'Joy' is the goal of Sistema music program

'Joy' is the goal of Sistema music program. A group of Grade 1 students do their best to focus on their conductor, David Visentine, the executive and artisitic director of Sistema Toronto, a free music program in Parkdale, which will hold it's premier performance on Dec. 20 at Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School. Staff photo/ERIN HATFIELD

She is new to the instrument, but isn't shy about showing off what she has learned at Sistema Toronto, the city's first program modeled after the highly successful free music education system from Venezuela known internationally as El Sistema.

"(Sistema) is the best place ever because everybody learns lots of things that they didn't learn before," Samhitha said.

She has been playing the violin for less than two months, but can't wait to show off her skills at the group's upcoming Dec. 20 concert, Sistema's premier performance.

"I am so excited for the concert," she said. "Because we get to play our instruments."

Sistema Toronto is about achieving human potential through physical, mental, artistic engagement, discipline and teamwork through the study and performance of music.

"The goal is joy," said David Visentin, executive and artistic director of Sistema Toronto. "It is not to turn out musicians. This is a social program through music. We are building leaders."

Sistema Toronto launched at Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School in September. Toronto businessman and social activist Robert Eisenberg, inspired by El Sistema in Venezuela, started Sistema Toronto with Visentin, a former associate dean of the Glenn Gould School.

The program has a tradition of going into at-risk areas. When Sistema was started in Venezuela 35 years ago, it went into the most violent and impoverished areas of its capital city, Caracas. But with Sistema Toronto, the pair wanted a community that would benefit from the program but also one that could sustain the program.

"We made a different decision here. We wanted a balance of things. We wanted challenges and there are challenges in the Parkdale community, but we also wanted to establish a very strong presence for the years to come."

There are 56 students involved in the Sistema program. The kids are divided in many ways into various groups in classrooms and breakout rooms.

"We work them in a lot of different configurations, everything from individual lessons to small group lessons to ensembles to larger groups and then the full orchestra," Visentin said.

Prior to the start of the program in September, the group held an "instrument petting zoo" where the students were introduced to the instruments and then given an opportunity to decide what they would like to play.

The majority of students play the violin and cello. There are a handful who play the double bass and the viola.

"We are starting this year with just strings and next year we will advance the program to include Grades 5 and 6 (students) and we will invite winds, brass and percussion so we can start building our little orchestra," Visentin said. "We will open the group up to another 50 or 60 students and double the size of the program here in Parkdale."

The intent is to eventually launch the program in other areas across the GTA.

"The plan is quite ambitious over the next four or five years," Visentin said. "If all things fall together and we are able to put the funding together, we will add one more school in another community and then the following year we will double that school and add two schools."

Visentin said they hope to reach 800 to 1,000 students in five years.

There are six faculty members who teach the children and a growing number of volunteer mentors from the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and Victoria College.

Sistema is a not-for-profit organization but the teachers are all paid professionals with money raised through fundraising. Yamaha Canada is a sponsor, Visentin said, explaining it provides heavily subsidized rates for all the instruments used by the program, which were all new.

Toronto District School Board provides the space in the school as well as two teachers each day of the program.

It is a rigorous and intensive program, and Visentin said it is both fun and challenging for the students who, after long school days, work together 10 hours a week for 38 weeks a year.

"It's a program where the enjoyment and the deep reward is going to come from a balance where they go through some hard work," he said.

The upcoming holiday concert is the culmination of their work over the fall, Visentin said.

The concert takes place Dec. 20 at 5 p.m. at Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School at 78 Seaforth Ave. It is a free event for students, parents and the community.

Grade 4 student Shayla Vu said she is anxious to have her family come and see her developing skills as a musician.

Shayla plays the violin, which she choose because she has a sister who plays it as well and she really enjoys it.

"I like it because it has a higher sound than the other instruments," Shayla said.

Music runs in her family. Shayla said her mother used to play the viola and her father played the double bass and her grandparents were conductors.

But she joined the group because her parents couldn't afford to buy Shayla her own violin.

"I went here so I could learn more and I could have a real instrument to play so I could show off my moves," Shayla said.

There will also be a Holiday Benefit Concert to raise funds for Sistema Toronto Wednesday, Dec. 21. Hosted by violinist Dr. Draw and featuring Sistema students and artists Bassmynt, Beetleback, Gadfly dance collective and live art by Jessica Gorlicky and Natasha Kudashkina, the benefit will be held at Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W.