BY MELANIE ULLE
If you walk into a Youth on Record session in Denver, you might hear 1990s rock riffs, modern folk, or heavy punk. Executive Director Jami Duffy sees students pushing past traditional genre boundaries every day.
“I’m impressed how this generation isn’t tied to one genre,” Duffy says. “Not one thing defines them, and they’re exploring a lot. That said, I am seeing more punk, more folk—which I think is a sign of the times. The world is on fire, and they’re responding.”
Youth on Record offers free music education and creative programs for young people ages 11 to 24. They host after-school music workshops, open mics, and free studio sessions at their Youth Media Studio. They also teach for-credit classes in Denver and Aurora schools, serving over 1,700 students last year.
Instead of a traditional classroom, the group operates out of a real industry space. Studio walls feature concert flyers, band stickers, and mental health resources alongside professional recording gear.
“Our youth media studio looks like a cross between a music venue, a music store, and a tech lab,” Duffy explains. “You can feel DIY vibes meeting the music industry. That’s our appeal.”
Music gives students a creative outlet. It also helps adult mentors see how young artists are handling daily stress. To support them, Youth on Record keeps a full-time Mental Health Manager and Peer Navigators on site. The organization hires professional, working musicians as teachers instead of relying on unpaid volunteers.
“Youth development work is a profession,” Duffy says. “That’s why, when people ask if they can volunteer directly with our students, we politely decline. Our team is trained in learning frameworks and our teaching pedagogy, youth mental health, and trauma-informed practices.”
Instructors often share similar backgrounds and identities with their students, which helps build trust quickly. Youth on Record works to break the starving artist myth by offering real career paths. Their workforce programs serve young adults ages 18 to 26, preparing them for jobs in media, performance, and live event production. For example, their Media Arts team produces a podcast called Youth on Rewind to highlight young voices.
“First and foremost, we pay thriving wages,” Duffy notes. “That includes our staff. We have 15 full-time employees and about 30 part-time and seasonal team members.”
Students step directly into paid roles at local events, including 16 Live, a free downtown concert series launching in August.
Building these pathways required Youth on Record to connect with industries outside the arts. They regularly work with housing, healthcare, hospitality, and local businesses.
“To advance the creative sector, you have to work with all the other sectors,” Duffy says. “And you have to go in knowing they may not know much below the surface about our struggles and our inner workings.”
Community support keeps these programs free for local youth. You can support their work in three simple ways: attend live events by bringing your family to local shows to support young performers directly, tell local teenagers and young adults about these free programs, or become a donor by joining the Record Club to support free youth programs with a monthly gift.