Meet Scott Barbeau of UpBeat Music and Arts

Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Barbeau.

Scott, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After graduating from UW-Madison, I worked in business for 15 years in telecom, software, and consulting. I left the corporate world in 2004, unsure of what was next, but knowing that I wanted to pursue my passions — helping children and music. After traveling to Zambia in 2006, I co-founded Spark Ventures (spark ventures.org), helping to support and build partnerships internationally. Spark continues to thrive and I serve on the board of directors, but every trip to Zambia and Nicaragua was a reminder how inspired I am working with and mentoring children. In 2013, I founded UpBeat Music and Arts (upbeatma.org), which provides music programs and mentoring to Chicago Youth. The organization has doubled in enrollment each year and now serves over 250 students annually, including over 60 scholarships awarded this year.

Playing in 16 Candles Band for the last 12 years has allowed me to pursue my passions and meet a lot of amazing people. The Band plays about 120 shows a year and is very supportive of UpBeat Music!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting a non-profit is a lot of work and a lot of learning. Developing the curriculum, marketing, branding, hiring teachers, finding locations & partners, raising money, and scheduling classes/students is a continual challenge. We started with 5 students in 2013 and now have over 180 students enrolled. The growth is slow, but we are so passionate about keeping and bringing music into the lives of our youth. All of our teachers believe in our mission of providing music and mentoring which inspires students and helps them reach their full potential. The challenges that go with starting and running our organization are completely offset by the energy and progress that we experience of our students.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with UpBeat Music and Arts – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We provide after-school music programs and summer music camps. Specifically, we provide instruction on piano, guitar, bass, vocals, drums, ensembles, and ukulele. We have developed a curriculum that provides a strong theoretical foundation, healthy technique, and performance experience. Students get the opportunity to play for each other and understand that learning a song is not the same as performing a song. We also believe that music is our conduit to help the students learn accountability, discipline, humility, and to connect with other artists. We are most proud of the impact that our programs have on the lives of these students. They are learning a great set of musical skills but also building great character through their hard work.

We believe our values, teachers, and curriculum make the difference. Also, as a non-profit, we are working to provide all youth the opportunity to be inspired by the arts, offering scholarships to ensure a quality music education for under-resourced students.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We continue to expand, add partners, locations and add programs. Our long term goal is build a community center that provides after-school programs, mentoring, tutoring programs, and overall a safe and fun place for kids to hang out.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4318 W. Irving Park Road
  Chicago, Il 60641
• 2957 N. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60618
• Website: upbeatma.org
• Phone: 773-384-3469
• Email: sbarbeau@upbeatma.org
• Instagram: upbeatmachicago
• Facebook: UpbeatMusicAndArts
• Yelp: upbeatmusicandarts

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