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El Sistema USA Resource Hub
Welcome to the Resource Hub! This is a database of ESUSA webinars, templates, and more. Please also check out our Data Resource Library.
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- CEO Forum
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- Educational Resources and Teaching Materials
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- Organizational Growth & Engagement
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- Program Director Forum
- Research & Evidence-based Practice
- Resources
- Student Resource
- Teaching Artist Forum
Navigating the Financial Aid & Appeals Process
Get the inside scoop from renowned faculty member Peter Slowik and accomplished admissions professional Fred Peterbark on the financial aid…
Financial Planning for Low Income Students w/ Ellen Segarra of Manhattan School of Music
Do you want to minimize debt and increase scholarship and financial aid resources? This webinar offers strategies to help music…
Program Director and Manager Forum: Supporting Teaching Artists
Join us for an insightful session on effectively supporting teaching artists. Despite our best efforts, teaching artists often don't receive…
Program Director & Manager Forum: Best Practices for Supporting Beginning Students and their Families
Join us for a dynamic session focused on supporting new students and fostering their success. Connect with fellow administrators, exchange…
CEO Forum: Wisdom, Work, and Wealth
Join us for a dynamic session led by Peter Compo, a DuPont veteran and strategic advisor to El Sistema USA…
Optimizing Your Application & Audition
This session will help you refine the non-musical aspects of your college application and audition. Hear tips to optimize your…
Collegiate Access for Young Musicians: Virtual College Fair
In this extended session, Equity Arc and ESUSA invited representatives from over 20 colleges and conservatories from across the country…
Collegiate Access for Young Musicians: Finding the Best Fit
In this brief session, Zach Schwartz explores how to find a music school that is the “best fit” for you…
Teaching Artist Forum: Lesson Planning and Procedure Setting with Cultural Humility
Join us for a dynamic virtual workshop, facilitated by TATI and featuring guest presenter Jasmine Fripp, a Grammy-nominated music educator…
Program Director Forum: Defining Success for Your Program and for Yourself
Start the school year with renewed purpose and join us for an enriching discussion on the concept of success. Network…
CEO Forum: Compensation Structure
Join us for a conversation as Jessica Zweig, Executive Director of Play On Philly shares insights from a nationwide conversation…
ESUSA 2024 Symposium: Fearless, No-Ask Fundraising: Insider Secrets to Take You From Scarcity to Surplus
In this dynamic session, seasoned CEO and fundraising expert Anna Klimala draws on her extensive experience to unveil the insider…
ESUSA 2024 Symposium: Navigating Impact: Insights from National Foundation Funders
How do national foundation funders decide the best ways to create impact? What current trends in music education are national…
ESUSA 2024 Symposium: Empowering Communities: Innovations in Research Methodologies for Lasting Impact
This session will explore the crucial role of community voice in data collection in order to inform programming and effectively…
ESUSA 2024 Symposium: What Inspired Us? El Sistema’s Evolution within the U.S
This session will discuss how we define "El Sistema-Inspired" today in the US and our connection with the larger field…
Score & Parts for Rocketship Flex and Lightspeed by Kevin Day
El Sistema USA is thrilled to partner with Kevin Day to provide two of his pieces, Rocketship and Lightspeed, at…
Teaching Artist Forum: Redefining Measures of Success
Explore the intricate questions surrounding success in music education: Who defines it for students, and how does it manifest in…
Navigating “Managing Up” El Sistema USA Program Director Forum 2024
In this final session for the Program Director Forum this season, we will delve into the nuanced skill of “managing…
ESUSA Teaching Artist Forum: Navigating Culturally Responsive Repertoire in Music Classrooms
Delve into the nuanced world of selecting and integrating culturally responsive repertoire into your El Sistema-inspired learning space. Understand the…
ESUSA Program Manager/Program Director Forum: Empowering Teaching Artists – Strategies for Success
