According to Dana Gioia, former chairman of the NEA, the cultural education of American youth has been in sharp decline over the past 50 years. If he’s right that "a child's access to arts education is largely a function of his or her parents' income," what about the millions of disadvantaged children? Music can provide solutions through fresh approaches to "outreach" such as Projeto Serioso, and social programs like El Sistema. I want to tell you how they work and how you can participate.
Richard Young
- Biographical Information
Richard Young has performed throughout North and South America, Europe, the Far East, Africa, and Australia. He played violin in the Rogeri Piano Trio and the New Hungarian Quartet, and viola in the Vermeer String Quartet since 1985. He has recorded over 3 dozen works for Teldec, Naxos, Orion, Cedille, Vox, Musical Heritage, and Alden Productions. He received 3 Grammy nominations and authored a best-selling book on Haydn. He has taught at Oberlin Conservatory and universities of Michigan, Northern Illinois, Northwestern, Wichita State, and North Park, has an honorary doctorate from Dominican University and is a Fellow of the Royal Northern College of Music. He does volunteer work for disadvantaged children through the International Music Foundation and the People’s Music School in Chicago. He is also involved in various “El Sistema” projects, e.g. YOURS (Chicago) and Neojiba (Brazil).