The NFA is now accepting applications for its Young Artist Mentorship Program (YAMP), a year-long program that provides young flutists with career guidance, mentorship, and a network of supportive peers.

Participants in YAMP will be paired with professionally established mentors from the flute community for professional support and guidance. They will meet regularly 1:1 with their mentors, as well as with the other YAMP participants throughout the year. These meetings involve guest speakers, career development conversations, and discussions of individual mentee projects or strengths—a coming together where all involved benefit from the unique perspective and wisdom of the group as a whole. 

Applicants must be college students or recent graduates who identify as belonging to a marginalized cultural group (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, flutists with disabilities, etc.). Applicants must also hold an active NFA membership.

The application will remain open through October 10th at 11:59pm CT. Participation in the program is free. 

Learn more and apply at nfaonline.org/yamp. If you have questions about the program, please contact Lorin Green at nfayamp@gmail.com.

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Meet the 2024/25 Mentors:

Raised in Austin, TX, Alice Jones enjoys a multifaceted career that welcomes new listeners into the world of music. Her compositions include the #tinyefforts series and commissions from Amity Trio, Decoda, Gaudete Brass, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Millikin University. A graduate of Yale University, SUNY Purchase, and the CUNY Graduate Center, Alice teaches flute at Montclair State University and the Juilliard Music Advancement Program, serves as the Assistant Dean of Community Engagement and Career Services at The Juilliard School and Treasurer of the NFA Board, and is a Haynes artist.


A freelance flutist, artist, improviser, and composer in the Seattle area, Leanna Keith (she/they) delights in creating sound experiences that make audiences laugh, cry, and say: “I didn’t know the flute could do that!” Their works focus on timbre-shifting, the mixed-race experience, queer theory, and the breaking of performer/audience boundaries. She is dedicated to playing music by living composers, and advocates for the usage of music as social activism. Leanna is the professor of flute at Cornish College of the Arts.

Dr. Kelariz Keshavarz is an Assistant Professor of Flute at Western Carolina University with a distinguished career marked by innovative interdisciplinary projects, a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and significant contributions to contemporary music. Her devotion to her craft is manifest in her various roles as a solo performer, curator, adjudicator, composer, and pedagogue, and she brings to each a passion for fostering understanding and appreciation of music’s rich and diverse tapestry.

 
Flutist Adam W. Sadberry, named to The Washington Post’s 23 for '23, uses his artistry to
connect people and honor his heritage. Known for his warm, luminous sound, he has performed at venues like the Hollywood Bowl and Merkin Hall, and with orchestras such as the Minnesota Orchestra. Adam is also passionate about education and advocacy, serving as Music for Autism’s 2024 Spotlight Artist and holding multiple teaching residencies. Inspired by his grandfather, a Civil Rights Movement journalist named L. Alex Wilson, Adam champions cultural storytelling through music. He is also the founder of Mission Blackbird, a resilience coaching business.