In Their Words: Children's Perspectives on an El Sistema Music Program's Effects on their Well-Being.

Background: The El Sistema movement uses music as a promising tool to promote healthy childhood development and well-being, particularly in children facing socioeconomic challenges. Recognizing the need to better support underprivileged children in their neighborhood, the community-based organization Share the Warmth (STW) created an El Sistema-inspired music program named STW El Sistema. Owing to their program's recent rise in popularity and corresponding costs, STW El Sistema coordinators partnered with McGill University researchers to formally evaluate and better understand the program's effects on participating children.