Austin Soundwaves Orchestra
East Austin College Prep is fortunate to have been chosen by the Hispanic Alliance for the Performing Arts to pilot their Austin Soundwaves Program. The program is based on the world renowned intensive youth music education program known as El Sistema, which emphasizes training in orchestral music for children.
Created nearly three decades ago in Venezuela as a way to bring classical music training to underprivileged children, El Sistema is now an internationally recognized and codified system. El Sistema's best-known graduate is renowned conductor Gustavo Dudamel , music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The El Sistema program is demanding. Music classes are scheduled as a part of the school's regular curriculum, not as an after-school program. Classes are held four days a week, along with a Saturday rehearsal. Each student also receives a weekly private lesson.
Hispanic participation in the arts has lagged behind other populations. A 2008 study by the National Endowment for the Arts found that only 36 percent of the adult Hispanic population attends arts events, compared with 55 percent of the Anglo adult population. For classical music, the numbers are even smaller, the study found: Only 3.8 percent of the adult Hispanic population attended a classical music event, compared with 11.3 percent of the Anglo adult population. “This collaboration was an important first step for the Soundwaves program because our organizations share common values and we both strive to provide underserved communities with opportunities they never had before”, stated Patrick Slevin, Austin Soundwaves Director. “Hispanic communities have been historically underserved in the fine arts. Through Austin Soundwaves, East Austin College Prep now has an intensive music program taught by world class musicians in the orchestral arts”.
The first “wave” began in October, with 40 EACP students studying violin, viola, cello and percussion. These students are being taught by six world class musicians with professional training from institutes like the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Julliard, and the New England Conservatory. A second cohort will be added in early 2012, bringing the total number of students involved in this program to 90.
To learn more, visit www.austinsoundwaves.org
