60 Minutes...

60 Minutes did a piece on "the System"...the Venezualan miracle.  That miracle is about 5% of all the kids in Venezuala get a free music instrument and free instruction and then play in ensembles. If you translate that to the United States it would mean about 7 million kids in the system.  While I am ranting and going on about this, listen to the top orchestra here and here play something that is just plain hard. Major orchestral chops to play. Major. These are KIDS.

Dudamel, the new conductor of the LA Philharmonic along with Marian Alsop in Baltimore and some others have started this here. If Venezuala is any indication, this is a miracle produced by the minds of genius.  The harpist above is Venezualan. He is 18 and I looked him up. He started 9 years ago..age 9 harp lessons. His family was what we would call dirt poor at best. He could have been a street urchin on a "Save the Children" infomercial.  Instead he is doing this. He will end up in a symphony with a job and contributing for the rest of his life....not just tax money but artistic contributions. When so many among us contribute nothing to the good of society here is one who will. One of many.

I wrote earlier today about the Supreme Court ruling that kids who are teenagers shouldn't be locked away for life without parole if they didn't kill someone. I write now to say that kids, if given an alternative, ANY alternative to street crime MIGHT  -  not all  but some - might take a higher road. Isn't it worth the chance?