Dear Friends,

In the eight weeks that I have been on the job as Young Audiences of Oregon & SW Washington’s new Executive Director, one thing has become crystal clear to me: Kids need the arts and music in their lives to reach their full potential.

I knew this intuitively from my own experiences as a child, and later as a musician and teacher. The growing body of scientific research proving it was familiar to me. But I am absolutely convinced of it after seeing firsthand the impact this organization has on kids. Thanks to your support, Young Audiences’ work in classrooms is changing lives.

You know how critical the arts are to children and our community. You know how important discovery and wonder are to young people. You’ve seen the joy on a child’s face as they dance, sing, or create, and you know that Young Audiences brings these things to young people across our region each and every week.

In my short tenure at Young Audiences I have witnessed the power of our programs.

●    I saw a withdrawn 6th-grader come to life and beam with joy when invited onstage to perform a drum routine with Portland Taiko.
●    I heard the buzz of discovery as a roomful of 3rd-grade teachers from Beaverton realized how theatre games and movement could better serve their English Language Learner students.
●    I watched a school auditorium fill with the sound and motion of kindergartners dancing and singing along with world-class Ghanaian musicians from the Obo Addy Legacy Project. Students were captivated as they learned about the differences and similarities with their own cultures.

Your support and your belief in the power of the arts makes these moments possible. Young Audiences is thrilled to mark this year as our 55th anniversary. As we celebrate the millions of students we’ve served since 1958—and the 79,689 in the last year alone —we must also direct our gaze to the future, to the tremendous possibilities ahead, and to the unmet needs of today’s young people.

With your steadfast commitment we will continue to provide the top-notch programming that schools, teachers, families, and kids count on. Your generous financial contribution will ensure that Young Audiences evolves to meet the changing and diversifying youth populations of Oregon and SW Washington, and our growing understanding of creativity. Be it with classical music or computer music, traditional sculpture or cutting-edge 3D design software:

We can reach every student with the arts lessons they need for success.

Please take a minute to watch our newest video (really — just 1 minute) and then please click to make your secure, online gift for the future of our community.

Together we can inspire more children in the coming year!

Warmly,
Cary Clarke
Executive Director