Family Notes: May 31, 2013

What is El Sistema? When asked this question directly, its founder Jose Antonio Abreu called it "Un ser que todavía no es" (a being which has not yet become). Three years into our own program, we are only beginning to understand the meaning of this cryptic paradox.

From the start, we have understood the essential elements of free, intensive, ensemble-based education, developing not only musicians but responsible citizens. This alone does not fully distinguish it from a host of like-minded music programs. As we collaborate with and learn from educators in other El Sistema programs around the world, we see a common spirit emerge. It is an energy and passion that cannot be fully expressed in words; it must be experienced through music.

This week we have been honored to host a contingent of guests from the Venezuelan El Sistema network. Many of them are teachers and administrators who have been involved with the movement since its inception. They have seen many programs around the world and had both encouragement and new ideas to share. Most of all, they shared themselves. Each of them shines with the warmth, the enthusiasm, and the hope that are the essence of El Sistema.

It is said that 90% of what we teach is who we are. Music is the perfect vehicle for sharing that essence. What is El Sistema? It is this.

Warmly,

Ms. Lam

Diana Lam

Venezuelan Visitors for First "Muestra"

It has been an historic week of international exchange within the El Sistema community, as El Sistema founder Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu visited Boston to receive an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Harvard University accompanied by an enteurage of master teachers and administrators. This has been the first opportunity for high-level Venezuelan El Sistema leaders to experience the burgeoning El Sistema movement in Boston, and it has been an exciting opportunity for Conservatory Lab to forge new relationships and learn from world-class experts!

On Tuesday students performed in the school's very first

Muestra, a Venezuelan form of showcase concert in which guests progress through the building observing performances in each classroom, starting with the youngest students and ending with the most advanced. A host of celebrated Venezuelan El Sistema officials, including Bolivia Bottome, Director of Institutional Development and International Relations; Eduardo Mendez, Executive Director of FundaMusical; and seven master teachers from the country's premier nucleos experienced a whirlwind tour of five-minute performances by the K2 Rockstars, Abreu Orchestra, Bernstein Strings, Combined Percussion Ensemble, Bernstein Winds, and full Dudamel Orchestra. The guests, who have toured only a few El Sistema programs in the United States, were impressed with the musicianship and passion of students and teachers, saying they could feel "the spirit of El Sistema" within the school.

On Thursday, Harvard Law School conferred an honorary Doctor of Music Degree upon Maestro Antonio Abreu for his visionary leadership of the El Sistema movement.

Throughout the week, master teachers Tarcisio Barreto, Francisco Diaz, Engels Gomez, Ricardo Perez, Jesus Sira, Solangel Yustiz, and Roberto Zambrano have visited El Sistema programs throughout Boston, sharing wisdom and inspiration with students and teachers. On Saturday, Maestro Zombrano will conduct a combined orchestra of students from all eight programs at the First Annual Greater Boston El Sistema Festival at the Benjamin Franklin Institute. The week has been a major step forward for the El Sistema movement in Boston and an inspiring learning opportunity for the teachers and students at Conservatory Lab.

Third Grade Tests the Water

On Tuesday, 3rd graders tested the water quality of the Charles River at Brighton's Herter Park. Led by hydrogeologist Matthew Greenberg of CH2M Hill, an employee-owned engineering and environmental firm, students worked in crews to test the water's temperature, turbidity (water clarity), percentage of dissolved oxygen, and PH level. They learned that even though the Charles may look dirty, it is clean and healthy enough to support plant and animal life. The project is part of the World Water Monitoring Challenge that engages citizens in monitoring their local water bodies.

World Premiere of the Queen and the Conjurer

On Friday, May 24th, the Dudamel Orchestra alongside the Boston Landmarks Orchestra put on a masterful performance at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester. The concert began with a bang as the Dudamel Orchestra, conducted by Adrian Anantawan, performed music from the Lord of the Rings. Six students from the Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing composed ASL poetry to accompany the piece and performed on stage alongside the musicians. Following the Lord of the Rings piece, the Dudamel orchestra next played the finale from Brahms' Symphony No. 1.

The third piece of the concert was the main act, the world premiere of The Queen and the Conjurer by Grammy nominated composer Michael Gandolfi. The piece was specifically commissioned by the Landmarks Orchestra for double orchestra, and was played using the combined members of the Landmarks and Dudamel Orchestras and conducted by Christopher Wilkins. The piece was accompanied by a slideshow narrating the fairy-tale story behind the music of The Queen and the Conjurer. Following the performance, the students of the Conservatory Lab Charter School presented Gandolfi with his very own wizard hat and robe. They had decided he was related to Gandolfi the wizard and decided to outfit him accordingly.

For the finale of the concert, the Boston Landmarks Orchestra performed The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten, with narrators from the Pope John Paul II Catholic Academy.

All told the concert was a great success, with over 1,000 students from schools in the Boston area in attendance. The next performance of The Queen and the Conjurer will be on July 24th at the Hatch Shell on the Boston Esplanade and likely there will be an even larger audience in attendance!

Uniform Fittings and other Important Dates

The Allen's Uniforms representative will be at the school on June 14 and August 16 to do fittings. This should help families make their uniform orders for next year.

In addition, please note the following dates:

WE ARE in school full days on June 6th and 7th
We ARE in school on Bunker Hill Day, June 17th.
June 20th is Field Day- it is a full day.
The last day of school is June 21st. It is a half day.
The first day of school for all students next year is Sept. 4th.
The Winter Break next year is December 23rd- January 3rd (school starts back on the 6th).

RSVP for the Boston Mayoral Forum June 5th

Mayoral Forum

This fall, Boston residents will elect a new mayor, whose actions and priorities will shape our schools and impact our children's future. Join parents and other concerned citizens from across Boston to hear directly from the candidates about the issues that matter to you. Join Head of School Diana Lam and make your voice heard by the next Mayor of Boston!

If you plan to attend, you must register here.

DATE: Wednesday, June 5, 2013

TIME: Doors open at 6pm. Forum begins promptly at 7:00-8:30 p.m.

LOCATION: Edward Brooke Charter School 190 Cummins Hwy., Roslindale, MA 02131

Second Graders At the Mike

On Wednesday, 2nd graders travelled in small groups to Dirty Water Sound, a recording studio in Charlestown to record their non-fiction narratives about snakes. These will provide the spoken audio of their final product, an ebook about snakes. These recordings are the culmination of a detailed process that began with the writing of these non-fiction "stories" or narratives about the snakes they have been researching. The students then developed criteria for quality spoken performances and created a rubric including voice, expression, articulation and pacing. They practiced their narratives many times, recording them with iPads so they could listen and self-critique, and with their classmates for peer critique. Once each student writer was behind the microphone, he or she was able to read with clarity and drama. The students were fascinated by the sound-proofing and equipment in the studio and showed great patience and perseverance as they did multiple takes in order to achieve the best recording possible of their narrative. We look forward to the final product!

Vote for Mr. Schroeder!

Brass at ProArte

Resident Artist Chris Schroeder is a finalist for the 2013 Best Of Us National Teaching Award through the Johnsonville Company. Help him win the grand prize by voting once a day!