The Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth (PMAY) Artists’ Initiative was front and center at this year’s B. PHL Innovation Fest. The annual three-day series of events, workshops, panels, concerts, and interactive experiences celebrated how organizations are doing innovative work through unity and collaboration.

On Sept. 29, Settlement CEO Helen Eaton and PMAY Artists’ Initiative Director Najib Wong were joined by PMAY Artist Anagha Kapsi for a performance panel focused on “How Collaboration Can Transform a Legacy Field.” The panel opened with a special performance by Anagha and examined how collaboration has the power to challenge norms and make crucial, system-wide change in any well-established field.

Creating life-changing opportunities for young people through equitable music education is the driving force behind PMAY. Out of this collaborative, the PMAY Artists Initiative was formed to address the lack of diversity among musicians in the American symphony orchestra and in the wider classical music profession. With the combined effort of all partner organizations, the initiative is working to change the face of classical music through altering the way the Philadelphia music education ecosystem operates.  Attendees learned about the processes, behaviors, and mindset that have driven PMAY’s innovative success and helped inspire similar collectives launch in Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., and Baltimore.

To learn more about the B. PHL Innovation Fest, please visit bphlfest.com.