PROJECT MUSIC Featured in International Publication on Music Education and Social Change
We are excited to share that PROJECT MUSIC’s work has been featured as the lead editorial in the latest issue of The Ensemble, an international publication dedicated to connecting and informing all people committed to ensemble music education for youth empowerment and social change. The editorial was written by our outgoing Executive Director Gabrielle Molina, who draws from our organization’s decade of community-building experience.
The Ensemble reaches educators, advocates, and leaders across continents who are working to harness music’s power for positive social impact. Having our approach highlighted in this flagship content positions PROJECT MUSIC’s methodology at the center of international conversations about music and community building.
This recognition reflects the growing influence of our organization’s work beyond our local community. Over the past decade, PROJECT MUSIC has developed innovative approaches to youth development through music that contribute meaningful insights to the broader field. Gabrielle’s editorial acknowledges the significance of the methods we’ve pioneered and refined through years of hands-on practice.
The piece draws extensively from PROJECT MUSIC’s role in producing the El Sistema Residency, the largest grassroots gathering of creative youth development organizations in the United States. Through this work, our organization has developed profound insights about how musical experiences can serve as laboratories for democratic engagement and social connection.
Central to the editorial is our approach to “collective composition,” where young musicians from different backgrounds create original music together. This methodology, which PROJECT MUSIC has refined through years of practice, transforms traditional musical education by making students “co-creators rather than passive recipients” of their learning experience.
The article challenges the global music education community with both philosophical depth and practical wisdom drawn from our experience. It poses the question: “What gathering could you organize with the resources you have right now?” This call to action emerges from PROJECT MUSIC’s own journey from hosting eight students from Baltimore to facilitating gatherings of over 225 young musicians from seven states.
The international platform allows our work to reach organizations worldwide, demonstrating how local innovation can address universal challenges. The editorial offers concrete strategies for programs globally to begin their own community-building work through music, based on methods developed and tested right here in our community.
This recognition comes as PROJECT MUSIC continues to expand its influence within the national and international music education movement. Having our methodologies featured in such a prominent publication validates the approach we’ve taken and the impact we’ve achieved through dedicated community work.
Read the complete editorial featuring PROJECT MUSIC’s work in The Ensemble
