El Sistema France

My last meeting on this Magellan was with Pascale Macheret, the President of El Sistema France, and her translator who also happened to be the Vice President. Early on in our conversation I could tell that this organization was much different than the other El Sistema inspired organizations I have vistited. They focused primarily on helping the communities. They design their projects around each community, adapting it to fit the needs of the people and the resources they have available. One example is the paper orchestra. They first had the kids make paper instruments (that actual work!) to learn how the instrument makes sound and how to care for it. Then they were given actual violins and violas to learn how to play. The community this took place in was mostly people who had immigrated to France. The parents did not speak much French and relied a lot on their children, but by bringing the whole community together to see how far their children had come in just a few short weeks, El Sistema France was able to bring the community together. This is just the bare bones of the story, but the essentials are there. Overall, I learned so much and was so inspired by this organization and the people that run it. 

This Magellan has been an amazing experience. I am forever grateful to everyone who agreed to meet with me abroad and all the support I received from W&J both monetarily and otherwise.