Donations can be submitted for Colorado Gives Day right now! You can help us unlock an extra $12,000 this year! If 200 people donate any amount, we'll unlock a powerful incentive fund thanks to our generous donors.
Help us build the #BridgeToBetter
A bridge is a connecting structure. In music, it connects two sections of a song. In our cities, it connects spaces over immense obstacles. In our communities, it connects people to each other, to careers, and to unforeseen opportunities.
We seek to offer the young creatives in our community access to better:
Creative education
Mentorship
Equipment
Academic success
Career opportunities
Mental health
Self-belief
We’re the bridge. We’re connecting youth to the resources they deserve through the free programs that we’ve designed and implemented in public schools and at our state-of-the Youth Media Studio.
We’re moving the mountains that keep youth from self-liberation. We’re connecting them to the power they need to achieve their personal, academic, and creative best.
Join us as we build the Bridge to Better.
Bringing artists into the classroom inspires young people, especially those who have not traditionally succeeded. Teaching artists offer a unique perspective that resonates with students, and representation matters. When students see themselves reflected in their artist educator, they can envision themselves in the shoes of these talented professionals.
Academic Success programs bridge the media and tech literacy gap for young people in underserved communities and schools by introducing tools like DAWs and music engineering software. Students who participate in Youth on Record programming show increased participation in school and improved academic success.
But perhaps most importantly, our programs exist to build confidence, strengthen a sense of identity, and inspire via the arts. Youth in our programs report feeling more hopeful, empowered, and kinder to themselves.
Academic Success = Emotional Expression
We asked Youth on Record students why our classes matter to them and why creative expression matters to them and their answers were so beautiful. They told us that they learned more about self-expression, success in the music industry, processing emotions, and more. Read more of our students' responses to our trauma-informed creative music education in the Denver and Aurora Public Schools by clicking here.
We exist to help young creatives build meaningful relationships with mentors and peers through the creative process. We provide them with safe and supportive spaces to incubate and test ideas, explore collaboration and performance, and engage with and contribute to creative communities.
We are committed to helping young adult artists from marginalized communities, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth, develop meaningful and lasting careers in the creative industries. We believe that higher education and opportunities in creative fields should be accessible to everyone.
We offer our public platforms for talented youth to share their art,
deepening their network and connectedness to the larger music community.
At Youth on Record, young individuals can nurture their passion for music, develop their artistic talents, and connect with a supportive community of peers and mentors who share their creative aspirations. We cultivate confidence an
d creative skills so that young people can develop their voice and speak skillfully and artfully when they find themselves in a position to tell their story or advocate for themselves.
This summer, Youth on Record hosted hundreds of community members who gathered to enjoy performances from 30 talented young creatives. Our podcasting interns produced a multi-video series of interviews with the Block Party 2023 performers called “Backstage at the Block Party!” Get to know these talented youth performers of ours!
"Youth on Record is definitely one of my homes and my safe spaces." 💙
CLICK TO WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW! Meet Kayia aka Kay Raxx! Kayia is a recent graduate of our fellowship cohort and a frequent Open Lab participant. She's been working with our mentors on beatmaking, production, and recording her original music!