The City Club of Cleveland - Building Cleveland's Next Generation of Musicians

The future of Cleveland's music and arts scene begins with its young people. Decades of research connect high quality music instruction to greater confidence, self expression, collaboration, leadership, and creativity. Communities gain alongside the students themselves.

Access remains the obstacle. Instruments and supplies cost more than many families can absorb, and decades of nationwide disinvestment in K-12 music education have narrowed the pathways even further. Talented young people go unheard for reasons that have nothing to do with talent.

Cleveland has answered that challenge differently. The Music Settlement and The Rainey Institute were both founded more than a century ago to bring arts education to the city's immigrant and wage earning families. Both have grown into neighborhood anchors serving thousands of young people. Contemporary Youth Orchestra, founded in 1995, gives students the chance to study and perform new and contemporary work while introducing them to careers across the creative industries. Together, these institutions expand access, empower the next generation of artists, and strengthen the cultural economy that makes this city distinct.

Jejuana Brown of The Cleveland Orchestra leads a conversation with Marcella Brown, Executive Director of The Rainey Institute; Geri Presti, President and CEO of The Music Settlement; and Shayne Smith, CEO of Contemporary Youth Orchestra. The three discuss how accessible arts education develops leadership, fosters creativity, and sustains the arts economy for generations to come.