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The Thomas Edison of Music Education and Composition, Jon Deak: Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Eleven, Finis
Click here for Part Ten Why am I so intent upon the definitive performance? It should be clear by now that the whole point of the Very Young Composers is to take these works as seriously as we take Beethoven, Mahler, Bartók. Without question, I know that all who have been involved during these last…
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The Thomas Edison of Music Education and Composition, Jon Deak: Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Nine
Click here for Part Eight We enter the children’s world: Michelle Hernández: The youngest composer, at age eight, has written for her original “dream’ assignment” a story so touching and symbolic of the whole, that we have her read it to the audience: Cuento Sobre la Música tells of the magic power of music to…
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The Thomas Edison of Music Education and Composition: Jon Deak: Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Eight
Click here for Part Seven Caracas, 17 de Abril As we gather the huge mound of music paper bequeathed to us by these children, I feel that we have been gifted with a beyond-precious trove of artistic diamonds, and that we have on our hands a task of near-impossible dimensions. The mood of celebration lasts…
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Guest Arts Education Blogger, Jon Deak: Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Six
Click here for Part Five Caracas, 13 de Abril, 2010 Having been so blown away by the rehearsal of the Simón Bolívar orchestra the previous Friday (see Part Three), and totally involved with planning these Young Composer classes, one might excuse me if attending the concert of the Mahler 7th Symphony this Tuesday evening would…
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Guest Arts Education Blogger, Jon Deak: Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Three
Click here for Part Two Caracas, April 9-10, 2010 The excitement builds. Also the nerves. Have you ever noticed how, when you travel to a completely new environment, all emotions are magnified? The joys are expansive, the fears are bottomless, each event rings clear, vibrates with color. I feel I should go to bed wearing…
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Guest Blogger, Jon Deak, Creating Music with El Sistema, Part Two
Click here for Part One Caracas, April 8, 2010 We’re here! It seems impossible to describe all the events and feelings of just the first twenty-four hours of our trip to Venezuela, to experience and interact with El Sistema. I’ve been so long in awe of this program which is revolutionizing this country and the…