Playing for Their Lives

July 1, 2016
In this follow-up to Tunstall's Changing Lives (2011), which examined the growth of El Sistema in Venezuela, the authors look at the expansion of this artistic-social project around the world.Activists and artists Tunstall and Booth traveled to 25 countries interviewing directors, teachers, students, and parents involved in more than 100 El Sistema-inspired musical and educational programs to understand how the project's principles are working in diverse environments "from Kabul to Rio, from Bethlehem to Soweto, from Manila to Manhattan." Acknowledging that research is not yet available to provide sufficient hard data about the program's value, the authors give their own assessment of El Sistema's impact, looking at its challenges and struggles as well as its successes. From its beginnings some 40 years ago in Venezuela, it reached out to children of poverty; in Europe today, it reaches out to children damaged by ethnic segregation and prejudice. The organization's goal is to create not just musicians, but responsible citizens, and to that end, El Sistema tries to provide children of all skill levels with a musical community where they develop self-discipline, confidence, and cooperative skills. The book contains three main parts: the first is an explanation of what El Sistema is, how it started, and how it has spread; the second is a close look at each of its six core principles; the third is an overview of how it operates in different cultures, the various ways it is funded, and the networking that links its far-flung programs. Profiles and personal stories abound, and material that did not fit into the narrative flow appears throughout in boxed inserts, which is occasionally somewhat unwieldy. Appendices provide specific information on how one can become involved and lend the movement support. A wide-ranging, highly positive assessment of the El Sistema movement, serving as both inspiration and manual for would-be social activists.

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Starred review from June 1, 2016

In 1971, a popular song turned into an advertising bonanza for Coca Cola. "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing" carried a message of hope and love to generations. Four years later, El Sistema was founded in Venezuela by conductor and activist Jose Antonio Abreu as a music education program designed to engage disadvantaged children and instill in them a sense of belonging. Adopting the motto Social Action for Music, El Sistema now counts some 400 music centers and over 700,000 youth musicians in about 70 countries worldwide. There are more than 100 programs in the United States and nearly 70 in Italy. Volunteer educators and various artists are also involved. Coauthors Tunstall (Changing Lives) and Booth (The Music Teaching Artist's Bible) detail the experiences of the program through interviews, success stories, and vignettes. The text is lively and focuses on the international scope of El Sistema, introducing extraordinary musicians and other contributors. VERDICT A remarkable narrative with broad appeal to everyone from sociologists to general readers, this is one of the best recent books promoting social change.--Boyd Childress, formerly with Auburn Univ. Libs., AL

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