Quarter Notes

The Youth Orchestra of Northern

Alberta (YONA-Sistema) is a new

initiative by the Edmonton Symphony

Orchestra, in partnership with the

Edmonton Catholic School District

and Inner City Children’s Program.

In the five months since we began

the program with 20 students at

Mother Teresa Elementary School,

we’ve already witnessed, first-hand,

the incredible effects of this program.

We are excited to share our stories

with you on a quarterly basis through

this newsletter.

Here you’ll find stories of YONA

children and families, features about

specific aspects of the YONA-Sistema

program, and news about upcoming

events. We are continuously

receiving fantastic feedback from

our students, their parents, and their

teachers, and we look forward to

sharing their insights on the program

and its impact with you.

In this edition of Quarter Notes, you’ll

learn about El Sistema, the program

Welcome to the YONA-Sistema Quarterly Newsletter!

which inspired ours. You’ll meet Lily,

one of our superstar students, and

you’ll hear from a volunteer about

the unique contribution she makes

to the program.

If you’d like to check in on our YONA

community on a more frequent

basis, visit our website at www.yona-

sistema.com where you’ll find blog

posts written by a variety of

individuals involved with the

program, student profiles, and lots of

photos and videos!

Now that we’re halfway through our

first year, our YONA family is looking

to the future. With plans to expand

to 40 students at Mother Teresa

School next year, and to reach more

schools and students beyond that,

we’re excited to see what is around

the corner. We’re happy to have

you along for the ride!

Thanks for reading, and all the best!

- Mr. Lucas, Ms. Alyssa, and the YONA Team

“YONA-Sistema

has brought us

closer together.”

- YONA Parent

Nayomi and her Mom at our

very first Paper Violin

Graduation Ceremony,

November 2013

YONA Students on their first day of class

Vision To kindle long-term positive change in Edmonton’s marginalized populations and communities by engaging the region’s under-served youth in music education. Values

• Inclusivity • Community • Ensemble • Peer mentorship • Intensive instruction

Quarter Notes ● Issue 1 ● March 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Melody pauses for a break during

recreation time in the school’s

gymnasium. Melody is an older

student who entered the program

with some knowledge of violin.

Peer mentorship is an integral

aspect of the Sistema philosophy.

All about YONA-Sistema

What is Sistema?

Yun and Zoe share a proud moment after playing a duet together. The students performed their first

solo recital at the beginning of February 2014.

The Sistema portion of YONA-Sistema stems from

Venezuela’s El Sistema program, established almost 40

years ago to impact the lives of youth through free music

education. This program began with 11 students in a

parking garage, and has since grown into a nation-wide

program serving over 500,000 children annually.

The philosophy and principles of this program have

inspired similar programs in over 25 countries around the

world. Over 40 núcleos (program locations) exist in the

United States, and approximately 13 are currently running

in Canada. YONA-Sistema is part of this unofficial network

of El Sistema-inspired programs, and we communicate

regularly with those at other núcleos to learn and to share.

One feature of the El Sistema model is that each núcleo,

though based upon the basic philosophy of the original

program, differs according to the needs of the community

in which it is based. This flexibility allows for El Sistema-

based programs to be truly responsive to the unique

communities they serve.

For more information, check out the book Changing Lives

by Tricia Tunstall or the documentary Tochar y Luchar.

Quarter Notes ● Issue 1 ● March 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com

YONA-Sistema began in

September 2014. Twenty children

at Mother Teresa School receive

free, group-based, community-

focused music education for three

hours every day after school. With

this program, we aim to kindle

long-term positive change in

Edmonton’s under-served youth

through offering them holistic

support and education.

Such support is provided through

offering not only musical instruction,

but other program components as

well. Every day, students check in

and receive a nutritious snack. They

then gather together to participate

in “community-building”– a time in

which the students get to know

each other better and build a

sense of belonging in the group.

The students then participate in

group violin and musicianship

instruction, which includes singing,

movement, and the use of a

variety of percussive instruments in

addition to their violins. Each day

includes a 20-minute play break,

during which the students

participate in active games, either

in the gym or outside in the fresh

air. Each day ends with 30 minutes

of “academic time,” when

students do homework or read

with support from YONA-Sistema

staff and volunteers. We often

welcome various local experts into

the classroom, including ESO

musicians, to introduce the

students to new instruments and

ideas. Each aspect of the program

plays an important role in building

our students’ confidence, joy, and

love for music and for each other.

