Aleyah Lindsay is a natural-born performer. Her confidence is magnified when she steps on stage, and her passion for music is striking when she speaks about playing the cello. Aleyah learned to play the cello with Sistema Kingston and has developed a love of performing through the program’s many showcases and creative projects. Now in Grade 6 and her fifth year of the program, she reflects on her Sistema experience and what it has meant to her.
Inspired by the original El Sistema program in Venezuela, Sistema Kingston is part of a larger global community that believes in the transformational power of music and offers free, intensive group-centred music instruction as a means to support positive youth development. Through participating in music-making with others and reaching for performance goals, students learn inclusivity, teamwork, persistence, creativity, and responsibility. The program began in 2015 and has developed steadily since.
Aleyah joined the Sistema Kingston program in 2016 when she was in Grade 2 at Molly Brant Elementary School. All students participate in singing and rhythm classes, and she chose the cello for her string instrument. She has stuck with the instrument throughout her time with Sistema and attributes her proficient skills to this dedication. In addition to being a cellist, Aleyah is also a singer. “In one of her first concerts with the program she sang such a lovely solo it brought tears to many eyes in the audience,” says director Karma Tomm.
While it hasn’t always been easy, Aleyah’s cello instructor, Daphne Williams, highlights commitment as a driving force behind her progress. “Her perseverance is incredible,” she explains. Aleyah also highlights perseverance in the important advice she has for others starting their Sistema Kingston journey. “It gives you lots of great opportunities,” she says, “don’t give up on it!” By not giving up, Aleyah says she has found many such opportunities to explore her love of music and the performing arts.
One of these opportunities was a recent feature representing Sistema Kingston in the 2021 El Sistema USA Student Seminario video performance. Students nominated by their local El Sistema inspired programs came together from across North America on zoom and contributed to a collective music video project. When you hear Daphne speak about Aleyah, it’s no surprise that she was selected for the feature. “She’s so musical and talented,” she says, “she’s got the right drive and the right vision to take her talents anywhere she wants to go.”
Daphne’s influence has been a great motivator to continue with the cello, according to Aleyah. Perhaps Daphne has also motivated Aleyah’s plans for her future; she dreams of becoming a teacher and inspiring others to learn and grow through commitment and dedication.
Helping others is an important priority for Aleyah and her family. Brandie Abrams, Aleyah’s mom, works with Rideaucrest Care Home, where she initiated Sistema Kingston concerts for the residents before COVID-19 restrictions. Aleyah recounts that these performances were lots of fun for all involved, and how great it was to share her musical talents with the Kingston community.
Like everyone, the Sistema Kingston team has had to adapt quickly to the COVID-19 landscape. When it became clear that after-school programming would not be permitted in school facilities the team changed up programming to offer a blend of outdoor and online activities. Despite the challenges, Aleyah and her Sistema peers still receive weekly group instruction on their instruments and in singing, improvisation, musical games, movie music, and digital audio workstation (for grade 7 students). One result of the pandemic is that students have learned a lot about music technology, playing with headphones and a backing track, and recording, which has expanded their skillset in new ways. In the absence of in-person events and live performances, Sistema Kingston has shifted to creating music videos that showcase students’ hard work and creativity. To find the showcase videos, visit the Sistema Kingston page on the Faculty of Education website.
The Sistema Kingston program is an important part of Aleyah’s elementary school experience. Her mom, Brandie, beams with pride as she details how Aleyah has blossomed in the program. “It’s been a great confidence booster for Aleyah,” she says, “it’s helped her come out of her shell socially as well as creatively.”