The future of Boston’s classically trained young musicians will soon benefit from a new Latino face on the scene. 33-year-old Venezuelan conductor Jorge Soto will make his official debut March 20th as conductor of the Longy School of Music’s 2015 “Side By Side Celebration” at the Sanders Theater.
The orchestra is part of a program that gives 60-80 students (ages 8-14) from El Sistema inspired training programs throughout Massachusetts an amazing opportunity. This incredible program not only puts musical instruments and training within the grasp of disadvantaged children; but also, it provides the children with the opportunity to train and perform with professional musicians.
Soto is one of the area’s rising stars as a musical conductor. In addition to teaching and conducting at Boston University, Wheaton College and Brookline High School; Soto was recently tapped to be an assistant guest conductor for the LA Philharmonic when it heads to Berlin in the fall. Soto’s success stems from his early training in Venezuela under the unique El Sistema system that he passes on today to young people.
Jorge Soto, Artistic Director of Longy Sistema Side by Side Orchestra, with Jose Antonio Abreu, the Venezuelan founder of El Sistema, and the children of El Sistema “Side By Side”.
HOW DID YOU BECOME SO INVOLVED WITH MUSIC ?
Music is my life. I’ve been involved in music since I was seven years old. I
started playing the violin in Venezuela. I’ve always loved the sound that an instrument makes and the sounds that all the other instruments make to combine into an orchestra. I cannot conceive of my life without music. When I teach the kids something musically, I’m also learning something from them myself. Some kids learn in different ways and you have to find the right words to describe what you want to get from them musically. So, I’m learning all the time different ways that I can teach something. And when I’m conducting music, I feel like I’m flying.
WHAT IS EL SISTEMA TRAINING AND WHAT MAKES IT SO EFFECTIVE ?
There are many types of El Sistema training all around the world. One of the things that it does is that it creates a sense of family. Once a young person learns to play three, four or five notes, they are already part of an orchestra. It’s really a sense of community and a sense of family. There are other programs that teach group lessons; but with El Sistema, having the kids starting very young, of all ages, working together in an orchestra makes a huge difference. You’re in a group, playing in an orchestra and making friends from day one and working together towards a goal. In other programs, you have to be a certain skill level before you can join the group orchestra. That is one of the major differences.
EL SISTEMA HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. EXPLAIN WHAT THAT MEANS ?
As I grew up, I started to realize that there were kids whose parents might have been better off than some others and with kids from other social backgrounds. But, when I came to the conservatory, none of that really mattered. What actually mattered was simply who could play an instrument and who practiced the most. I came from a humble family in one of the roughest areas of my state in Venezuela and my family could not even afford soccer classes for me, even though I was a very good player. So learning music in this fashion sort of saved me.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU ABOUT WORKING WITH BOSTON YOUTH AS A MUSIC TEACHER ?
Working with the El Sistema schools here and with Side By Side and other programs with college students; all I think about is music and teaching it to the youth and inspiring them at the highest levels possible. When the kids excel and they really accomplish something difficult; then the music makes a change in them. You can see the shining beautiful light in their eyes when they learn something. The kids feel super happy. They always want to come back and learn more, practice more… no matter what age.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEARN MUSIC ?
It is as important as anything a young person strives to do at a high level,
Jorge Soto conducts the Haydn “drumroll” symphony.
whether it’s sports, painting or dancing. Music was my opportunity for me and I took it. Whatever activity you do at the highest possible level and you push yourself at a young age; that will stick with you in a positive way all your life. I also wish more Latinos and immigrants would have more exposure to classical music and learn from it. As a result, it inspires everyone involved in it to do everything better in life.
Right now, I’m very excited to be working at the Longy School. It’s one of the most exciting things happening in Boston in terms of music education right now.
