Our First Day: The Stars are Aligning

After much anticipation, today finally arrived! It was the first day of the Abreu Fellows program.  I was excited and nervous walking through the doors of the New England Conservatory, but imagine how those feelings intensified when the fellows were greeted by a camera crew, led by Jamie Bernstein, the daughter of Leonard Bernstein! I am only beginning to feel the magnitude of this endeavor and am honored to be a part of it. There are so many people at both the national and international levels converging to help the El Sistema initiative spread to countries throughout the world.  Jamie is one of them and hopes to create a documentary of this US initiative by following our training in the first year and then our work in US communities during the second.  Her project is contingent upon funding, but the TED organization has funded her filming for this first week to give her the opportunity to create a short piece to send to prospective sponsors (see photos of Jamie and her crew).

TED also released the profiles of the Ten Inaugural Abreu Fellows on their website today: Meet the 2009/2010 Abreu Fellows.  Through our paired interviews this morning, I was reminded again of how diverse our group is, yet we share a common vision: the right for every child to play music in ensemble.  I am already learning from each and every one of my colleagues.

Was it a coincidence that just last Friday, ABC News made their Person of the Week Gustavo Dudamel, an El Sistema graduate and international sensation who now serves as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic?  I tend to think not, for after watching this clip, you'll understand why El Sistema is in the hearts and minds of so many people.  The stars are aligning.

Prodigy Honored 'Person of the Week'