Music is entertainment, at least that's what you see on TV. But music has a lot more to offer than nice sounds, a good time and distraction from your everyday business. It has an tremendous power to change and influence life as a whole. It's the soundtrack to lifestyles and attitudes. It can lift you up from the ground and make you invincible. You know the hardcore band H2O? Listen to their latest record "Nothing to Prove" where it says: "No matter how bumped out you are in life, music pulls you right back up and keeps you positive".
But I wanna tell of a movie, a documentary with this spirit: "El Sistema". About 30 years ago , musician, composer and politician José Antonio Abreu established a network of youth orchestras in Venezuela. The movie tells the story of music can help to forget or put aside the circumstances you're in. The network offers children classical music education from childhood on. Furthermore it is free of charge for families who just couldn't bear the cost. It's truly inspiring to see children and teenagers of all ages to tell what the music and their instrument means to them and how eager they're about their lessons. At the peak of the network stands the Simon Bolivar youth orchestra with its conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the highest goal of the ambitious students. Besides the interviews with students and teachers and insight views to the schools and the life of the children, it's the concerts of the orchestra which got me constant goosebumps from their drive and their fun playing music together.
Last words belong to the initiator, Josè Antonio Abreu: "In Venezuela the group of people benefiting from our work extends to some 250,000 young people and children. But that's just the beginning".
Go to selected cinemas, where they show that movie or download it from the internet, but watch it and feel that spirit!
Teasing you:
Before I forget. A little older but still relevant and transporting the spirit is "Rhythm is it!" A documentary about and orchestra and dance project in Berlin. The project brought together children and teenages from all social classes and was headed and conducted by world famous conductor Sir Simon Rattle and choreographer Royston Maldoom performing Stravinsky's "Sacre du Printemps". An inspiring must-see! I'm surely a horrible dancer, but still "You can change your life in a dance class!"
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