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SISTEMA RAVINIA
Ravinia has many different music education programs that it
brings to schools and communities throughout the Chicago
area. We call these our Reach*Teach*Play programs because
we are reaching out to over 85,000 people every year to teach
themmore about music and encourage them to play music in
whatever way is most enjoyable to them.
Ravinia’s newest program is based on a method of teaching
kids about music called “El Sistema,” which has been very
popular and successful in Venezuela. Sistema Ravinia, as we
call it, put instruments in the hands of students from the first
day they come together as an orchestra. Ravinia, with the
support of its Women’s Board, launched its first such orchestra
at Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School—the “Circle Rockets”—
and it was so popular with the students that Ravinia began
a second orchestra at the same school. A Sistema Ravinia
orchestra has also been formed for Ravinia’s Lake County
neighbors, and its students have given several public concerts,
including at Telemundo’s Cinco de Mayo festival in Cicero.
Each student is provided their own instrument by Ravinia
and receives daily after-school training on their chosen
instrument as well as with the full ensemble.