In 2019, Class of ‘22 alumni Jonathan Li and Brook Chuang founded a group they called Youth Arts Movement to provide young artists with the opportunity to showcase their work, express their voices through the arts and create tangible positive impact on the community through contests, initiatives and concerts. The nonprofit now has 21 chapters across the world, including in countries like India and Australia.
YAM is returning to where it was founded this Saturday as it hosts a Spring Community Concert at the McAfee Center. The concert, taking place from 7 to 10 p.m., will feature vocal and dance performances. Admission is free and open to all.
The organization is now led by students from local high schools including Monta Vista High, Notre Dame High, Milpitas High and Los Alto High. SHS students have also been involved including Ethan Lin (Class of ‘22), Isabella Lee (Class of ‘22), Richard Li (Class of ‘25) and sophomore Yixin Chen.
In the past, YAM has hosted events such as art supplies donation drives, artworks contests, guest speaker seminars and instrumental performances. However, those events mostly supported students, and they wanted to do something that supported the broader artist community.
“Over the years, YAM has received support from the local communities,” adult volunteer Xiao Liu said. “In appreciation of that support, YAM also seeks to give back by creating opportunities for artists of all ages and backgrounds.”
Many diverse performers will be featured throughout the night, including vocal solos, duets, dance performances and piano pieces. There will be 26 songs, with classic opera excerpts including those from “Rusalka,” “Un Ballo in Maschera” and “La Traviata,” along with popular songs in English and Chinese.
Professional soprano Cicilia Cai from the California Lyrics Artist Association, who has performed principal roles in productions such as “Madama Butterfly” and “Carmen,” will be featured. Additionally, YAM founder Li will perform a piano improvisation.
“The concert brings together singers, dancers and pianists on one stage to celebrate artistic expression and shared cultural appreciation,” Liu said. “It ultimately highlights and reinforces those connections through the shared joy of the performing arts.”
When YAM hosts events such as concerts, adult performers often lead the setup process. However, to ensure events run smoothly, volunteers are always crucial for the organization. When YAM travels to different locations, volunteers help with supporting the overall flow of the event — more specifically, they work on tasks such as welcoming the audiences, coordinating performances and overseeing logistics.
To promote events, YAM advertises on its Instagram page (@youthartsmovement) and uses EventBrite and Zeffy for the audience to reserve seats. Additionally, flyers for events are distributed at community centers as well as libraries in Saratoga, San Jose, Cupertino and Santa Clara.
In recent years, YAM has hosted two local concerts. The first concert took place last spring at the Union Church of Cupertino, and another was hosted at the Santa Clara University Recital Hall this past November.
“After two successful concerts last year, it feels meaningful to come back home,” Liu said. “Hosting the concert in a familiar, local community space also allows YAM to better connect with neighbors and further the community spirit that YAM concerts aim to foster.”
