Sistema Kingston will be celebrating its one-year anniversary with a public performance on May 4 at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.

Sistema Kingston is a four-day a week,  after-school outreach initiative of Queen’s Community Music in partnership with the Limestone District School Board and The Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library (Joe’s M.I.L.L.) which serves north Kingston youth in Grades 2-4 focusing on positive social change through the pursuit of musical excellence.

“It has been an amazing journey,” says Karma Tomm, Director, Queen’s Community Music and Sistema Kingston. “Through free, group-centered music instruction, Sistema Kingston reaches children who don’t have access to extracurricular opportunities, much less music lessons. In all of its activities, Sistema Kingston emphasizes inclusivity, teamwork, builds confidence and fosters creativity for deserving youth.”

Modeled on the Venezuelan El Sistema program, Sistema Kingston aspires to bring social change to inspire children to reach their full potential as students, musicians and citizens. Other Sistema-inspired programs in Canada (Ottawa Orkidstra, Sistema Toronto, Sistema New Brunswick) demonstrate that the participatory music learning develops confidence, respect, discipline and other positive life skills.

Sistema Kingston embraces the five principles of Venezuelan El Sistema: social change, ensemble instruction, frequency, accessibility and connectivity. First Avenue Public School of the Limestone District School Board was the first to introduce the after-school program to 20 students from Grades 2-4 in October 2015.

“Several families tell me regularly that their children say to them at home, ‘I want to go to school because I have Sistema today,’ says Jan Le Clair, the school’s principal. “Research tells us that increased positive student and family engagement in school boosts student achievement. The Sistema Kingston program affords additional opportunities for building positive home and school relationships, translating to increased school success – both academic and non-academic – for students. I am so thrilled for my students and their families. It’s been an incredible eight months.”

The program is facilitated by four professional musicians on site. The primary focus is string instruments (violins, violas and cellos) and students also participate in singing and rhythm/percussion activities. The instruments are provided by Joe’s M.I.L.L., a lending library for instruments, through a designated instrument bank created specifically for Sistema Kingston. Students receive daily nutritious snacks, and have had inspiring guest visits from numerous professional musicians throughout the year.

In fall 2016, Sistema Kingston will move with the students of First Avenue Public School to the new Molly Brant Elementary where current students can continue the program and 20 new students will have an opportunity to join. Sistema Kingston received founding support from The Learning Partnership, and additional first-year support from the Community Foundation for Kingston and Area and many other local business and private donors. 

The public is welcome to attend the Sistema Kingston Year End Celebration Concert on Wednesday, May 4, at 4:30 pm, at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts. This event, made possible with support from the Ballytobin Foundation, is also a fundraiser for the upcoming 2016-17 year of Sistema Kingston which will expand the number of students it serves. Admission is by donation, tax receipts will be available.  RSVP by April 27 to coordinator@sistemakingston.ca or 613-929-2594.

For more information about Sistema Kingston visit queensu.ca/qcm/sistema-kingston or sistemakingston.ca.