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Sympatico is sponsored by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra

ASO Sympatico is a music education program provided by the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra in Alexandria City Public Schools. The inspiration for Sympatico was born out of the ASO’s commitment to education, the youth of Alexandria, and social change. In 2012, ASO staff and trustees began thinking about the best way to give back to the community of Alexandria City, while contributing to the city’s deep appreciation of the arts. After learning about numerous models for music education programs in public schools, the ASO concluded that establishing an El Sistema-inspired program would best accomplish its mission.

Enriching Children’s Lives through Music

El Sistema originated as a music education initiative in Venezuela, in which students receive high-quality music instruction at no cost to them, with the goal of social change. Today, there are El Sistema programs in 55 countries, and more than 100 El Sistema programs active in the United States. Each of the programs, including Sympatico, are guided by similar core principles: equitable access to students regardless of income, intense and high-quality music instruction, the use of an ensemble as the main learning environment, community and family engagement, and of course, social change.

24 The ASO decided to test drive the concept of El Sistema in Alexandria City Public Schools. In 2013, two week-long music composition workshops were held at John Adams Elementary School (JAES), engaging students, teachers, and parents. These workshops brought guest musicians from around the world to the students at JAES, and culminated in students composing new music for bucket band, as well as for strings and Orff instruments. The composition produced during the second workshop

was premiered on stage with the ASO in a Spring 2014 concert. The initial composition workshops helped to officially launch Sympatico, and have now become a staple and highlight of Sympatico’s yearly curriculum.

Since Sympatico’s official launch in 2014, the program has grown to include six unique ensembles at John Adams (The Percussion Experience, XyloKids, The Mallet Machine, Cantamos, The Fiddle Factory and Horns a Plenty) with more than 130 students in grades K-5. In September 2019, the program expanded into Patrick Henry K-8 offering two ensembles: a Chorus/Orff group and a wind/brass/percussion ensemble. Ensembles meet Monday through Friday, either before or after school. Sympatico students continually demonstrate better school attendance, more cooperation skills, greater perseverance, and stronger confidence. Sympatico continues to work with a mission of providing students with opportunities to experience success in themselves and with others in their ensembles, their school, and their community. Photo by P.J. Barbour

Today, Sympatico participates in more than 20 performances per year, both in school and in Alexandria City. Past performances include special appearances at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, the Torpedo Factory Arts Center, Alexandria City’s First Thursday festivals, the Alexandria City Council Inauguration, and the National Teachers of the Year celebrations. Sympatico ensembles have also performed alongside various performing groups and soloists, including the Alexandria Choral Society, the Virginia Bronze, National Symphony Orchestra violinist Marissa Regni, and Washington Performing Arts soprano Karin Paludan. Sympatico was the recipient of a 2016 Mayoral proclamation in recognition of its contributions and service to the youth of Alexandria City.