Assistant Professor of Music David Cubek will be sharing with the Scripps community details about his recent sabbatical leave, which he spent conducting and teaching within El Sistema, Venezuela’s program of social transformation through music education. Between February and July of 2014, Prof. Cubek worked with six different orchestras in four cities, conducting a total of five concerts. In addition, he taught professional development workshops to aspiring conductors and young teachers. His presentation will include an explanation of the philosophy and structure of the renowned Venezuelan institution that has inspired similar music education programs in over 35 countries and a discussion of the challenges related to working in Venezuela during times of political instability, social upheaval, and economic crisis.