Book review: El Sistema: orchestrating Venezuela’s youth

The Venezuelan youth orchestra programme known as ‘El Sistema’ has attracted much attention internationally through its claims to use classical music education to rescue vulnerable children. Geoffrey Baker examines El Sistema’s program of ‘social action through music,’ reassessing widespread beliefs about the system as a force for positive social change. Anna Bull thinks this book will spur on some much needed soul-searching around the uncomfortable question of why the world, all too easily, fell for the hype.