Sistema Utah

Celebrating a Season of Music and Community: Sistema Utah's Recent Accomplishments

Reflecting on a Festive December

As we enter the new year, it's a perfect time to look back at the outstanding achievements and events of Sistema, Utah, in December 2023.  Our students showcased their musical talents and community spirit in various events, bringing joy and entertainment to all.
Memorable Performances at the APEF Boutique

On December 2nd, 2023, our West Valley 2/3 campus performing groups set a festive mood at the American Preparatory Education Foundation (APEF) Annual Boutique.  The Elementary Sistema Strings welcomed guests with holiday classics, while the Secondary Sistema Strings and Sistema Taiko Drummers delivered captivating performances.  The event was beautifully concluded with a cello viola duet by Ms. Martinez and 10th-grade student Aiden Christensen.

National Anthem at the Huntsman Center

A special moment was created on December 5th, when 45 of our Sistema Strings students from the West Valley 1, 2, and 3 campuses performed the National Anthem at the University of Utah vs. Southern Utah University Men's Basketball game.  This was not just a performance but an adventure filled with excitement and pride and an unforgettable experience for our students.

"Home for the Holidays" Winter Concert

The West Valley 2 and 3 campus held their annual Winter Concert titled “Home for the Holidays” at the West Valley 2 small gym on Friday, December 9, 2023. The concert began with our singing students performing folk songs such as “Grandma’s Feather Bed” and “Betelehemu” which included choreography! 

The remainder of the concert featured our instrument groups continuing by playing folk songs from countries around the world intermingled with holiday classics. It is so wonderful to have so many instruments and groups perform at our concerts. These included Violin, viola, cello, band (flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone), taiko drummers, piano, secondary band, secondary jazz band, secondary orchestra, and our combined symphony orchestra. 

A fun feature this year was having our Secondary Jazz Band led by Mr. Hales. Our elementary students also shared some of the reasons they are thankful for the Sistema Utah program. 6th grade WV2 student Juliana said, “Sistema lights up her day when she is feeling down.”

The concert concluded with 200 students performing a variation of “Fum, Fum, Fum” that was written by our very own singing teacher Mr. Mackay and conducted by Mr. Betancourth. Thank you to everyone who supported us both in our full house audience as well as via livestream. Without our incredible teachers to teach our students, concerts such as these would not be possible. Our Spring Concert will be on Friday, May 17, 2024. We are hoping to announce who our Guest Artist will be in the next couple of months. 

Sistema Store: A Gesture of Giving

The Sistema Store event on December 18th, a unique initiative allowing students to select and wrap gifts for their loved ones, was a heartwarming example of the spirit of giving.  Additionally, families were provided with food bags for the Winter Break, thanks to our generous donors and volunteers.

Looking Ahead to 2024

As we continue into 2024, the excitement builds for our upcoming Spring Concert on May 17.  We are also eagerly anticipating the announcement of our Guest Artist for the event.

A Community of Support

Our achievements in December and the success of our various events reflect our teachers' commitment, our students' enthusiasm, and our community's support.  We extend our deepest thanks to everyone who contributed to making these events memorable and look forward to what the new year brings for Sistema Utah.

November 2023 - Trina Christensen, El Sistema Director

Eleven of our WV2 Elementary Sistema Strings students had the incredible privilege of performing on stage with Grammy award-winning artists 1, 2, 3 Andres on Thursday, November 16, 2023 at the Ellen Eccles Theater in Logan, Utah. 

Congratulations to them on a job well done! They had two weeks to memorize a song “Mi Comunidad” on violin while ensuring it was to mastery. Working daily both during Sistema Utah hours afterschool and practicing at home ensured that they were ready to perform on stage. 

November 16th began with the students changing into their concert attire, board the bus as they grabbed a sack snack to eat while traveling the 1.5 hours to the venue. Once there, they were able to meet the Guest Artists of 1, 2, 3 Andres - Christina and Andres who showed them where they would be on stage. Andres is from Bogota, Colombia originally and learned music through El Sistema Colombia so he loved having students from an El Sistema-inspired program performing with them. They rehearsed with the violins and were impressed with how professional our students were and how incredible they sounded. They could not stop complimenting our students during the rehearsal. 

