Last summer, members of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra (NBYO) board visited Venezuela to learn more about El Sistema, an after-school-based charitable venture that provides free musical instruction for all who want it. "Finally, I knew the right question," says NBYO president Ken MacLeod. "Who wouldn't want this for all of our children?" Sistema NB moved from being an idea to an urgent and compelling cause. The program began in September of 2009 in Moncton, N.B., with 44 children ages six to 10 years, five days a week, three hours every day. A five-year pilot will involve more than 500 schoolchildren.

While searching online for a guest conductor for the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra, I came across the story of Gustavo Dudamel, a then 26-year-old Venezuelan prodigy who had been appointed conductor and music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Dudamel credited his success to the El Sistema program in his native Caracas. A child of grinding poverty, at the age of four Dudamel was handed a violin, taught to play, and invited to return every day. He did. And so have thousands of others.

The more I learned about the impact of El Sistema, the more urgent became my question: Is this transferable to New Brunswick? I was becoming an evangelist—telling friends, family, clients, neighbours, anyone who would listen—about how children's lives were being changed. A group of us decided to experience the program firsthand.

We travelled to Venezuela in June of 2009—David Hawkins, the president of Colour NB; David Adams, the concertmaster of Symphony New Brunswick; and me—with a video crew from Hemmings House Pictures to help preserve and share what we learned.

I had watched my daughters grow as members of the youth orchestra. Yet many of us knew there were many New Brunswick children who might benefit but would never have the opportunity. So we asked each other: Why not involve more children? And younger ones? Those questions led us to El Sistema. And one 12-year-old boy gave me the answer. 

Antonio's hair was dishevelled, his clothes old and worn. His belt secured his cello to his chair leg. When the conductor signalled, he threw himself into the music with complete abandon. Instantly he was transformed, no longer a victim of poverty. When the barrio released its hold for a few minutes every day, the future was bright, the pleasure exquisite, the room awash in sheer joy. I was dazzled.

Through music, these children transported us and themselves into a new dimension—where anything is possible, and the power of their own accomplishments was tangible. Just by learning to play music together.

Ken MacLeod is the president of the New Brunswick Youth Orchestra and the president of KMA Consultants, specializing in fundraising and communications for non-profit organizations. You can watch the six-minute documentary at http://nbyo-ojnb.com/sistemanb/en/home.html