Participating in a Professional Online Community: Sistema Global- Friends of El Sistema Worldwide
One of my final projects for this class was to actively participate in an online community that would support my professional practice. I chose to participate in the LinkedIn page, Sistema Global- Friends of El Sistema Worldwide as my professional online community because it had been one that I had been apart of for years but never explored or contributed to. As a potential up-and-coming leader in the El Sistema community, I strongly felt that it was time for me introduce myself to the community and become acquainted with its 2,226 members. Throughout this process, I have learned how passionate so many of my El Sistema colleagues are for providing free, quality music education to children around the globe. I have worked with El Sistema programs in Chicago, Peru, and Alaska and still have much to learn about El Sistema at a global level- this was the perfect way to learn more.
I began my online community exploration by reading the most recent posts by the community members and checking out the overall structure of the page. I was immediately drawn by the About This Group section, which read: “Our goal is to connect, encourage, and inspire teachers, leaders, students, families and communities of Sistema inspired programs worldwide”. I then checked out the posts. These posts ranged from articles about Sistema or music education as a whole, to questions that incited discussions about marketing and administrative organization tools. I slowly became familiar with some of the leading members of the group, as I noticed there were a few key people who continuously posted on the site. I could also see that this is the group to go to if I wanted any updates about the international El Sistema community.
After continuing to read the posts for another week, I decided to go ahead and introduce myself to the community. It took me a long time to think about how I wanted to present myself and about what purpose I wanted my post to serve. I introduced myself as one of the newest MAT teachers working with the JAMM (Juneau, Alaska Music Matters) El Sistema-inspired program, and after explaining my amount of experience with various El Sistema programs, I asked some questions about people’s perspectives on how El Sistema could or should cater to the communities it serves. It was tough for me to articulate my exact question; I just felt like I wanted some input on whether other El Sistema teachers have also noticed the difference in the way each nucleo is run and how the teacher-student relationships are different, depending on the culture with which the teachers are working. It was a sensitive, provocative topic that I felt would be the perfect “hook” to get people interested in a young, new member. And it worked! I got a handful of interesting replies and greatly enjoyed interacting with each person.
As I continued to engage in discussions with people about my questions, I kept reading the other posts on the page. Not long after my post, the director of Sistema Global introduced a new public relations professional who advises for Sistema Global. The kind words he had to say about her were very warm and welcoming. I felt that same sentiment when people replied to my introduction post.
Only days later, I noticed that the director had posted a new article, entitled “Steamed about STEM- Part 1”. He introduced the article by asking this question: "STEAMED about STEM? Jonathan Govias is too..." The author of this article took a strong stand against the exclusion of the creative arts in education today, arguing that since the 1800’s, the United States government has ensured that education is geared toward training children for jobs that will benefit the country, politically and economically. It was a fascinating and entertaining read.
A few weeks later, another Sistema Global community member posted an article of an interview with Gustavo Dudamel, one of the few “poster children” for El Sistema, who is now the conductor of the LA Philharmonic. His interview addressed his lack of public opinion about the political turmoil surrounding his (and El Sistema’s) home country, Venezuela. It was a very fascinating read that gave me a glimpse into a well-loved Sistema representative; after reading that interview and a few others, I can see why Dudamel is so well-revered. I commented on the article post in the group with one of my favorite quotes of Dudamel’s from that interview: "My music is my voice, and my orchestras play for all people of the world who seek a better future. I raise my baton for opportunity, unity and hope. Listen carefully and perhaps you will hear it too,” and then I simply said, “Incredible!”. Others must have agreed because a couple people liked my comment.
Within days of that post, another Sistema Global community member posted a fascinating essay written by a woman who was part of the 2014 Sistema Fellows class with the New England Conservatory; the essay was entitled, “Developing Identity Through Creativity”. Her essay was a wonderfully-written argument for the incorporation of improvisation in music education. Through experiences she had at a Creative Development Teacher Training Workshop, she came to learn how improv. allows people to make their own creative choices in a safe environment in which “there is no such thing as a mistake”.
Her final paragraph really struck me: “I read somewhere once that you can never quite understand or embody an idea until you find the right metaphor for it; if this is true, then the social implications of young children improvising are profound. Throughout this musical process, they are making their own choices, finding their own voice, and building the agency to share it with others. Just as it takes years to become proficient in an instrument, creativity development is a journey as well. We form our identity through experimentation and discovery; we create boundaries, learn how to navigate them, and subsequently realize that we have the power to break them”.
This read was so helpful to me because it directly applies to the jazz unit plan I will be doing with my fourth graders in a couple of months. I want my students to access their own creativity through storytelling and help them embrace their identities through improvisation in my unit. I commented on the post and said that, adding, “This was a great resource to read, as it put into words why improvisation and musical creativity are so important”.
I also noticed that last year, my mentor teacher, Lorrie, posted information about my current program! Posts such as these could lead to a significant change in my career path, so being apart of this community will continue to be extremely useful as I continue teaching with El Sistema-inspired programs.
I am very happy that I chose Sistema Global as my online community. I learned a lot about the broader El Sistema community, I was exposed to fascinating reads, and I have interacted with wonderful people. I am excited to continue my exploration of this community for many years to come.