Our Mission
Santa Barbara teen musicians Grace Hu, Charlotte Choi, and Tara Pinsker started YouthMuze with the mission of providing free, accessible music education to youth or any aspiring musicians, because the teens know firsthand how costly and inaccessible music education can be.
YouthMuze is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free tutoring and teaching services by experienced teen musicians in the Santa Barbara area.
YouthMuze is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free tutoring and teaching services by experienced teen musicians in the Santa Barbara area.
Our Core Values
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Accessible music education
Encourage patience, perseverance, and progress Enrich the community Enjoyable learning experience for youth Uplifting teaching opportunity for teens |
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Grace Hu, FounderPerforming Arts Scholarship Foundation (PASF) Finalist, three-time Santa Barbara Music Club (SBMC) Scholarship Recipient, three-time Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) Bach Festival Santa Barbara Branch Winner, and two-time Southern California Junior Bach Festival Regional I Medalist are just a few accolades to mention for pianist Grace Hu. Ever since Grace’s mom signed her up for music lessons at the age of four, music and piano have always been constants in Grace’s life.
Grace first began studying piano with Donna McGary and then Marilyn Clements. At age eight, Grace joined the piano studio of Vera Kong, and Grace’s piano endeavors took off. At age eleven, Grace participated in MTAC’s Bach Festival and rocketed up to become a Regional I Medalist. A year later, in 2018, Grace was accepted into the Music Academy of the West’s prestigious MERIT program- a selective two-week intensive program where musicians ages 10-18 are immersed into the academy’s summer school and individually mentored by the academy’s esteemed members. Through 2020 and 2021, Grace’s tenacious work ethic and undeterred efforts have granted her the opportunity of being accepted to play in three concerts with the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at the renowned Walt Disney Concert Hall (virtual during Covid). Grace is also passionate about singing and has won first and second place in various regional and international competitions under the tutelage of Sharlae Jenkins. These include the American Youth Musician Union (AYMU) American Music Talent Competition (International, across 40 countries) and the Muse Competition (International, based in Greece), among others, throughout 2020-2024. In high school, Grace was a member of the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy (DPEA) and part of the DPEA student leadership team. Additionally, Grace was founder and president of her school’s Business Professionals of America Chapter, and she served as a Parks and Recreation Commissioner for the City of Goleta. Outside of music and school, Grace enjoys hiking, biking, and spending time with friends and family. Grace is a graduate of Dos Pueblos High School and will be attending New York University (NYU) on the Shanghai campus in the fall, studying Business or Data Science. |
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Charlotte Choi, Co-FounderCharlotte has been playing the cello for over 10 years, having started when she was only 5 years old. She began studying the cello with Alita Rhodes and currently studies with Sarah Koo Freeman.
Charlotte’s expertise in cello is demonstrated through her experience in both ensemble and solo projects. Starting age six, she has been a passionate member of orchestras like Santa Barbara Strings, Santa Barbara Symphony, and has played in chamber group organizations in Santa Barbara, Orange County, and at Colburn. Charlotte has played in many other masterclasses for renowned cellists such as Anthony Elliot, Rick Mooney, Nancy Yamagata, Amy Barston, Clive Smith, and Alan Stepansky. Locally, Charlotte has won a scholarship from the Santa Barbara Music Club for 5 years in a row (2017–2021). She received an honorable mention in the 2019 Los Angeles Violoncello Society (LAVS) competition and placed 2nd in the Intermediate Cello level in the 2020 American String Teachers Association (ASTA) competition. This year, Charlotte won 1st prize in the 2021 International Music Competition “Rome” Grand Prize Virtuoso. She has also been invited as a quarter-finalist to Moscow, Russia, for the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians. In high school Charlotte loved taking part as an attorney and captain in her school’s Mock Trial team, and was an avid member of the Engineering Academy as well as Vice President of the Academy’s Leadership Team. Charlotte’s other hobbies include reading, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family. In the fall of 2024 Charlotte will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and majoring in bioengineering. She is excited for this new chapter in her life and is extremely thankful for what founding and participating in YouthMuze has done for her community, and how it has helped her grow as a person and a musician. |
Tara Pinsker, Co-FounderTara Pinsker has been playing piano for over ten years. Piano has always been a big part of her life as she started playing piano in elementary school. She began studying piano in Hawaii where she grew up and continued studying piano with Donna McGary when she moved to California. Although she does not competitively play piano, she has played many pieces by numerous musicians such as Scarlatti, Bach, Handel, Kulau, Mozart and more. Tara enjoys playing the piano because it helps her clear and calm her mind, as well as make her happy!
When Tara is not playing piano, she is usually dancing. She has trained in a wide variety of styles including ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, and modern for the past thirteen years. The majority of her training was done at Santa Barbara Dance Arts where she was on their Performance Company and Competition Team. She attended local and regional dance competitions and conventions such as Radix, Revel, NYCDA, and more every year to perform group pieces, solos, and take masterclasses from leading artists in the dance industry. In high school, Tara was also a part of the Dos Pueblos Engineering Academy where she had the opportunity to learn about fundamental engineering principles and practices by creating yearly projects. In addition to being a student in the academy all four years, she also served as the Engineering Academy Student Leadership Team President for one year. In the fall of 2024, Tara will be attending the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to study Bioengineering and hopefully work in the field of prosthetics one day! While she will miss being a part of YouthMuze, she is excited for this next chapter and is proud of what YouthMuze has achieved so far. She can’t wait to watch YouthMuze thrive in the future |
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AboutYouthMuze is a non-profit organization started by teen musicians Grace Hu, Charlotte Choi, and Tara Pinsker with the mission of providing convenient, accessible music education to young aspiring musicians in the Santa Barbara community.
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