This presentation aims to explore effective ways of supporting, coaching, and developing teaching artists, with a focus on enhancing engagement,…
Backwards Design Lesson Planning – Slides from November 2023 Teaching Artist Forum
View the slides from the November 2023 Teaching Artist Forum on Backwards Design Lesson Planning. Prepared by Anna Barson, Managing…
Program Design: The Critical Piece That Impacts Everything We Do – Slides from November 2023 Program Director/Manager Round Table Forum
View the slides from the November 2023 Program Director/Manager Forum on Program Design: The Critical Piece That Impacts Everything We…
Latin & Hispanic Heritage Month Slides from September 2023 TA Forum
View the slides from the September 2023 Teaching Artist Forum on Latin & Hispanic Heritage Month, presented by Felipe Morales-Torres…
What We Will Be Score
What We Will Be" by Danielle Williams: Winner of the 2015 Boston El Sistema composition competition and 2021 ESUSA Symposium…
Child Abuse Prevention Forum
Child sexual abuse is an issue that can affect any organization that works with children. El Sistema programs can be…
Partner Discount Webinar with Things 4 Strings & Conn Selmer
ESUSA was joined by partners, Things 4 Strings and Conn Selmer to hear about the exclusive benefits you can receive as an…
Instructions to Access Things 4 Strings Benefits
Things 4 Strings line of durable and award-winning accessories was created by teachers for teachers: Bow Hold Buddies and Hold…
Hear My Song Score: Composed by Dom Jones
This piece was composed by Dom Jones as part of El Sistema USA and The Canales Project's Hear Her Song…
Someday Score: Composed by Faye Chiao
This piece was composed by Faye Chiao as part of El Sistema USA and The Canales Project's Hear Her Song…
PB&J Score: Composed by Faye Chiao
This piece was composed by Faye Chiao as part of El Sistema USA and The Canales Project's Hear Her Song…
Without Doubt Score: Composed by Madeline Myers
This piece was composed by Madeline Myers as part of El Sistema USA and The Canales Project's Hear Her Song…
You and I: Composed by Morley
This piece was composed by Morley Shanti Kamen as part of El Sistema USA and The Canales Project's Hear Her…
Creating Inclusive Music Classrooms and Ensembles
Facilitated by Vivian Gonzalez, this session will include best practices for inclusion using Universal Design and appropriate behavior strategies. Playing…
2020-2021 Research Report
El Sistema USA partners annually with Duke University's Bass Connections Team to conduct research to support the field. Included is…
Les Contes des Fees, 1767 Score
This arrangement was created from Piece #2 in Music by Black Composers Violin Volume 1 of the Rachel Barton Pine…
Just So in the North, 1767 Score
This arrangement was based upon Music by Black Composers Violin Volume 1 #7 of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation. Thank…
Le View Garcon, 1767 Score
This arrangement was based upon Music by Black Composers Violin Volume 1 #3 of the Rachel Barton Pine Foundation. Thank…
The Puerto Rican Woman, 1896 Score
This arrangement was made from Piece #6 in Music by Black Composers Violin Volume 1 of the Rachel Barton Pine…
Sustainability and Long-Term Financial Stability Part I: Administration
"Join us as we share our own fundraising practices to date and explore the possibilities of community-centric fundraising in the…
Anti-Racist and Equity-Centered Resources
This resource was a collaborative effort and will continue to be expanded. We are thankful to the following contributors who…
Music Enrichment Programs Improve the Neural Encoding of Speech in At-Risk Children
Written by: Nina Kraus, Jessica Slater, Elaine C. Thompson, Jane Hornickel, Dana L. Strait, Trent Nicol, and Travis White-Schwoch
Music Education as a Path to Positive Youth Development: An El Sistema-Inspired Program
Written by: Michelle Marie Hospital, Staci Leon Morris, Eric F. Wagner, Eva Wales
The Arts and Achievement in At-Risk Youth: Findings from Four Longitudinal Studies
Written by: James S. Catterall, University of California Los Angeles, with Susan A. Dumais, Louisiana State University, and Gillian Hampden-Thompson,…
Building Strengths, Buffering Risk: Evaluating the Effects of El Sistema-Inspired Music Programs in the United States
Written by: Drs. Steven J. Holochwost, Dennie Palmer Wolf, and Judith Hill Bose, Principal Investigators
El Sistema and Sistema-Inspired Programmes: A Literature Review of research, evaluation, and critical debates
