Music Forward's Movement to Improve Life Outcomes for Underserved Youth: Championing Career & Technical Education

Abstract

This Capstone for the Doctor of Education Leadership (Ed.L.D.) Program captures my Residency experience as a Program Adviser for the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation (“Music Forward”) in Hollywood, CA, an autonomously running 501(c)(3) organization, and the only non-profit operating within Live Nation’s ~$8Billion family of companies. Music Forward runs five key programs (one of which I developed and piloted during Residency) serving diverse youth aged 12-22 in eight underserved regions across America, with the mission of “accelerating real-life skills for youth using music as the bridge to successful careers.”

In this Capstone, I combine research and reflection from the field to bring the core task of my Residency to life: leading the design (or redesign) and implementation of programs and initiatives that help youth translate the skills they have gained from Music Forward’s programs into promising jobs and careers. Through a Review of Knowledge for Action (RKA), I surveyed the literature across Career and Technical Education (CTE); Personalized, or student-centered learning; and STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts, and Mathematics) education. Based on my research, interviews with practitioners, and professional experience in the field, I argue that in order to best deliver on its mission, Music Forward should partner with specific schools within its target-demographic; namely, those who have adopted CTE school-models that are STEAM or “Arts, Media and Entertainment” (AME) based with an emphasis on student-centered learning, given these schools’ propensity toward career preparedness, collaboration, and collective impact.

Given the critical role of multi-party collaboration in ensuring the success of Music Forward’s programs, I utilize a “collective impact” framework as a tool for analyzing the organization’s relationship with (and dependence upon) strategic partners. Ultimately, I conclude that Music Forward must act as a collective impact convener to optimize its impact on a student’s life and career outcomes. Finally, I discuss Music Forward’s urgent need to secure funding to support the continued growth and sustainment of career pathway related initiatives.