiencies of the continent's education system.” Maestro
Abreu expla. Edgar Monrroy lives in a poor Caracas neighborhood; "In my
neighborhood, lots of things can happen to you. Every day you see crime, drugs.
Music moves you away from that. The program moves you away. It changes your
life, your vision of life." Edgar's vision of life changed when he was 15
and started taking lessons with the orchestra, since then, his objectives in
life are different from what they were before, and he has improved his house
and his neighbourhood, apart from encouraging children to take part in one of
the orchestras. Antonio Mayorca narrates his own experience: "When I
started to study classical music, when people saw me with my violin, it was
like I was a strange person.’Look Antonio with a violin? What is this?'... Now
it isn't strange to see a child here with a violin. It's something natural. I
go to classes here and I see rivers of children with violins." He is
currently one of the main violinists in the SImón Bolivar orchestra. These
testimonies express how prejuice towards humble people in symphonic orchestras
are little by little dissapearing.
This system
avoids competition, every player in the orchestra is equal, and they enjoy
learning. It is difficult to assure these initiatives actually reduce drug addiction,
crime or violence, but many teachers have reported increased levels of
concentration, discipline, motivation and attendance. In addition to what
the participants of the orchestras describe. Success in an orchestra does not
only mean personal achievement, but also the achievement of a group aim.
Therefore musicians in “el sistema” know how to cooperate and how to take
others into account. This group consciousness also bring changes to life, as
selfish attitudes begin to disappear and more gestures of solidarity could be
seen among those youths.
The aim of
"el sistema" has always been to integrate youth to society taking
them away from crime or ilegal actions. This modest aim has widely been
achieved, and not only that, classical music has started to be enjoyed by a
wider audience. Gustavo Dudamel has a singular personality, and the neccesary
charisma to move huge supporters, but it is not only charisma, or a singular
musician what makes this orchestras stay alive, it is a passion. Passion
musicians feel while playing; passion for music, for life, and for self
superation. As integration does not mean to give away things we don't need.
Integration does not mean giving the poor or the less able a place of
missericordy, it means giving everyone the same opportunities in life, and when
a gifted person is gave the chance, no matter where she or he comes from, they
will rock us with that gift.
Sources
Ilden Imogdel Why Dudamel and the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra have a lot to prove in The guardian (2012 June 22)http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/jun/22/dudamel-simon-bolivar-symphony-orchestra (last accessed July 8th)
http://www.fesnojiv.gob.ve/en/el-sistema.html (last accessed July 8th)
http://www.simonbolivarorchestra.com/ (last accessed July 8th)
The youth orchestra of Venezuela playing with "calle 13"
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