After a dinner break it was time to take our seats in the audience as the performance began. The audience were on their feet dancing and singing along in English and Spanish. When it was time to walk on stage the students were ready to rock out on stage with Christina and Andres. The excitement was in the air as the anticipation grew. 

Walking on stage, our students knew exactly where to go and played “Mi Comunidad” perfectly. Once finished, the crowd was on their feet applauding our students who performed with the Cache Valley Children’s Choir as well as three members from Young Musicians for a Brighter Future. As they exited the stage, they each high fived Mrs. Christensen as they exclaimed “I was awesome!” and “I had so much fun!” This is a night that they will never forget. Thank you to Dr. Sergio Bernal for arranging this piece and inviting our students to participate in this glorious night. 

SISTEMA UTAH WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL SISTEMA STORE ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2023 - DONATIONS NEEDED

Sistema Utah is excited to host their 4th Annual Sistema Store at the West Valley 2 campus on Monday, December 18, 2023. Sistema Utah students from the West Valley 1 and West Valley 2 campuses will have the opportunity to select one gift for a loved one for the holidays. As part of the tradition, secondary students volunteer their time to help students select the perfect gift and wrap it for them. At the conclusion of the evening, each Sistema Utah family is sent home with a bag of food to use over Winter Break. 

This is a labor of love and is only able to happen due to the generosity of our community and donations. Donations are urgently needed for the following:

• Gently used board games or toys
• Clothing (adult or child sizes)
• Gently used books
• Jewelry (we all have some that we no longer use - this is the most popular item at our store!)
• Home decor items
• Anything you would like to donate!

Monetary donations are also accepted and are tax-deductible as Sistema Utah is a non-profit organization. You may donate via Venmo @SistemaUtah or their website sistemautah.org/donate. Monetary donations are how they purchase the bags of food for their families. 

Donations can be brought to the West Valley 2 campus elementary office or you may call the Sistema Utah office at the West Valley 2 campus to make arrangements for pick up. 385-351-3090 x 1139 or email Mrs. Christensen tchristensen@apamail.org. Thank you for your generosity and for helping brighten the lives of our students. Happy Holidays!

Sistema Utah Hosts Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI) West Region Practicum

October 2023 - Trina Christensen, Sistema Director

Sistema Utah was selected to host the Teaching Artists Training Institute (TATI) West Region Practicum on October 9-10, 2023, at the West Valley 2 Campus. This is a National organization providing training opportunities for El Sistema-inspired programs in the United States. Participants from Sistema Utah, El Sistema Colorado, and Bay Area Music Project were in attendance for two fun-filled days of professional development. 

Dr. Lorrie Heagy from the Juneau Music Matters program in Juneau, Alaska, was the facilitator for “Culturally Responsive Teaching” and “Defining and Measuring Success in the Classroom.” Dr. Heagy shared activities from her program on how they have incorporated their native Tlingit language into their daytime school program and afterschool music program. These hands-on classes included drumming activities, interactive singing in the Tlingit language, and learning to work cohesively in teams as we came up with ideas for improving our teaching in our respective programs. 

Also included as part of the practicum was a Sistema Utah site visit at the West Valley 2 campus, where participants watched our Sistema Utah teachers teach, as well as each of the teachers taking a turn to teach our Sistema Utah students.  

All in attendance were enriched as we got to know each other and how to provide the highest quality program for our El Sistema students. Thank you, TATI, for this incredible opportunity!

SISTEMA STRINGS PERFORMS WITH UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023

On Friday, October 27, 2023, some of our Sistema Utah students had a fantastic performance opportunity. Some of our Sistema Strings students from the West Valley 1, West Valley 2, and West Valley 3 campuses were guest youth performers with the Utah State University Symphony Orchestra for their “New Beginnings” concert in Logan, Utah. 12 Elementary Sistema Strings students joined 12 additional students from Wasatch Youth String Academy and the Young Musicians For a Brighter Future. Together with the USU Symphony Orchestra, they played “Lightly Row” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star Variation A” by Shinichi Suzuki, conducted by Dr. Sergio Bernal. 

Four students from West Valley 1 and eight students from West Valley 2 stood in the aisles as they were featured soloists with the orchestra led by four of our West Valley 3 student leaders. West Valley 2 student Valentina Garcia represented Sistema Utah as she had a speaking part as part of our introduction. They did an outstanding job!

