Playing classic instruments requires commitment and perseverance. Unfortunately, it usually also requires money to invest in private lessons 카지노 게임 컬렉션� which creates an economic barrier for many children and their families as well as a socioeconomic gap. Closing this gap is one of the goals of , an intensive music education program housed at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s .

This year, 35 students (grades 2 to 6) attended the program four afternoons a week. Their 2.5-hour schedule starts with snacks and yoga exercises, moving onto two different music lessons that focus on: violin, cello, or viola; choir; improvising and composing; and string ensemble. Such a routine aims to build not only musical capacities, but also collaborative skills, creative thinking, and self-esteem.

Latin American inspiration

Sistema Kingston began in 2015, as an initiative of Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s Community Music, and is funded through . It was inspired by El Sistema, a Venezuelan program created in the 1970s to 카지노 게임 컬렉션�reverse the cycle of poverty for at-risk children through committed participation in music learning which emphasizes teamwork, discipline, and striving for excellence.카지노 게임 컬렉션� It proposes music as a powerful tool for social change 카지노 게임 컬렉션� a mindset that has now spread across the globe, with programs in over 60 countries.

While following some of the core values of the original program, Sistema Kingston has been adapted to the city카지노 게임 컬렉션�s specific context, and is focused on choir, rhythm, and string instruments. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Everyone has an internal sense of rhythm; everyone has a voice 카지노 게임 컬렉션� those are great team-builders and equalizers,카지노 게임 컬렉션� says , program director in the Faculty of Education at Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s.

Evaluation as a tool of refinement

As Sistema Kingston카지노 게임 컬렉션�s fifth anniversary approaches, the program welcomes some evaluation to guide the years to come. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�It is important for the program to be able to reflect upon past and current practices, and receive input that guides further growth,카지노 게임 컬렉션� says Tomm. Enter two professors from Queen카지노 게임 컬렉션�s Faculty of Education: , a music educator and composer, and , whose expertise is at-risk learners.

As an enthusiast of music education, Dr. Bolden, who holds the , has been researching how artistic learning environments can nurture creativity. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Engaging children with music gives them another way to experience and connect with the world. It can open doors of opportunity and possibility. It can make their lives richer,카지노 게임 컬렉션� he says.

Dr. Butler's agenda focuses on equity, diversity, and inclusion in education, with special attention to race, gender, immigration status, and other social and economical matters and their impact on education. She highlights the importance of looking carefully at groups of at-risk children, since they are heterogeneous 카지노 게임 컬렉션� kids might be facing hunger, or sexual abuse, or incarcerated, deported, or absent parents, for example.

Having herself benefited from an informal, low-cost, music education program, Dr. Butler also believes in the transformative power of music. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�There카지노 게임 컬렉션�s something about the arts that allows you to experience the world in another ways, and also to express yourself,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says.

Together, Drs. Bolden and Butler designed an empirical study to examine students카지노 게임 컬렉션� and their families카지노 게임 컬렉션� perceptions of their experiences with Sistema Kingston. They are following the program for two years to understand more about its the impacts, focusing on social and emotional development, identity, and inclusion.

While there are dozens of El Sistema-inspired programs around the world, most of them lack detailed and objective assessment of their impact on children and families. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�If we just assume that they are wonderful, we might be missing the opportunity to make them even better,카지노 게임 컬렉션� explains Dr. Bolden.

Participants in the Sistema Kingston program learn to properly hold and take care of instruments made of papier-mâché before graduating to wood instruments during the 카지노 게임 컬렉션�From Paper to Wood카지노 게임 컬렉션� ceremony.

A look at the future

Partial results suggest parents appreciate the program and have been observing its benefits. For instance, guardians reported that children behaved better at home since becoming part of Sistema Kingston. As one parent offered in a 2019 survey response: 카지노 게임 컬렉션�It teaches a lot more than music and to play an instrument.카지노 게임 컬렉션�

Drs. Bolden and Butler are already involved in professional development workshops for the Sistema Kingston instructors, where they provide training and advice regarding challenging tasks, like teaching music in large groups and supporting vulnerable children. The researchers also expect to work closely with the music teachers to interpret the results of their project and to build recommendations for the program.

In the future, the goal is to take Sistema Kingston to other schools, broadening the access to music education in the city. This expansion will benefit greatly from the research project, to be concluded in late in 2021.

Transitioning during COVID-19

Like most projects going on at the university (and, well, around the world), Sistema Kingston had to adapt to social distancing recommendations. In their last day of classes, some of the students were able to take string instruments home to practice, but in-person lessons could not continue.

As the social distancing period extended itself, the Sistema Kingston team started searching for an adequate online platform to continue the project. Teachers developed online classes and play-along videos. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�[My son] has been benefiting from the Sistema [Kingston] online lessons to help ease the monotony of everyday life at home now카지노 게임 컬렉션� his cello lessons allow him to express himself artistically, and to keep up those skills that have helped him grow in more ways than one,카지노 게임 컬렉션� said a parent about the new study routine.

Unfortunately, Tomm explains that not all students are able to participate. 카지노 게임 컬렉션�Access to technology and internet service are other barriers that our students face,카지노 게임 컬렉션� she says.

However, Sistema Kingston has had noteworthy success in breaking down barriers. The team is continuing in its mission to bring music education, and the associated benefits, to underserved children in Kingston and researchers at the Faculty of Education will continue to follow the group카지노 게임 컬렉션�s progress and see if it can be scaled.