Tone comes out of friction organized in time, and Samuel can show you that with a sheet of paper and a metronome. He runs a condensed version of Sam Fundamentals and the Paper Orchestra: arm geometry, pulse regulation, and elasticity drills that build real technique before a single instrument is in the room. If you are starting a program, rebuilding one, or waiting on an instrument order, you will leave with low-cost tools you can use next week.

Join us to learn how the 2027-2028 cohort works. Five El Sistema USA member programs each pair a program leader with high school Youth Ambassadors, and they learn together through a six-day residency in Vermont (May 25 to 30, 2027) and a year of coaching and implementation.

The Nuts & Bolts Leadership Cohort is a five-session virtual program focused on the practical work of running a nonprofit organization. This session will cover Supporting & Supervising Staff: hiring, supervising, and keeping the people you have.

Youth leadership usually shows up as a one-off opportunity rather than something an organization is built to hold. CHIME at ESYO has been building intentional organizational structure to support youth leadership for the last several years. Zoë walks through the structure they built, what they learned putting it in place, and what it asked of the adults. If you lead a program and are weighing whether your organization could carry real pathways for young people, this is the hour to find out what it takes. CHIME at ESYO, Zoë, and two Youth Ambassadors are part of the Youth Leadership Institute inaugural cohort.