The evening was filled with camaraderie, smiles, excitement, and many magical moments as the cathedral rang with beautiful music. Every performer spoke the universal language of music for a concert they will cherish forever. 

August 2023 - Sarah Olsen, Character Development Curriculum Administrator

At the beginning of each new school year, the afterschool programs at West Valley 2 and 3 kick off the year with an incredible carnival event for the whole community.  This year's Lights On event was held on Friday, August 18th.  The event was free for students and families and included bounce houses, carnival games, face painting, and free Little Caesars pizza.  Families also could visit booths from various community partners full of resources to help them be prepared for this school year.  Over 20 community partners attended this event and helped host back-to-school resources.  Some of these community partners included the local fire and police departments, the Salt Lake City Parks and Recreation department, and even Representative Judy Weeks Rohner from the Utah House of Representatives.

Lights On events are part of a nationwide Afterschool Alliance program that celebrates afterschool programs and their important role for students, families, and communities.  Nationally, Lights On events are celebrated in October, but APA hosts their Lights On events at the beginning of the year in order to start their afterschool programs with a big kickoff. APA's afterschool programs also host another significant community event called "Lights Off" at the end of the school year.

Afterschool Sistema Director Trina Christensen said, "My favorite thing about Lights On is seeing everyone's excitement about being back at school.  Everyone in attendance loves to be there, enjoying one another's company, and parents feel more prepared for this school year with the resources we are able to help them with.  It is a great community-building event that the entire school enjoys participating in."

Running these afterschool programs is a huge endeavor, and the Lights On event really helps get the year started right.  Our students and parents are so grateful to their after-school teachers for their work and are looking forward to another great school year!

July 2023 - Trina Christensen, Sistema Utah Director

Our Sistema Utah students ventured across the country this July for an exceptional learning experience at the 2023 National Seminario Ravinia in Chicago, Illinois.  We proudly congratulate Jacob Brady (tuba), Aiden Christensen (viola), Blessing Lagaaia (trumpet), and alumni Randy Balderrama (clarinet), Tamara Castillo (cello), and Leute Lagaaia (euphonium).  They joined a group of 126 talented individuals from El Sistema-inspired programs across North America to take part in this incredible workshop. 

Their journey kicked off with a flight from Salt Lake City on Wednesday, July 5th, chaperoned by the Sistema Director, Mrs. Christensen, and West Valley 3 Band Director, Mr. Velazquez.  Upon landing in Chicago, the Sistema Ravinia team welcomed them warmly, and they were soon on a chartered bus headed for Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois.  Their stay at the college, sponsored by Sistema Ravinia and their partners, the Ravinia Festival and Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, encompassed everything from accommodations and meals to transportation.

Once they settled into their dorms, the students dived into an intensive rehearsal schedule initiated by the National Seminario Ravinia Youth Ambassadors.  Our very own West Valley 3 Senior, Leute Lagaaia lifted the spirits of all attendees with an invigorating Samoan chant, symbolizing the commencement of their extraordinary musical expedition.

Their packed agenda started early on Thursday, July 6th, as they attended morning rehearsals, participated in instrumental sectionals, and took part in side-by-side rehearsals with the acclaimed Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra.  This invaluable experience offered them a chance to learn from and interact with global, world-class musicians.

The experience was further enriched by a tour of the Ravinia Festival and an opportunity to play on the Ravinia Festival Stage.  As a bonus treat, the students enjoyed a captivating performance by Ne-Yo on Friday evening.

As a grand finale, our young virtuosos showcased their skills by performing side-by-side with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra.  Under the guidance of distinguished conductors Maren Alsop and Jonathan Rush, they delivered stunning renditions of "Ode to Joy Festival," "Orchestras for All," and concluded with "Celebration." A shared lunch with the conductors and musicians marked a memorable finale to their musical journey.

The day ended on a delightful note as the students savored Chicago's famous deep-dish pizza, sharing laughter and reminiscing about their remarkable experiences. 

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sistema Ravinia, the Ravinia Festival, the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra, and El Sistema USA.  A special mention goes to our generous Sistema Utah donors, whose support helped transform this enriching experience into reality for our talented students.

