There’s a study circulating which purports to show that El Sistema-style/inspired music interventions at three separate US-based programs had no discernable impact.
El Sistema, Special Needs and Music Therapy – new article now available online
Although Sistema and music therapy are not entirely analogous, there's a very natural, organic overlap between the two. We see this common ground in the vocabulary Sistema-inspired programs use to describe their activities and their impact, and how it often emphasizes the development of the individual as much as the community.
Jonathan Andrew Govias 