Written by: Andrea Creech, Patricia Gonzalez-Moreno, Lisa Lorenzino, Grace Waitman, with Laurea Bates, Ariel Swan, Ruben de Jesus Carillo Mendez,…
The Effects of Musical Training on Child Development: a Randomized Trial of El Sistema in Venezuela
Written by: Xiomara Alemán, Suzanne Duryea, Nancy G. Guerra, Patrick J. McEwan, Rodrigo Muñoz, Marco Stampini, Ariel A. Williamson
Mission Driven Music Teaching: A Toolkit
We will be introducing a collection of practical tools for individuals and organizations invested in youth development through music. We…
ESUSA Annual Meeting and Census Presentation
Please join us for the annual open meeting of the Board of Directors of El Sistema USA. We'll review our…
Social Curriculum: Beyond Social Growth
This workshop will explore how to create engaging, effective, and creative teaching activities integrating musical and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Sistema…
Enhancing student and family engagement through meaningful programming: Reimagining the future of Tocando
The Tocando Music After-school Program located on the U.S.-Mexico Border serves two distinct underresourced communities, one urban the other rural…
ESUSA Virtual Working Groups – Third Friday Forum – “Then.Now.Next.”
We'll be holding breakout sessions to look at how the changes we've made from "THEN" to "NOW" are affecting our…
El Sistema USA’s Equity Centered Pedagogy Working Group Recording & Notes
Members of El Sistema USA met in late February to review the Framework El Sistema USA's Equity Centered Pedagogy Working…
Instructions to Access Noteflight Benefits
El Sistema USA is excited to announce that we have partnered with Noteflight to provide a Noteflight Learn site for…
Webinar: Myka Miller on Development Worksheet & Questionnaire
Please slso see Myka Miller's Webinar in our Video Library.
Student Registration Letter Template
This is a sample Student Registration Letter and can be modified to suit your organization's needs.
Nucleo Business Plan Template
This ESUSA Continuing Education reference document is a Nucleo Business Plan Template which you may modify to suit your organization's…
Member Seal Files
THE “PROUD MEMBER OF EL SISTEMA USA” SEAL Terms of Use: The ESUSA Member Seal designates your program as part…
Teaching Artist Job Description Template
This Teaching Artist Job Description Template can be modified to meet your program's specific needs.
Instrument Take-Home Contract Template
This Template provided by El Sistema USA Continuing Education can be modified to suit your organization's needs.
A Guide to Starting Your Own El Sistema Program
First, we hope that you reach out to us for guidance if you are considering starting your own El Sistema-inspired…
“The Power of Sistema Alliances” Tricia Tunstall, Melina Garcia
This presentation explored the benefits, challenges, and collective impact of forming alliances between El Sistema USA programs and other programs…
“Student-Led Learning and Initiatives” Hermes Camacho
"The Collective Impact of Longy's Side by Side Program" with Karen Zorn, President of Longy School of Music, Jorge Soto,…
“Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth” Helen Eaton
This presentation was led by Helen Eaton, CEO of Settlement Music School. The Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) began…
“Holistic Youth Development Through Music” Sara Zanussi
"Holistic Youth Development Through Music" with Sara Zanussi, Founder and Executive Programming Director of ComMUSICation. Drawing examples from a choral…
“Evaluating an El Sistema Program” Anna Pietraszko, Michelle Hospital, Eva Wales
"Evaluating and Measuring the Impact of an El Sistema-inspired Program: Strategies and Findings from a University-Community Partnership" with Eva Wales,…
“Bucket Band Basics” Brian Prechtl, Dan Trahey
Bucket Band Basics, with Brian Prechtl, Teaching Artist at Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids and Dan Trahey, Artistic Director of Baltimore…
Equity Centered Pedagogy – Process of Change
Process of Change: An assets-based approach to structure and pedagogy in El Sistema-inspired programs. With special guests: Shaun Samuels and…
Third Friday Forums – Back to School
In returning to school/programming, what went well and what didn't? What are your expectations for the transition from Fall to…
Open Meeting: ESUSA Public School Partnerships Working Group
Welcome to El Sistema USA at YOLA National at Home! Many El Sistema-inspired organizations have an interest in partnering with…
