Little Legato brings arts education to foster youth

In a world filled with the cacophony of challenges faced by marginalized youth, Elizabeth, the founder of Little Legato, has set out to make a difference. Her mission is clear and resounding: to bring joy, creativity, and equitable access to arts education to the community, with a specific focus on foster youth. Elizabeth, a musician with eight years of experience, understands the transformative power of music and is determined to share its benefits with those who need it most.

Elizabeth’s journey began with a deep appreciation for the arts, fostered by her own experience with a school system that offered music education as a required class throughout elementary school. Her passion for music continued to grow throughout high school, cultivated through eight years of dedicated work. Recognizing the privilege she enjoyed, she couldn’t help but notice the stark contrast between her access to arts education and the lack thereof in the lives of many youth around her.

“Music provided me with a creative outlet, a way to express myself, and a sense of joy that I believe every child deserves,” Elizabeth shared. This realization inspired her to create Little Legato, a youth organization aimed at bridging the gap and making arts education accessible to all.

Initially, Elizabeth conceived Little Legato as a means to expand her teaching impact, offering music lessons to more children and involving student teachers her age. During the COVID pandemic, she started reaching out to families and children, teaching violin and viola on FaceTime and Zoom for those who were interested. However, an encounter with foster youth at an Olive Crest caregiver’s event a few years ago transformed the organization’s mission.

Elizabeth recalled, “I immediately knew I wanted to help foster youth specifically. And so I looked to what I knew best: music.”

 Foster youth are an especially vulnerable and marginalized group, often facing hardships that most people may not fully comprehend. Recognizing the immense need within this community, Elizabeth was motivated to adapt her organization’s mission to provide arts education opportunities for these young individuals. Despite encountering challenges and obstacles due to her age and legal constraints, she pushed forward with determination and optimism. Elizabeth’s love of teaching and heart for serving youth through education, as well as her talents in music and viola, has not cultivated into a whole youth organization.

Recruiting peer musicians and artists to provide lessons in seven different instruments and various art forms, Elizabeth has utilized every chance to blossom Little Legato’s mission into concrete reality. Speaking at an OC Social Services forum, she began to see the fruit of her work, where foster children began to sign up for Little Legato lessons. 

As Little Legato continues to grow, it has made a significant impact on foster youth throughout California. Currently partnered with Higher Ground OC, an Anaheim-based afterschool program that hosts foster kids to help reduce youth violence and crime, Elizabeth and her team have made heartfelt efforts to provide a safe space and creative outlet.

With small acts of service such as teaching a few chords on the ukulele, or making spin drums out of paper and string, Elizabeth’s unwavering dedication to her mission has not only enriched the lives of countless young individuals but has also created ripples of change in the foster care system.

She notes, “Understanding the immense need the foster community is in, being such a vulnerable and marginalized population, I’m all the more motivated and eager to help even more foster youth through my program and am so excited for the future of Little Legato.”

Little Legato’s booth at the Playdate Project fundraiser. Credit: Priscilla Moon

The Little Legato Team. (Left to right: Grace, Laura, Elizabeth, Priscilla)

The organization’s dedication to foster youth has attracted numerous supporters, volunteers, and fellow musicians who share Elizabeth’s passion for using the arts as a tool for healing, growth, and self-expression. Recently participating in the Playdate Project organized by Little Legato advisor Laura Izumikawa, they organized a music station, impacting more than 100 parents and children, and collectively raising nearly $8000 for Olive Crest, a non-profit and licensed Foster and Adoption Agency. Little Legato is more than a youth organization; it is a movement, a melody of hope that resonates with those who understand the transformative power of music.

Elizabeth’s vision for Little Legato extends beyond her youth, as she is determined to make a lasting impact on foster organizations and the foster care system. “My heart truly lies in serving the foster community, and it’s something I’ll continue to pursue for as long as I can,” she affirms. Her commitment to creating positive change for foster youth will continue to be a source of inspiration and empowerment for all who support Little Legato.

In conclusion, Elizabeth’s journey and the foundation of Little Legato exemplify the extraordinary impact one individual can have when driven by a genuine passion to bring joy, creativity, and equitable access to arts education to foster youth. As this inspiring organization continues to grow, it serves as a testament to the profound impact that music and the arts can have in the lives of those who need it the most. Little Legato is not just a youth organization; it is a beacon of hope and a harmonious testament to the power of compassion and dedication.