May 2023 - Trina Christensen - Sistema Director

Sistema Utah celebrates their 10-year anniversary with "A Joyous Celebration" - May 19th, 2023

Sistema Utah turned 10 years old this year and celebrated in a big way on Friday, May 19th, 2023. Over 450 audience members were taken on a journey of Sistema through the years, not only through music but through reflecting on our growth from 2013 until now. Music was featured from all of our instruments in an ensemble setting, including singing, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, taiko drums, elementary band, secondary band, secondary orchestra, and our Secondary Symphony Orchestra totaling 200 student performers. Some of the highlights included:

• 11 Side-by-Side performances where some of our students have been able to play alongside other orchestras such as the Utah State Symphony Orchestra, Draper Philharmonic and Choir Society, and the Utah Philharmonic Orchestra.
• Countless University of Utah athletic games where our Sistema Strings and Pep Band students have performed the National Anthem.
• Sistema Utah has won 12 Best of State awards (Arts in Education, Children's Orchestra, Community Music Program, Performing Arts - Musical Instruments, and Youth Small Ensemble).
• Our students have gone on to represent us on national and international platforms as ambassadors for El Sistema USA and The World Ensemble Newsletter. 
• We've had many guest artists come to perform and work with our students, including William Hagen and the Fry Street Quartet.
• We've had special grand finale performances with guest artists Serena Mackrell, Alysa Liu, GENTRI, and Alex Boyé.

The evening concluded with performing the grand finale, "Ode to Joy," with special guest Octappella who sang in Spanish and English. We had Sistema Strings students from West Valley 1, Young Musicians from St. Thomas Aquinas in Logan, Utah, and three of our Sistema Utah alums performing with us. Following this remarkable performance, Octappella gave our students and audience a musical gift by performing a five-song medley. It was Octa-Awesome!! 

SISTEMA RAVINIA SEMINARIO - JULY 5-8, 2023, IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Six of our Sistema Utah students have been selected to participate in the National Seminario that Sistema Ravinia and El Sistema USA are co-sponsoring. This will take place July 5-8th in Chicago, Illinois, where each student will have the opportunity to be one of an orchestra of 125 from over 20 El Sistema-inspired organizations across the USA and Canada. It will be an intensive two-and-a-half days of workshops, working with world-renowned conductors and making new friends. They have received an all-expenses-paid experience and will perform side-by-side with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra. Leute Lagaaia (WV3 senior) has also been selected as a youth mentor for the seminario. Congratulations to the students below - we can't wait for an update in our August newsletter!

April 2023 - Trina Christensen - Sistema Director

Exciting news!  Alex Boyé, the celebrated multicultural global artist, just wrapped up filming for his latest music video project, and 200 students from American Preparatory Academy, including Sistema Utah musicians, were thrilled to be part of it.  American Prep students participated in various filming parts, from running, dancing, and laughing on the soccer field with 165 students and staff to showcasing their musical talents as secondary orchestra, horn players, and taiko drummers on the playground of Draper 2.  Two classroom scenes were filmed at the Draper 3 campus to cap off the day.

The students had a blast contributing to the music video, which promotes the uplifting message of "I'm a 10!"  Keep an eye out for the music video's release later this summer.  We want to extend a BIG thank you to Alex Boye, APA administrators, Operations staff, and teachers who helped make this event possible.  This was an unforgettable experience for our students, and we couldn't have done it without your support.

“Alex Boyé is truly a multicultural, multigenerational, global artist and Speaker! With over 1 billion views on his YouTube channel, Boyé’s diverse blend of African-infused pop music and vibrant dynamic visuals have captured a loyal legion of online followers turning him into a viral sensation!” (alexboye.com,n.d.)

Alex Boye will be releasing his new book “You are a 10” on May 1, 2023 and will be presenting at 100 schools in 2023.  For more information, visit alexboye.com.

Sistema Utah will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary at their Spring Concert Friday, May 19, 2023

Get ready for a celebration!  Sistema Utah is proud to announce its upcoming 10th anniversary.  To mark the occasion, they have invited the talented group, Octappella, to perform as guest artists at their Spring Concert, "A Joyous Celebration", held at the West Valley 2 campus.  While seating will be limited, we invite you to join us and experience the concert through our live-stream event.

