Why Youth Development, Creative Expression, and Classical Music Matter More Than Ever
There’s a moment in the life of any field when it stops being a collection of isolated efforts and starts becoming a system - something connected, coherent, and generative.
That’s exactly where creative youth development is right now.
In a recent piece from The Wallace Foundation, researchers and leaders reflect on how youth development, especially out-of-school-time (OST) programs, has matured into something more than afterschool activities or summer programs. It has become an ecosystem of learning, relationships, and long-term growth that extends far beyond classrooms - and far beyond performance alone.
This shift matters deeply to anyone who cares about the future of classical music, arts education, community engagement, and the flourishing of young people who have been historically excluded from access, opportunity, and voice.
Youth Development Isn’t Just an Add-On — It’s Foundational
The Wallace Foundation piece reminds us of something that’s been quietly becoming visible in research and practice: young people’s learning and growth does not happen in isolated silos. It happens in networks - between schools and communities, between mentors and peers, between disciplines and life experience.
Classical music, too often, has viewed itself as a discrete discipline - something practiced in concert halls, practice rooms, competitions, and auditions. But if we want music to be living and relevant, we need to see it as part of the broader ecosystem of youth development:
Where young people can build relationships that matter.
Where they can grow through creative practice, not just rote repetition.
Where their social, emotional, and cognitive growth is considered as essential as technical skill.
Where access isn’t bounded by zip code or family income.
High-quality youth development programs do exactly that: they provide safe, supportive environments where young people feel they belong, are known by adults, and can pursue meaningful creative work that connects to their identity and community.
This Is Not Just “Enrichment.” It’s Real World Preparation
One of the great strengths of OST programs — as the Wallace piece highlights — is that they help young people develop assets and strengths that prepare them for life, not just tests. These include:
confidence
agency
positive relationships
curiosity
resilience
creativity
community engagement
All of these skills are exactly what future leaders of music, nonprofits, cities, and societies will need.
In a world where systems are increasingly complex and unpredictable, the ability to think, create, collaborate, and persist is more important than ever. And the arts, whether dance, painting, storytelling, or classical music, give young people a sandbox for those skills.
What This Means for Classical Music
So what does a youth development lens bring to classical music specifically?
It asks us to stop thinking of music training as something that only happens in concert halls or elite studios, and start seeing it as part of young people’s lived lives where music can:
help young people make sense of who they are
connect them to peers and mentors
give them language for expressing their inner world
become a vehicle for community connection
Wallace’s findings point to something that anyone who’s worked with young people already knows: the most powerful programs are not just about technique — they’re about relationship, trust, context, and belonging.
That’s exactly what VIA Academy is trying to do: create a space where young musicians aren’t just trained - they’re seen and known; where their creativity is honored, their leadership encouraged, and their voices amplified.
A System That Works Together Is a System That Lasts
One of the key takeaways from the Wallace article is that youth development is most effective when there is coordination and connection among programs, families, schools, researchers, funders, and communities.
This systems perspective - seeing education, arts, community, and civic life as interconnected, is a powerful framework for people who care not just about producing great performers, but about nurturing great humans.
The classical music world can benefit enormously from this mindset. Instead of thinking about access as a one-off event, we start thinking about career-long ecosystems of support that accompany young people as they grow, change, and become agents of their own learning.
Why This Matters for Communities
When youth development systems are strong, the benefits ripple outward:
Young people feel more connected to their peers and community.
They develop confidence and competence to take initiative.
They become civic participants — not passive observers.
They build creative solutions to real-world problems.
Art, and music specifically, becomes not just a personal outlet, but a public good that contributes to civic life, empathy, and collective well-being.
Recent research supports this: arts programs help young people develop relational and opportunity outcomes, meaning they not only grow personally but also gain the networks and resources that help them thrive into adulthood.
What This Means for You (and for Us Together)
If you’re reading this, it’s likely because you care about:
young people having space to create
classical music becoming more inclusive and equitable
community systems that support growth, not exclusion
building sustainable opportunities for future generations
Here’s the invitation - to all of us:
Let’s think of classical music not as a siloed discipline, but as part of a living ecosystem of youth development.
Let’s invest in systems that help young people grow - socially, emotionally, artistically, and humanly.
Let’s center youth voices - especially those from communities that have been excluded - in shaping the future of our art form and our world.
Because when we do that, we’re not just training musicians - we’re nurturing leaders, citizens, creators, and changemakers.
And that’s the music the world needs most right now.