Theory in Practice Report

Overview

Sistema Kingston is an after-school music program facilitated by members of Queen’s University Community Music and Queen’s Faculty of Education students. They work in partnership with the Limestone District School Board and the Joe Chithalen Memorial Musical Instrument Lending Library to bring group music instruction to students in Kingston, Ontario (Sistema Kingston, 2023). The program follows the five principles of Venezuelan El Sistema: social change, ensembles, frequency, accessibility, and connectivity (Sistema Kingston, 2023). The initiative was founded in 2015 (Sistema Kingston, 2023).

Connecting Theories

Sistema Kingston aligns with the experiential education and project-based learning pedagogies. Students are learning hands-on, practical skills through group instruction. “Experiential education means learning from experience or learning by doing” (Schwartz, 2013). Another characteristic of experiential learning is that “students are managing their own learning, rather than being told what to do and when to do it" (Schwartz, 2013). Though Sistema Kingston has instructors that lead the main lesson, students are responsible for practicing at home during the week which reinforces what they have learned. They are utilizing collaborative skills to help their peers and learn how their instrument functions. This allows students to make personal reflections and connections to their community.

The next pedagogical approach that Sistema Kingston features is project-based learning. As Hutchison (2015) describes, PBL “empowers learners to collaborate in teams, mentored by their teachers, as they research real-world questions and pose questions to real-world problems.” Students are encouraged to ask and explore their questions through learning. They utilize inquiry-based learning styles and critical thinking skills throughout this program. Students are learning the value of responsibility, daily practicing, and collaboration, all while working collectively towards a common goal. Through PBL, students are discovering creative methods of learning and problem-solving.

Important Skills

Sistema Kingston offers important skills that may not develop as well in a traditional classroom setting. Their main teaching method is through group instruction or ensemble work. Student musicians are working towards a common goal and will undergo the rehearsal process. Students will learn their own music and collaborate with their peers to fit these parts together. Within El Sistema, students learn to take on leadership within smaller groups by peer tutoring. This reinforces their learning because they are explaining and communicating their understanding to another learner. The community program builds connectivity through students, their teachers, faculty at Queen’s University, and at regional and national levels. Through this network, students can work with community members they may not normally collaborate with in a regular classroom setting. Some of the repertoire that is selected is written by local musicians and composers. This allows for the composer to come in and personally workshop with students and the musical director. In addition, students are visiting the Queen’s University campus for lessons and attending The Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre for performances. They are physically and fully immersed in their community spaces, learning from one another.

Challenges and Barriers

While Sistema Kingston tries to eliminate as many challenges and barriers as possible, there are still some worth noting. The first challenge is that many students are used to the structured, traditional classroom methods and may find the change too contrasting from their regular learning experiences. As a result, they may feel discouraged to attend the program because they are not used to experiential learning or project-based learning methods and prefer a more structural approach. With scaffolding methods and the right tools from the instructor, I believe this can be worked on, but it will take perseverance and dedication from the student to be successful.

Another barrier to learning is that Sistema Kingston is primarily a strings-based program. One of the head coordinators is a violinist and former director of Queen’s Community Music, which would account for the plethora of connections to local musicians and knowledge of the strings instrument family. Since 2015, the program has expanded to include some vocal and percussion groups but there are still other instrument types that are not offered including piano, guitar, and wind ensemble instruments. While I am sure these are factors Sistema Kingston has considered, and the preventions likely come down to funding and organization, it would be more inclusive to have lessons for more instrument types. Joe’s M.I.L.L. offers nearly all instrument types for lending purposes, though they are also a non-for-profit organization that may not have sufficient instruments to support a large group of students and the Kingston community.

Sistema Kingston works tirelessly to ensure that this remains a free and inclusive program to all students, however the reality of music programming is that it is a very expensive initiative to upkeep. Through the program, students learn the importance of caring for their instrument, but I am curious to know the consequences if a student damages their instrument and parts are constantly having to be repaired. How do the organizers ensure that all instrument gear is properly cared for?

Connections to the Classroom

There are certain elements of Sistema Kingston that I would like to incorporate into my own classroom and professional context. I appreciate the idea of community partnerships and composers working together to provide students with the opportunity to learn music. When I used to work at The Isabel Bader Performing Arts Centre, I felt more connected to the community as we would always have local musicians performing. This is also how I found out about the Sistema Kingston program. Kingston has a geographical advantage where the university is located near several elementary and high schools. Many of the community members are already in connection with one another. In a bigger city like Toronto where I am now situated, this is more challenging to organize. Majority of the community connections that I know of are on the global scale, and we would not be able to meet on a weekly basis like students at Sistema Kingston do. I wonder if the program could be adapted to offer an online option for students outside of the district. This way, location does not have to be a barrier, and students are still meeting with community partners and participating in extra-curricular learning.

Offering a program like Sistema Kingston at my school could be adapted to an after-school club that gives students the opportunity to learn music even if they are not enrolled in a music class. We currently have a guitar club and I see many new students who are not in my daily classes signing up to be a part of it. Students enjoy working in smaller groups and then teaching what they have learned to their peers. They appreciate the sense of community, responsibility, and working towards a common goal. Our program has been a bit dull the past few years due to the pandemic, so to see a lot of interest for Music is promising. However, applying for grants and sponsorships within a public-school board poses many challenges. To build an initiative like Sistema Kingston would require time, helping hands, and enough interest to garner the attention and resources it deserves.

References

Hutchison, D. (2015). Project-based learning: Drawing on best practices in project. What Works? Research into Practice, p. 1-4

Schwartz, M. (2013). Best practices in experiential learning. Learning & Teaching Office, Ryerson University, p. 1-20.

Sistema Kingston. Faculty of Education. (2023). https://educ.queensu.ca/community/sistema-kingston

Kingston, November 2020