Did anyone see last week's Imagine about the Venezuelan 'Sistema'?

[Bramshott]

I taped this and finally got round to watching it last night. It was fab! The 'Sistema' is a large-scale music project in which children all over Venezuela learn instruments and play in orchestras (in fact they learn BY playing in orchestras) as a means of improving society. They are now starting a project based on it in Scotland called The Big Noise.

After I watched it, I was wondering whether there are other things which could produce a similar effect, or whether music / orchestras are somehow unique in this way? I've worked in music education and had always assumed until watching this that most of the positive effects would also be in evidence if young people were spending time training in another discipline - sport, drama etc. But watching this programme really made me question this, and to wonder whether there is something about the community aspect of playing in an orchestra, when allied with the discipline of learning and instrument, and the creative energy of music which makes it unique as an instrument of change?

Anyone else care to muse with me?!?

Yes I saw it. I particularly love the way that classical music is presented as something which can be truly valuable to society, and not something that we have to be embarrassed or snotty about because we suspect it of being "elitist".

Well there is a body of research which shows that music training boosts the brain so maybe that has something to do with it? That allied to the community thing you talk about can only be a Good Thing!