About

Unlike YMF’s other programs that assist young musicians who are already advanced in their playing abilities, the Mentor Artists Program specifically targets underserved and low-income elementary and middle school students who receive little or no music instruction. There is a wide variety of types and levels of mentorship at each of the 27 schools participating in the program.

YMF firmly believes that music education is a crucial part of a child’s academic development, and also an integral part of the arts and culture which identify and unify a community. YMF’s Youth Mentor Artists Program comes full circle by bringing some of the most talented emerging musicians together with children who are just beginning to study music.

Videos

Students from YMF’s Mentor Artists Program recently appeared in an episode of the Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody.

Instructors

Mentor Artists are selected from the YMF Debut Orchestra as well as top young professional musicians in the Los Angeles area. Additional students are recruited from top universities in the area. Current Mentor Artists have performed on film/tv recordings including Superman Returns, Dreamgirls, American Idol, and Battlestar Galactica, as well as with recording artists including Michael Buble, Kanye West, and Clay Aiken. Mentor Artists receive training in providing the highest quality music education, as well as in areas including: Mentoring, Positive Youth Development, and Asset Building.

Class Activities

Mentor Artists provide weekly private tutoring, group sectional work, and music appreciation assemblies for entire student bodies. Most classes occur after-school, with class size ranging from 5 – 12 students. Instruction is offered on the following instruments:

• FLUTE
• CLARINET
• TRUMPET
• TROMBONE
• VIOLIN
• CELLO
• PERCUSSION
• GUITAR

Students perform regularly throughout the school year and have the opportunity to audition for scholarships from the LACESMA fund and the YMF Scholarship Fund for Diversity.