Catalysts & Connections - Evan Tobias

While information about Hugo Chavez and the Bolivarian revolution taking place in Venezuela is somewhat one-sided in the U.S., some of the positive things happening are getting reported. Apparently music education in Venezuela and classical music are taken very seriously. For many poor children in Venezuela music education is a transformative experience and plays a positive role in their lives. It is interesting that while many poor youth in Venezuela perform in youth orchestras, many young people in the US that live in poor communities do not have access to any school music opportunities. Students in Venezuela are given their instruments for free if they demonstrate dedication and the willingness to practice. Unfortunately in the U.S. many of our music programs exclude students who can not afford to purchase instruments. What would our music programs look like if students’ economic resources did not factor at all?

While Venezuelans take pride in their young classical musicians, ( especially their national youth orchestra, which has toured throughout the world in conjunction with other world class musicians) the country doesn’t only support classical European music. Chavez passed a law that requires all national radio stations to play at least fifty percent Venezuelan music, which has brought interest back to traditional music of Venezuela which may have otherwise have taken a back seat to American pop!

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