Teaching for Life.
Founder of El Sistema, Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu is joined by the three kids – Peter, left, Pegless and Daniella – featured in the documentary film Teaching the Life of Music.
Photo/COURTESY
From its humble roots in Venezuela to its latest incarnation in Toronto, El Sistema has helped hundreds of thousands of children enrich their lives through music.
The organization, founded in 1975 by Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu, helps at-risk children find a positive outlet and uses music to help them develop in various ways.
Now the organization is the subject of a documentary film, Teaching the Life of Music, which was produced by downtown Toronto resident Noemi Weis and directed by Annex resident David New.
The film looks at El Sistema and the impact it has had on children not only in Venezuela but in Canada, the United States and Scotland. It follows the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra on a recent visit to Canada.
Weis, the founder of the documentary film company Filmblanc, first decided to shine the spotlight on El Sistema when Abreu won the Glenn Gould Prize for his contributions to music.
"Once I started to read about (El Sistema), I was fascinated by how they were able to do something with these kids before bad things happened to them," she said. "This is preventative; what filled my heart was that it showed how we could help kids."
While Abreu started his work in Venezuela, the template he used could be transplanted virtually anywhere. El Sistema made inroads into Canada when it started up at Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School in September.
"I wanted to show the impact of a Third World country like Venezuela helping a country like our own," Weis said.
The producer, whose previous films have tackled heady subjects such as violence against women in Let's Talk About It and the lesbian, gay, bi and transgender (LGBT) community around the world in Gloriously Free, pointed out the goal of the program is not to create professional musicians, but rather it aims to give children a way to avoid negative influences and build character.
"This is about creating better human beings," she said.
New got involved with the project once it was already underway. He had volunteered to help out as needed and took on the directorial reins in full once the original director bowed out.
The director was aware of the good work being done by El Sistema and found the subject matter right up his alley.
"The idea of using the arts to help disadvantaged kids is something I've had an interest in for a while and I worked on a couple of films that dealt with that that didn't end up getting made," he said. "Using music to improve the lives of young people was along the lines of things I wanted to do."
New said the film was challenging because there was so much going on when the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra visited Canada. His aim was to showcase the importance of programs like El Sistema - and of music education as a whole - by highlighting the positive impact such organizations have.
"It's kind of an advocacy film for music education in schools," he said. "Music education should be for everyone, not just the ones who can afford private lessons."
Teaching the Life of Music will air on OMNI Television in English at 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22 and in Spanish at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29.