If you're hoping to attend the concert in person, tickets will be required, and reservations will open on May 1st.  This is a milestone moment for Sistema Utah, and we are thrilled to share it with our community.  Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to celebrating with you on May 19th!

March 2023 - Trina Christensen - Sistema Director

JAZZ WORKSHOP - MARCH 1-3, 2023
Sistema Utah had a busy month with a lot of music-making! Our West Valley 2 campus had the privilege of hosting our annual Winter Workshop from March 1-3rd with special guest Shana Tucker from North Carolina.

We had 65 students in grades 5-12 from the West Valley 1 and 2 campuses. Students worked collaboratively on Wednesday and Thursday for several hours, putting together a jazz-style piece with a record-breaking number of TWELVE soloists! They performed "Footprints" by Wayne Shorter on Friday, March 3rd, and it was FANTASTIC!! We were privileged to have Shana Tucker perform three of her original jazz songs for the audience in person and those that tuned in to view the live stream.

We extend a HUGE thank you to our partner Salt Lake County Zoo, Arts and Parks, for helping fund this life-changing event and to our friend, Shana Tucker, for flying across the country to perform with us.  

EL SISTEMA USA NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM - MARCH 9-11, 2023



Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, hosted this year's El Sistema USA National Symposium, their first in-person symposium post-COVID. The West Valley 2 Sistema Director Trina Christensen chaired this incredible event, supporting close to 230 in-person and 70 virtual attendees from around the Nation. 

West Valley 3 Senior Leute Lagaaia was selected as one of EIGHT individuals to participate in the first cohort of youth ambassadors from El Sistema-inspired programs and received an all-expenses paid trip and entrance into the symposium. The youth ambassadors included students from Alaska, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, North Carolina, and Utah. They led the opening plenary, two different sessions on diversity and student-led leadership, and bonded during these unifying activities.  

Leute was also selected to present a session, "Knowing the Importance of Representation and Diversity with a Polynesian Twist," where she spoke about her Samoan culture and taught the audience a Polynesian dance. Leute excelled in her performance and demonstrated confidence in representing her culture and school. She did a magnificent job, and we are very proud!  

Gateways Brass Collective wrapped up the weekend as the audience joined in as the percussion for this unique performance that will be remembered for many years to come.  

November 2022 - Trina Christensen - Sistema Utah Director

On Wednesday, November 16th, our WV2 Sistema Staff performed for our Sistema students. It is always a fantastic opportunity for students to see their teachers in action. All of our teachers are highly qualified, which means they are currently in college, have received their Bachelor's Degrees, and we even have some who have earned their Master's Degrees!

The Staff Showcase began with Mr. Betancourth playing an Ecuadorian song on his violin, accompanied by Mrs. Rodriguez on the piano. Fun fact: Mr. Betancourth has taught for Sistema Utah for nine years!

Next, Mr. Henseler played a clarinet solo with passion. Did you know that when Mr. Henseler was little, he wanted to play the saxophone but told his mom he wanted to play the clarinet? His mom surprised him with his very own clarinet, which he has stuck with for many years!

We were pleased to have a vocal trio performed by Mrs. Mackay, Mrs. Storey, and Ms. Thomas. Did you know they are sisters and grew up singing together? They harmonize so well together!

We are so lucky to have a member of Kenshin Taiko on staff with us at Sistema! Ms. McDaniel blew us away as she played an energetic song on the taiko drum for us.

Not only do Mrs. Storey and Mrs. Mackay sing, but they are also exceptional violinists! They performed the mirror duet for us, which means one played the song right side up, and the other played it upside down. It was so much fun to experience such a fun piece. Fun fact: Mrs. Mackay's favorite color is pink and Mrs. Storey's favorite color is lavender.

The evening concluded with Mr. Thomas playing guitar and Mr. Mackay playing the ukulele. They performed "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" as the audience swayed to the music, dreaming of their most magical memories.

Our Sistema students have been practicing daily and working so hard to prepare their songs for our upcoming "Magic of Winter" concert. We invite you to join our live-stream performance on Friday, December 9th, at 6 p.m. We have some fun surprises to share with you!

October 2022 - Trina Christensen - Sistema Utah Director