Sistema Utah's mission is to provide musical instruction to foster life-long qualities of refined character. We believe that music education works in beautiful tandem with academic learning and provides a positive outlet and identity for students of all ages, backgrounds and circumstances. We will strive to help children develop the highest musical proficiency possible by providing instruction through excellent teachers, mentors and musical role models in their lives.
 
Sistema Utah is an after school program that began October 2013 at the American Preparatory family of schools. This program is based on the internationally successful program, El Sistema. Dedicated to the idea that music and rigorous musical study can improve participants’ futures, while also enhancing current academic and behavioral goals, Sistema Utah will be an intense after school immersion experience.
 
We service nearly 300 students between two sites in West Valley City, Utah. Both sites are Title I schools where 72% of our students receive free or reduced lunch. This program is currently offered free of charge to our families.  Students stay for three hours a day, five days a week for a total of 15 hours of musical instruction weekly. Each student receives the following daily: group music instruction, general music class, singing class and homework help. In addition to the music instruction, we also serve each student a nutritious snack daily. Instruments that we offer are: violin, viola, cello, flute, trumpet, french horn, clarinet, trombone, percussion and bucket band. A highlight of our program is our performing group "Sistema Strings" which consists of our most advanced violin, viola and cello students who provide service concerts for the community. We have played for University of Utah ball games, the Utah After school Network, with the Utah State University Symphonic Orchestra and the Utah Philharmonic Orchestra to name a few. Our "Sistema Strings" students also help to teach and mentor younger students in our program as well. We believe that we can all help to change the world through music one person at a time.