Education Greece Project #43725

Transforming children's lives through music

by Friends of El Sistema Greece

Transforming children's lives through music

Project Report | Jun 10, 2022
Our true stories #8

By Fenia Biniari | Communications Manager

Dear Globalgivers,

Music has shaped cultures and societies around the world and has the power to alter someone’s mood, change perceptions, and inspire progress. During all these years we have met a lot of children coming from traumatic experiences and struggling to find inspiration to open their wings towards a better future, but thanks to the transforming power of music and the sense of belonging into a -music and not only- community they manage to bloom and develop both on an artistic and personal level. Today we want to share with you the story of our orchestra member Padou, but before that we decided to begin with his own words that give us power and inspiration.

“I spent three years in this country seeking asylum, and I am struggling with depression, thinking about my future leaving and my home country, the Democratic Republic of Congo - DRC, while I was still in high school learning construction and music. I would like to thank IOM organization for helping me join this music group El Sistema Greece, hoping they will protect me and guide me to have a bright future as they become my new family. All I can say is thanks for everything.”

Those are some words by our talented young musician Padou who recently joined our big music family and this is the greatest reward that helps us continue working hard and even more vigorously. Padou is a young musician from the Democratic Republic of Congo, he plays trumpet and he is a proud member of the El SIstema Greece Youth Orchestra since October 2021. We met him the past few months when he started attending our clarinet classes at Fondation Kaloy Conservatory in Corinth as he is currently staying in Corinth accommodation center (where IOM operates). From the first few days he shared with us a few videos of him playing trumpet back in his country and we were impressed by his talent. We immediately invited him to join the ESGYO as we realized that he would be a great addition to the team in such a challenging period with many concerts and musical activities planned for the next months, but this would also work as a great motivation for him.

At the end of October Padou started attending our weekly orchestra rehearsals and gradually meeting with all the other members and making new friends who share the same values and a common love for music with him. At the same time, we planned a clarinet workshop originally designed for him by members of the Venezuelan Brass Ensemble in the context of their residency program in Athens because apart from their knowledge and experience in music they are also a great and empowering role model for our musicians. In these few months Padou had his first live performance experience with us in our big Christmas concert at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center which he really enjoyed and after that another two followed. Our live performance at UNICEF’s 75 years celebration with the singer and songwriter George Perris and our big Christmas concert at Serafio City of Athens with the participation of more than 100 musicians from El Sistema Greece.

We are very proud to have Padou in our team who always reminds us of our mission, to inspire children through music and provide them with a platform for dialogue and togetherness. We are incredibly happy to witness children and young people blooming and moving forward.

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Feb 18, 2022
Our true stories #7

By Fenia Biniari | Communications Manager

Dear GlobalGivers,

At El Sistema Greece we use music as a medium to achieve long term social change for both the children involved, and their families. Our main priority and goal is to inspire children through music and provide them with a safe space for dialogue, understanding and creativity, and your aid is vital to our success. Children deserve to have everything they need to build their own personalities and future, and our very own way to support them is to provide them free high quality music education in group classes that encourage them to build a sense of belonging.

Today we want to share with you the story of our 12-year old super talented Helma. Helma is from Iran but has been living in Greece with her family for the last one year and she joined our choir class in September 2021. She really enjoys her music studies at El Sistema Greece and she never misses her classes while usually comes earlier waiting with great anticipation for the lesson to start. This Christmas, Helma had her first musical performance with El Sistema Greece as she participated in our big concert in which more than 100 young musicians of El Sistema Greece joined their forces for the first time. A few days ago, Helma spoke to us about her experience in this live concert which she enjoyed a lot because she felt like a movie star, as she said, and about her dreams of becoming a famous singer one day. Apart from that she has also made new friends and has built a small community within the community of El Sistema Greece.

This is a very special story, but it isn't the only one. The greatest reward for us is to see the children blossoming and opening their wings to build a better future. This is what makes us try even harder everyday and we are thrilled to have you along for the ride!

With great appreciation,

Friends of El Sistema Greece!

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Oct 26, 2021
Our true stories #6

By Fenia Biniari | Communications Manager

Dear Globalgivers,

The team of El Sistema Greece, greatly appreciates your commitment and your support. Our mission is to inspire children through music and your support plays a key role in achieving our goals, especially through the period of the global pandemic. Today, after COVID-19 shut down every physical activity and live music events around the world that made us find alternative ways of communication with our musicians and means to stay creative, we are finally back to our classes and on stage!

In July and after a six-month lockdown that kept us away from any physical music activity we came back on stage in the most spectacular way, as we managed to deliver World A Music, a big concert in the framework of Athens Greek Festival, with the participation of our students who performed along with some popular Greek musicians in the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. In September 2021, our main headquarters where our classes take place, re-opened their doors for our young musicians who are very excited to be back and meet their teachers and friends. Old and new students as well as their parents are thrilled to have returned to the classes and the whole ESG team is so happy to see everyone’s smiling eyes (since our masks are still on!) when they are given back their instruments. During this month we also had the chance to get back on stage with a big music performance at the Greek National Opera which was a great beginning for the new music season and also filled us with excitement for the next one.

At the same time, in order to secure everyone’s safety, the administration team and our teachers had to take a series of measures against COVID-19, according to the official instructions from the Government. We must now balance the educational and social needs of our students with their health and safety in the midst of the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from keeping safe distances, we have to provide them with masks, antiseptics, special equipment such as plexi-glass shield stands and bell covers for our brasses, and put in place procedures we would have never thought relevant to the practice of music, like temperature and COVID certificates checking before each class and professional disinfection in each orchestra rehearsal.

Still, online music education was even more challenging both for us and our students and we are relieved to be back in the classrooms, despite the new reality that we have to adapt to. We all missed the human interaction which is such an important part of the education process, especially when the social integration of the musicians is a key target. So no matter the challenges ahead, we are back, with big plans for the new artistic season and we are very optimistic that with hard work, a little luck and your invaluable support, this will be a super exciting year full of unforgettable music moments.

With our warmest wishes for each one of you and enormous appreciation,
Friends of El Sistema Greece team

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