75% Enrollment Growth for Premier Performing Arts Organization

YOUTH MUSIC EDUCATION NONPROFIT

An 8-month brand refresh that helped a 16-year-old music education nonprofit rebuild its student base after COVID.

MY ROLE
Creative Director • Team Lead

CLIENT
Young Artists Conservatory of Music (YACM), Solano County, CA

PROJECT OUTCOMES
125% increase in student inquiries. Families found YACM online when they were searching for post-COVID options.

75% new student enrollment growth. Once-silent music rooms filled again with singing, dancing and performances.

Sustained momentum. Growth has continued at this pace for three years, making YACM the largest, most respected pre-college music education organizations in the region.

INTRODUCTION

Six-year-old Mateo had never seen a violin. Five-year-old Luna had never sung in public. Eight-year-old Noah had never heard jazz.

Thanks to Young Artists Conservatory of Music, these children’s lives were transformed by the discovery and joy of the performing arts.

For 16 years, YACM had engaged thousands of youth, regardless of income, through its world-class performing arts programs.

Then COVID hit. Enrollment plummeted. Singing ceased. And overnight, rooms once filled with laughter, chords and concertos fell silent.

YACM hired me to turn things around. We reframed the narrative and changed everything.

RESPONSIBILITIES AS CREATIVE DIRECTOR

  • Shaped the project from proposal to final delivery

  • Assembled the team & set the schedule

  • Managed the budget

  • Served as the bridge between YACM’s leadership and our team

  • Ensured the narrative stayed consistent across every deliverable and audience

PROJECT TEAM
Creative Director • Design Director • Web Designer & Developer • Copy Editor • SEO Strategist

PROJECT SCOPE
Visual Identity System • Content Strategy • Website Design & Development

THE CHALLENGE

After 16 years successfully mentoring young artists, COVID emptied practice rooms and performance stages.

The nonprofit needed to rebuild its student base and announce that it was ready to enroll again, safely. COVID had killed YACM’s momentum, and its website wasn’t enticing families back.

YACM had a storytelling and engagement problem.

How might we solve this problem?

How might we help a 16-year-old children’s music education nonprofit rebuild enrollment and win back the community it served for years before COVID brought everything to a halt?

Our Solution - Young Artists Conservatory of Music

A Refreshed Content Strategy and Visual Identity Designed to Work as One

1. Content Strategy

We audited and overhauled YACM’s website content, crafting a new site map that streamlined extensive information into user-friendly, searchable content.

Deliverables:

  • Content Audit and Site Map

  • Streamlined, Searchable Content Structure

  • Edited Website Copy

  • Six Website Page Templates

2. Visual Identity

We refreshed the brand identity to announce something new and exciting was happening.

Deliverables:

  • Logo

  • Color Scheme & Palette

  • Typography System

  • Website Design

The Process

1. DISCOVER: WHAT DO AUDIENCES NEED?

Research & Content Audit

We audited YACM’s existing website, researched top performing arts programs and spoke with leadership to understand what was working and what wasn’t.

We mapped the needs of each audience: parents, students and donors.

KEY FINDING

Every audience we needed to reach was time-crunched and overwhelmed by options.

Parents compared programs between school pickup and dinner. Students scrolled to see if this place offered everything they wanted, from lessons to live performances and musical theatre. Donors scanned for evidence of results. No one had patience for buried information and cluttered pages.

A deeper pattern emerged: parents weren’t choosing the best program; they were choosing the most visible one. YACM's strongest competitor taught students to copy rock performance styles but didn't teach them to read music. It won on its street cred. YACM needed to win on the breadth and depth of its transformative programs.

2. DEFINE: SYNTHESIZING INSIGHTS

Personas & Narrative Frame

We kept three priority audiences in mind throughout the project: parents searching for enriching programs, students curious about music and donors looking to support something meaningful.

Audience Personas

  • Marcus

    DAD SEEKING MUSIC ENRICHMENT FOR KIDS

    Represents parents looking for enriching activities. Wants his kids to have real instruction, not just babysitting. Comparing programs online, unsure what quality looks like. His question: Is this worth the investment?

  • Noah

    EAGER 8-YEAR-OLD, PROSPECTIVE STUDENT

    Represents younger prospective students. Never heard jazz before. Browsing the website with his mom, looking for proof this place is fun and welcoming. His question: Will I enjoy learning here?

  • Maya

    RETURNING TEEN, SKILLED SAXOPHONIST

    Represents students who left during COVID. Took lessons before the pandemic, then stopped. Wondering if it’s too late. Her question: Can I pick up where I left off?

  • Diane

    COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PROGRAM OFFICER

    Represents donors and funders. Evaluates arts education grants. Needs evidence of impact and fiscal responsibility. Her question: Is this organization a good steward of our funding?

3. DEVELOP: CONTENT STRATEGY

Site Map & Messaging

The narrative already existed: “We transform lives through our comprehensive music programs.” Our job was to strip away the clutter so families could see and hear that message clearly.

We recommended re-writing key portions of the content in a simplified and warmer tone. Parents needed to be welcomed to YACM, not overwhelmed by lengthy academic explanations of the value of music instruction.

We crafted SEO-optimized page structures, developed a comprehensive site map covering 24+ pages, and designed six templates that equipped YACM’s internal team to complete the remaining pages — a solution within their budget.

We kept the work grounded in a simple discipline: every content decision had to serve the audience and reduce friction in finding critical information.



We proposed new tagline options to replace “Grow Musical, Grow Well,” but the client chose to retain their existing tagline.

4. DELIVER: VISUAL IDENTITY


Strategy and Design Working Together

Through an iterative process and the creation of prototypes, we finalized a visual identity that matched the quality of instruction provided. The refreshed logo, color palette and typography signaled the beginning of a new chapter.

We showcased YACM’s vibrant program and performance photos throughout the website. Every touchpoint said the same thing: YACM is back and ready to welcome young artists.

YACM Color Palette

  • Chill Blue HEX 0194C8

    #0194C8

    Chill Blue

  • Orange HEX FF791D

    #FF791D

    Orange Glow

  • Soft Grey HEX E6E7E8va

    #E6E7E8va

    Soft Grey

PROJECT TAKEAWAYS

YACM didn't need to copy its biggest competitor’s marketing strategy. It simply needed to show what it already was: the definitive resource for children's arts education in Solano County, engaging 1,800 youth each week at its peak.

Through strategic storytelling and a refreshed visual identity, we stripped away the clutter and let the program speak for itself.

This project deepened my belief that designing with empathy for the audience (parents, students and donors) creates solutions that drive meaningful change.

Within YACM’s walls, children’s voices returned. A snare drum exploded on the downbeat. YACM had found its rhythm again. That’s the power of a story well told.

PROJECT TEAM
Adele Berry: Creative Director
Deb Harrison: Design Director, Web Designer/Developer 

Dhruv Nimbark: SEO Strategist

Traian Brumusescu: Motion Design