The El Sistema edition

We are pleased to hear that the Music and Arts in Action (MAiA) journal will dedicate a special edition to the theme of El Sistema, entitled El Sistema, Youth Orchestras and Ensembles as socio-artistic Intervention: exploring Contradiction, Ambivalence and Complexity.

In the edition, MAiA wishes to challenge its readers and contributors to develop an in-depth approach to the complexity of what happens in youth orchestra projects (El Sistema, Sistema-inspired or others) as well as in smaller musical ensembles.

Call for contributions

In order to ensure that it is able to present an in-depth analysis, MAiA has announced a call for contributions which correspond to the following description:

The aim is to explore ambivalence, contradiction, as well as the nuances and the complexity of these programs. This thematic issue aims to foster symmetrical perspectives equally open to potentially positive and negative aspects of Sistema and other socio-artistic intervention programmes.

Contributions should also aim to be from a perspective which accords with one of the following statements:

  • Grounded in empirical observation and/or in-depth analysis, and with relevant implications for the debate
  • Based on practitioners’ experience-based accounts, research and reflections
  • Of a more reflective and essayistic nature, as long as this still represents a relevant contribution to the discussion

For a full description of the call, click on the following link:

http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/article/download/171/pdf

Should you be new to the Music and Arts in Action journal, then you can also find out more about the publication by accessing its latest issue via the following link:

http://musicandartsinaction.net/index.php/maia/issue/view/15

Coordinating contributions

If you are interested in contributing to MAiA's special El Sistema edition, then the Sistema Europe Board suggests that you communicate your interest to a board member (Marshall, Maria, Djurdja, Etienne, Juan or Verna) via either info@sistemaeurope.org or their respective addresses, so as to ensure that Sistema Europe contributions are harmonised and coinciding topics can be coordinated.

Abstract submission deadline (16.02.18)

Please note that, in order to make a contribution, a 500-600 word abstract (which summarises aims/background, methods, results and conclusions/implications) must be submitted to sysyouthorch.maia@gmail.com by the 16th February 2018.