“Beginning to End: Creating a Curriculum and Getting Value from Evaluations” Rey Ramirez, David Dirlam
This presentation was led by Rey Ramirez, Program Director of Soundscapes and David Dirlam, Assessment Specialist, Soundscapes. Many El Sistema…
“Equity in El Sistema Programs and the Success of Our Young Musicians” Adam Eccleston
"Equity in El Sistema Programs and the Success of our Young Musicians" with Adam Eccleston, Program Director of Bravo Youth…
“Findings from the NEA funded study ‘Elements of Organizational Success in El Sistema inspired Programs’” Menna Mburi
The Duke University Bass Team, comprised of students, faculty, and staff from both El Sistema USA and the Duke University…
Instructions to Access Conn Selmer Benefits
El Sistema USA and Conn-Selmer, Inc have renewed their partnership, continuing a relationship that launched in 2019. At the core…
“Using Improvisation in Your Classroom”
“Between your students and the world: Creating Community Engagement that Sustains” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National…
“Straight From The Source: Watch Venezuelan Teaching Excellence in Action”
“Straight From The Source: Watch Venezuelan Teaching Excellence in Action” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National Symposium…
“Socio-Cultural Awareness and Culturally Responsive Teaching”
“Socio-Cultural Awareness and Culturally Responsive Teaching” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National Symposium was led by Monique…
“Social Curriculum Development: Transitioning from Organic to Planned Outcomes”
“Social Curriculum Development: Transitioning from Organic to Planned Outcomes” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National Symposium was…
“Marketing Your Heart Out”
“Marketing Your Heart Out: Materials that make a difference” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National Symposium was…
“Social Change from Within: Learning Human Values Through Music”
“Social Change from Within: Learning Human Values Through Music” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National Symposium was…
“Developing Arranging Skills to Foster Creativity”
“Developing Arranging Skills to Foster Creativity” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National Symposium was led by Garrett…
“Between your students and the world: Creating Community Engagement that Sustains”
“Between your students and the world: Creating Community Engagement that Sustains” This presentation from the 2019 El Sistema USA National…
PRESTO Presentation “El Sistema 101”
“Join the PRESTO programs as they share valuable information about El Sistema from the field. From 2018-2021 El Sistema USA…
Webinar: Sarah Bader on Building Positive Classrooms – March 2017
Access to the webinar recording and the presenter's presentation material. Password: 2NZZt-3-
Webinar: Mike Angell on Grant Writing Tips for El Sistema Programs – April 2018
Access to the webinar recording and the presenter's presentation material. Password: hChe3@5r
Instructions to Access Arrangements of “Hear Our Song” from The Canales Project
El Sistema USA is thrilled to partner with The Canales Project to provide El Sistema USA Member Organizations arrangements of…
Webinar: Emily Smith on Collective Composition Part 3 – July 2018
Access to the webinar recording and the presenter's materials.
Webinar: Elizabeth Moulthrop & Pamela Palumbo on The Benevon Model – September 2017
Sadly, the recording of this webinar was corrupted, however access to the presenters' presentation materials is still available.
Webinar: Dan Trahey on Collective Composition – May 2018
Access to the webinar recording and the presenter's presentation material.
Webinar: Camille Delaney-McNeil on Collective Composition Part 2 – June 2018
Access to the webinar recording and the presenter's presentation material.
Webinar: Sunshine Deffner on The Instrument Kit – March 2018
Access to the webinar recording and the presenter's presentation material.
The Duke SSRI / ESUSA 2017 Census Report
This 46-page report, titled "Elements of Organizational Success: Understanding Differences in Structure and Values in El Sistema USA Programs," represents…
“Student Panel and Performances”
The 2018 National Symposium closed with a session featuring a student led panel discussion and performances by Project Harmony Student…
“Opening Remarks and Keynote Presentation”
The opening presentation of the 2018 National Symposium at Duke University featured Katie Wyatt, Executive Director of El Sistema USA,…