Home15th February 2010
Who We Are
The Young Americans® were founded almost 50 years ago in Hollywood, CA. For all of these years our purpose has remained the same:- To provide our talented Young American student performers (15-21 years of age) with education in music, dance, performance and teaching.
- To use this training, and the good will and optimism of these young people to support music in schools and its inherent benefits through conducting International Music Outreach Workshops in educational facilities of all types throughout the world. The three-day workshops culminate in a 2-hour concert featuring the workshop participants performing alongside The Young Americans. The performance is the end result, with the core of the workshop focused on providing experiences and tools to students that yield individual, personal growth and understanding.
The Young Americans consists of 200 members from over 37 states and seven countries around the world. Among its 3000+ alumni are professionals in music education, fine arts, motion pictures, television, radio, Broadway and recording. The Young Americans® is a 501(c) (3) corporation. We have no political agenda, no religious affiliation, and no shareholders to satisfy. Many on our staff work as volunteers, most are former Young Americans, all are dedicated to the proposition that music and dance, along with the enthusiasm, optimism and good will of our student performers, will make the world a better place.
Our History
1962: Milton C. Anderson, music teacher at Birmingham High School in Los Angeles, begins auditioning students for a new choral group and forms The Young Americans.
1965: YAs perform with Johnny Mathis, Julie Andrews, James McCraken, Dorothy Kirsten, Vic Damone, George Burns, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Henry Mancini, and Dean Martin; appear on Bing Crosby TV Special, Johnny Carson Show, and Ed Sullivan Show.
1968: The Young Americans’ film wins Academy Award for full-length documentary. YAs begin touring with 2-hour concert tours both domestically and internationally including Japan, Far East and Canada.
1968: The Young Americans’ film wins Academy Award for full-length documentary. YAs begin touring with 2-hour concert tours both domestically and internationally including Japan, Far East and Canada.
1976: The Young Americans’ film wins Academy Award for full-length documentary. YAs begin touring with 2-hour concert tours both domestically and internationally including Japan, Far East and Canada.
1977: The Young Americans’ film wins Academy Award for full-length documentary. YAs begin touring with 2-hour concert tours both domestically and internationally including Japan, Far East and Canada.
1981: The Young Americans’ film wins Academy Award for full-length documentary. YAs begin touring with 2-hour concert tours both domestically and internationally including Japan, Far East and Canada.
1992: First National Music Outreach Tour visits towns across U.S. 2000: First International Music Outreach Tour visits Australia and New Zealand, with tours to Europe following in 2001 and 2002 visiting England, Germany and Ukraine.
2002: YAs establish California Pacific College of the Performing Arts in southern California.
Today: YAs currently travelling on six international outreach tours each year visiting the North America, Europe, Australia and Japan, in addition to convention and concert performances in southern California.
Music Outreach Overview
The comprehensive performance workshops cover everything from vocal techniques, dance, and comedy improvisation, to stage movement, sound, lighting, and more. Hundreds of students from 4th through 12th grade learning to work together, to respect each other’s strengths, and to discover their own potential - all through the universal language of music and dance.
After three days of intensive performance instruction it’s show time! The Young Americans perform the first act, and then to the astonishment of parents, friends, teachers and administrators the participating students perform the second act with The Young Americans.
The International Outreach Tours have touched lives in nearly all 50 states and beyond including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Ukraine, Gibraltar, Spain, Poland, Sweden and Japan. More than 150,000 students have participated in these exciting workshops and many more are waiting for The Young Americans to visit their cities and schools.
Research Shows music programs:
- Enhance a young person’s self-esteem
- Help develop critical thinking and self-discipline skills
- Improve students’ cognitive development
- Enhance basic math and reading abilities
- Increase school attendance
