Youth & Collegiate

Resources and Programs

  • YOD directors

    The Youth Orchestra Division (YOD) Directors serves as an advisory group to the League of American Orchestras.

    The mission of the Youth Orchestra Division of the League is to promote youth orchestras as essential musical, educational, and cultural assets and to provide resources to help all youth orchestras build and maintain artistic and organizational excellence.

  • Mentors program

Advocacy and Government Resources

Recommended Reading

  • Lucia Brawley Speech

    Lucia Brawley delivers the keynote address at the biennial Music Educators Symposium at the Yale School of Music.

    Read and watch the keynote address

  • Engaging Audiences

    A recent Wallace Foundation conference gathered arts organizations that are responding creatively to the challenges of a difficult economic climate and building their audiences by using market research, re-branding, and drawing audience-building lessons from other sectors such as professional sports.

    Download here

  • Upbeat

    Celebrating and Supporting American Youth Orchestras

  • Youth Orchestra Handbook

    This handbook represents the experience and wisdom of many successful youth orchestras, and is meant to provide guidance for newcomers to the exciting challenge of providing rewarding musical experiences for young musicians. It addresses many challenges familiar to all youth orchestras: achieving greater visibility, establishing cooperation with school systems, nurturing community responsiveness, finding good board members, and planning for the future while meeting current needs. (note: The Youth Orchestra Handbook is a photocopy from the original)

    The Youth Orchestra Handbook includes:

    Chapter 1 - Youth Orchestra Basics

    Chapter 2 - Basics of Financial Management

    Chapter 3 - Artistic Operations

    Chapter 4 - The Youth Orchestra Office

    Chapter 5 - Youth Orchestra Touring and Exchanges

    Chapter 6 - Fund Raising and Community Relations

    Members: $10 / Non-members: $15

    Order Now

  • Youth Orchestra Profile Survey

    Read YOP Summary Here

Join a discussion group

  • Join a discussion

    Stay connected via e-mail discussion groups, courtesy of the League of American Orchestras. The groups serve as a platform to pose questions, seek advice, and broadcast information to a select group of people.