We’ve already begun to witness

the impact this program can

make. Our students’ parents and

teachers have reported that the

children have gained confidence,

social skills, and pride in themselves

and in what they can achieve. We

are excited to continue growing,

with plans to increase to 40

students next year, and to expand

our “orchestra” of violins to include

violin, viola, cello, and bass.

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

The entire YONA family is always excited to see what

activities Ms. Sandi will suggest next! Be sure to check the

blog at www.yona-sistema.com to keep up with the

students’ progress.

On her latest birthday, Lily

received a gift from her aunt that

the seven year-old carries with

her often: a teal-coloured point-

and-shoot camera, housed in a

rainbow case that Lily proudly

shares she “decorated herself”.

Lily finds joy in taking photos of

her classmates in the YONA

program, and had her camera in

hand during the kids’ first solo

recital at the beginning of

February.

She had some wonderful things

to share when we sat down to

talk about her interest in

photography, and her favourite

things about the YONA program.

A full video of the interview can

be viewed on the blog at

www.yona-sistema.com/lily.

What do you like to take pictures

of the most?

Violins and my family.

Do you have a favourite picture

that you’ve taken? My favourite picture is a picture

of my brother posing. He looked

funny when he was doing that!

Then, he took a picture of me,

too…and tried to guess what

face I was making.

What do you like about YONA? That I get to play an instrument I

never knew before.

Do you have a favourite YONA

memory?

When I first got my real violin, I

thought I was going to get a

black case. But, I got a red case!

Student Focus: Meet Lily!

Learning through Expressive Arts

“We are stunned with how much Lily has learned, how thrilled she is with the program, and how eager she is to practice. It’s lovely to have her

making music at home.” – Lily’s grandmother

Each week, our YONA students get a unique

experience when Sandi Campbell volunteers with

the program. Along with her regular volunteer

duties (preparing snacks, assisting students who

need extra help, etc.), she leads the students

through arts-based activities designed to allow for

imagination and free expression in a variety of

mediums.

“I love to see the kids drawing with both hands,

with their eyes closed, blending the pastels with

their fingers –getting their whole bodies involved!”

shares Ms. Sandi. “My hope is that, through this

work, the children will have an increased

freedom to imagine and create”.

The students are currently working on a large-

scale collaborative project, using oil pastels to

respond to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. They have

learned to play Ode to Joy on their violins, and

this project allows them to explore the rest of the

symphony in a creative way. The project will

culminate with the symphony’s finale, when the

students will respond to the music through

movement and further interact by creating a

large-scale group visual art project. These

interpretations will be based around the theme

of “Joy”.

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Quarter Notes ● Issue 1 ● March 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com

YONA Team

Lucas Waldin

YONA Artistic Director

Alyssa Paterson

YONA Manager

Amanda Alstad

YONA Site Coordinator

Deborah Chang

Lauren Dykstra

Alison Stewart

YONA Teaching Artists

Photos by Carmyn Joy Effa

Upcoming Events

Year-End Concert

The YONA-Sistema year-

end concert will take

place in June!

We hope you can join us!

Watch for your invitation

soon.

Sejutee’s imaginative interpretation of “Violin Land,” created

during one of Ms. Sandi’s expressive art sessions.

Quarter Notes ● Issue 1 ● March 2014 ● www.yona-sistema.com

Thank you to our supporters! You are truly instruments for change in our children’s lives.

Partners

Rotary

Edmonton Catholic School District

Inner City Children’s Program

Edmonton Public School Board

Seed Funders

J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

REACH Edmonton

Edmonton Community Foundation

glasswaters foundation

R.J. Nelson Family Foundation

Corporate Supporters

Avison Young

Eastman Strings

Bella Music

Long and McQuade

If you would like to learn more about how you can support this transformational social action program,

please visit www.yona-sistema.com.

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

YONA’s Winspear Centre Debut!

On March 20, our YONA students made their debut on-

stage at the Winspear Centre! As part of the Edmonton

Symphony Orchestra’s OPUS fundraising event, all 20 of

our students performed some of their favourite songs for

over 170 people. This was a big deal, as it was the first

time our students got to play for a large group of

strangers.

As part of their performance, the YONA students also

had the special treat of performing with Eileen Ivers, an

internationally-renowed fiddler. They played “Boil ‘em

Cabbage”, a fiddle tune, and ended their

performance with “Ode to Joy”. They received a

standing ovation, and exited the stage rightfully

beaming with pride.

The event was very successful, raising over $32,000 for

the YONA-Sistema program. Thank you to all of you

who have supported the program thus far. You have

made a huge difference in the lives of our students and

of their families!

Miss Lauren shares a hug with Silver and Rakibe