by Genevieve Leitner
How much passion do we pour into our daily lives as students at an arts school? How much of that passion is directed toward making an impact on the daily lives of others? In his presentation titled "Success in Music, Success in Life", Jens Lindemann said that passion is what "propels your life in the arts and your career." His focus was not only on making a living as an artist, but on making an impact. "How passionate you are about what you do determines the kind of impact you make," said Mr. Lindemann. As an example of passion's impact, he screened the documentary "Tocar y Luchar" (To Play and To Fight), which showcases the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System and it's impact on the children of rural Venezuela.
El Sistema, as it is referred to in Venezuela, touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of young and usually underprivileged children. Many of these children become virtuosos and have begun to fill not only orchestras in Venezuela, but in other countries as well. The documentary shows as examples Edicson Ruiz, the Berlin Philharmonic's youngest musician, and the world-renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
José Antonio Abreu founded El Sistema in 1975 as a way to improve the lives of poor children in Venezuela. Abreu speaks of this system as "a powerful vehicle to achieve an integral education for children." His project grew from two orchestras to a system of orchestras in each state and has educated almost half a million children in music.
"Integral" is a key word. What Abreu realizes is that teaching children music improves their quality of life, whether or not they choose to pursue music as their main career. One of the girls interviewed in the documentary speaks about how she simply loves to dedicate her time to her instrument and that in doing so "one forgets about vices." The camera then follows her as she strolls through colorful, narrow alleys playing her viola. Another child proudly brings the cameraman into his room that he shares with his brother and his beloved cello. The young boy tells how he has to sleep next to his cello, or he can't sleep at all. These children grow up with a love for music and an appreciation for art that enriches their lives.
Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, and others interviewed for the documentary repeatedly emphasize the high quality of these orchestras. Sir Simon Rattle, the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, states that, "There is no more important work being done in music than what is being done in Venezuela."
The documentary emphasizes the joyful spirit that captures the children. It shows children playing music together as if it were a game, fun and natural. Far from cold competition, the orchestras give the children community, or as Dudamel says, "it's like we are a family." And this family began with the dream of one passionate person.
After the documentary, the speakers answered questions as to how to initiate similar projects and how to get funding for them. Mr. Lindemann said to "start by asking questions· the people you ask for advice will invest in you and will help you find the money." Judith Saxton referenced the Kenan Institute as well as the library as a resources for finding funding ideas. Yet Mr. Lindemann made one thing was clear: "It only happens if you believe %100 in the project." He mentioned three crucial factors: work, focused drive, and passion.
As we develop our talents as students at an arts school, this is the kind of passion that should guide us, the passion that can change lives.
