The nine-part series distills the comprehensive services that YCA offers to roster artists in the form of Tuesday night sessions, bringing great speakers to address critical issues for working musicians.

Guest speakers include Unison Media founder Andrew Ousley, Dana Fonteneau of The WholeHearted Musician, CEO of the Skillman Group and Principal Clarinetist of the Albany Symphony Wei Wang, and more

New York, NY – Young Concert Artists (YCA) announces their new project, the YCA Career Catalyst, a nine-part series designed to distill the comprehensive services that YCA offers to roster artists in the form of Tuesday night virtual sessions, bringing great speakers to address critical issues of working musicians.

Said YCA President Dan Kellogg of the initiative: “YCA is excited to empower young musicians as they build exciting careers that will break down barriers, build new audiences, and redefine how the artist shares their music. The YCA Career Catalyst series is filled with great voices who will speak to critical topics that are important for career building. We are pleased to reach beyond the artists on our roster to support the many young artists who will write the future of classical music.”

Viewers can register through Groupmuse, with tickets at $5 per session or $25 for all nine sessions (scholarships are available for any artist needing financial assistance). All discussions will remain available to view on demand for registered participants until 3 weeks after the last session.

The first session will take place on March 16 with Unison Media’s founder, Andrew Ousley, who will discuss social media for the freelance musician. On March 23, Dana Fonteneau of The WholeHearted Musician will examine how to design a life for a career in music, sharing ways to cultivate a growth mindset by approaching your art holistically. Principal Clarinetist of The Albany Symphony and CEO of Skillman Music, video guru Wei Wang will explain how to create high-production value to content by maximizing the basics of video and audio production on March 30.

The Career Catalyst series will continue in April with a roundtable discussion on April 6 led by Weston Sprott, Dean of the Preparatory Division at the Juilliard School and a trombonist in the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. The session will discuss how musicians can contribute to a more inclusive future in classical music. Beth Stewart of Verismo Communications will share ways to authentically capture an artist’s story in her self promotion session on April 13. 

Dan Kellogg will discuss the importance of financial literacy, from budgeting to cashflow projections, as well as creating an emergency fund and planning for the future on his April 20 session. On April 27, David Srebnik will show the importance of creating a good artist statement will bring greater focus and joy to what you do on and off stage.

The Career Catalyst series will close in May with two final sessions, including violist Drew Forde, who will discuss building a brand and presence online on May 4, and Brian Taylor Goldstein of GG Arts Law who will share the basic issues, common misconceptions, and what artists need to know about streaming rights and licenses on May 11.