Changing lives : Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema, and the transformative power of music

Prelude : Gustavo and me -- Bienvenido Gustavo! : Hollywood's unlikely new star -- "Mambo!" : a first glimpse of El Sistema -- To play and to struggle : the evolution of El Sistema -- Dancing with cellos : the Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela -- An idea worth spreading -- "Being, not yet being" : El Sistema in action -- Faces of El Sistema USA -- Gracias Gustavo : healing communities in Los Angeles -- Coda : Loving needy children well. When 28-year-old Gustavo Dudamel ascended the podium at the Hollywood Bowl for his inaugural concert as conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he immediately captivated the hearts of his audience and the minds of critics. Here, the young maestro?s story becomes the entry point to an equally captivating subject: El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education program that took Dudamel from child violinist to conductor extraordinaire. The story of El Sistema begins with a remarkable visionary: Venezuelan musician and economist Jos·Œ Antonio Abreu, who understood that music can transform the lives of children in poverty. Beginning with eleven music students in an abandoned garage, Abreu created a nationwide miracle, putting instruments into the hands of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged children and bringing hope and meaning to countless young people, families, and communities throughout his country. Combining firsthand interviews with compelling stories, Tricia Tunstall illuminates the development of El Sistema?s unique model. As she describes the recent explosion of El Sistema-inspired programs around the world, it becomes apparent that this is not just a program, it?s a movement. El Sistema is an effective model for social and educational reform in the United States and beyond . No matter where it takes root, the goal of El Sistema is unwavering: to rescue children from the depredations of poverty through music.--From publisher description When 28-year-old Gustavo Dudamel ascended the podium at the Hollywood Bowl for his inaugural concert as conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he immediately captivated the hearts of his audience and the minds of critics. Here, the young maestro's story becomes the entry point to an equally captivating subject: El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education program that took Dudamel from child violinist to conductor extraordinaire. The story of El Sistema begins with a remarkable visionary: Venezuelan musician and economist José Antonio Abreu, who understood that music can transform the lives of children in poverty. Beginning with eleven music students in an abandoned garage, Abreu created a nationwide miracle, putting instruments into the hands of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged children and bringing hope and meaning to countless young people, families, and communities throughout his country. Combining firsthand interviews with compelling stories, Tricia Tunstall illuminates the development of El Sistema's unique model. As she describes the recent explosion of El Sistema-inspired programs around the world, it becomes apparent that this is not just a program, it's a movement. El Sistema is an effective model for social and educational reform in the United States and beyond . No matter where it takes root, the goal of El Sistema is unwavering: to rescue children from the depredations of poverty through music.--From publisher description "When 28-year-old Gustavo Dudamel ascended the podium at the Hollywood Bowl for his inaugural concert as conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he immediately captivated the hearts of his audience and the minds of critics. Here, the young maestro's story becomes the entry point to an equally captivating subject: El Sistema, the Venezuelan music education program that took Dudamel from child violinist to conductor extraordinaire. The story of El Sistema begins with a remarkable visionary: Venezuelan musician and economist José Antonio Abreu, who understood that music can transform the lives of children in poverty. Beginning with eleven music students in an abandoned garage, Abreu created a nationwide miracle, putting instruments into the hands of hundreds of thousands of underprivileged children and bringing hope and meaning to countless young people, families, and communities throughout his country. Combining firsthand interviews with compelling stories, Tricia Tunstall illuminates the development of El Sistema's unique model. As she describes the recent explosion of El Sistema-inspired programs around the world, it becomes apparent that this is not just a program, it's a movement. El Sistema is an effective model for social and educational reform in the United States and beyond . No matter where it takes root, the goal of El Sistema is unwavering: to rescue children from the depredations of poverty through music.--Description de l'éditeur When Gustavo Dudamel, at the age of twenty-eight, ascended the podium at the Hollywood Bowl for his inaugural concert as conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, he immediately captivated the hearts of his audience, just as he had the minds of music critics who designated him a modern-day Leonard Bernstein. In Changing Lives , the maestro's story becomes the entry point to an equally captivating subject: El Sistema, the music education program that nurtured his musical talent, first as a young violinist and then as a budding conductor under the mentorship of its founder, Jos Antonio Abreu. What began in Venezuela has now reached children in Los Angeles, New York City, Baltimore, and cities around the world. No matter the location, the overarching goal of El Sistema is unwavering: to rescue children from the depredations of poverty through music. Part history, part reportage, this book reveals that arts education can indeed effect positive social change. "Reminds us of how arts education can change lives." —Gary Stager, Huffington Post In this "vivid story" ( Economist ), Tricia Tunstall "chronicles the origins and growth of Venezuela's acclaimed El Sistema national music education program" (Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times ) and illustrates its overarching goal: to rescue children from the depredations of poverty through music. What began in Venezuela has extended to Los Angeles, New York City, and Baltimore, illustrating that El Sistema is not just a program, it's a movement. Combining firsthand interviews with compelling stories, Changing Lives reveals that arts education can indeed effect positive social change in the United States and around the world. Reveals The Effect That Education Can Have On Positive Social Change By Examining The Life Of A Conductor Of The Los Angeles Philharmonic And The Unique Program That Nurtured His Talent Back Home In Venezuela And Its Current Availability In The U.s. 15,000 First Printing.