OCU offers music education and orchestra experience to 220 Oklahoma City public school students at no cost to the children or families.
El Sistema Oklahoma is an after school program that supplies instruments, lessons, transportation and mentorship to children between grades four and eight. The Bass School of Music partners with St. Luke’s United Methodist Church to provide teaching services to the students. Classes take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday at Trinity Baptist Church, 1329 NW 23rd st. Music instructors and students of OCU help with the program by teaching and administering students.
“It’s an amazing program that is doing a lot of good work not only for the students but for the teachers as well,” said Katie Wonderly, El Sistema teaching assistant and vocal music education senior.
The program in Oklahoma City began in 2013 teaching only elementary-aged students. It has continued to teach these students and gained new ones into their middle school years. El Sistema is in its third year and plans to develop a program that teaches students through high school.
Participation has increased from 172 students last year, and it now has about 30 employees. There is an application process for people interested in volunteering to assist in monitoring students.
“It’s a phenomenal program that helps reach inner city kids along with the fact that they get a reward that they don’t really realize until after graduation which is to be able to play an instrument,” said David Hall, El Sistema volunteer and instrumental music education/sociology sophomore.
There are three student orchestras: Nueva, Alegria, and Esperanza. All new students begin in Nueva and progress into the more experienced orchestras over time.
A combination of Orquesta Alegria and Esperanza performed at the Oklahoma City Jazz Music Festival on Sept. 26. Nueva Orquesta will perform at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the Bass School of Music.
Students spend an hour in a classroom learning about music and an hour playing their instruments.
Music pieces of varying genres are learned and performed. Orchestras have played classical, pop, and blues music including songs by Pharrell Williams and Katy Perry.
Wonderly said she enjoys offering a broad experience to the children.
“It’s been cool to see the kids get that exposure to a wide variety of music and they love doing it,” she said. “They love “Happy” just as much as they love the classical music that they’ve played.”
OCU composition students have been involved by writing music for the students to learn and play. This year, El Sistema students have written their own compositions to be performed at one of their concerts. Matthew Denman instructor of guitar at OCU and Solveig Hendryx OCU graduate instruct the students during the creative music time they are given.
For more information or a full calendar of events, visit their website.
Leave a Reply