Mandarins of Sacramento, Inc.

$23,098 raised by 114 donors

77% complete

$30,000 Goal

About

Video

A Legacy of Excellence Since 1963

In 1963, four members of Sacramento’s Chinese American community came together with a bold vision: to create a performing arts organization that would inspire young people, strengthen community connections, and celebrate cultural pride. From that vision, the Ye Wah Drum and Lyre Corps was born.

What began with just 11 children quickly grew into something extraordinary. Over the next decade, Ye Wah gained recognition for its artistic excellence, performing at state and national championships and on international stages. Highlights included appearances at Taiwan’s Presidential Inaugurations in 1972 and 1974, and Hawaii’s King Kamehameha Parade in 1974—milestones that reflected both musical achievement and cultural significance.

Recognized for Excellence

In 1974, the organization was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and renamed Mandarins of Sacramento, Inc.. With this new chapter came a renewed commitment to inclusion. Mandarins opened its programs to young people of all nationalities, genders, ethnicities, religious affiliations, and sexual orientations, united by a shared passion for music and performance.

Mandarins earned national recognition for its outstanding educational and entertainment programs, including being a two-time recipient of the prestigious Spirit of Disney Award. These honors reflect a long-standing commitment to artistic excellence, youth development, and meaningful community engagement.

A New Name, An Expanded Mission

In 2025, Mandarins proudly became Mandarins Performing Arts, a name that reflects both its evolution and its enduring purpose: Transforming Lives Through Performing Arts! This new identity celebrates the organization’s expanded community reach and deepened commitment to high-quality, accessible music education, serving thousands of students across the Sacramento region and empowering the next generation through creativity, discipline, and self-expression.

From its humble beginnings in 1963, Mandarins has remained deeply rooted in the Sacramento region, while growing into a performing arts organization with national and international reach. Each year, young people from Sacramento and communities across the United States—and around the world—are drawn here to participate in Mandarins’ high-quality performing arts programs. While many alumni may go on to live elsewhere, they continue to call Mandarins home—having built confidence, developed leadership skills, and formed lifelong friendships through shared artistic excellence and community.

Mission

Transforming Lives through Performing Arts! Mandarins is committed to developing life skills in young people by providing an ideal balance of education, family values, and respect through the discipline of music education and performing arts. We celebrate and embrace diversity in all of its forms: including race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or socio-economic status. Music and performing arts connect children through a common language which crosses generational, social, economic, cultural and racial barriers -- the experience that comes with participation in music classes during childhood helps build discipline, character, pride, and self-confidence at a crucial age and forms the springboard to even greater achievements in teen years and adulthood. Mandarins believes that each person can espouse their unique identity while uniting to create amazing musical ensembles. Students learn how teamwork, dedication, hard work, perseverance, goal setting, and discipline contributes to their successes - now and in their future endeavors.

Needs

1. Mandarins Music Academy has critical equipment needs in the coming years to ensure our elementary after-school band students can continue to fully participate and succeed. To make our program accessible, each student is issued an instrument to take home for the entire school year, which requires us to regularly purchase new instruments and replace those that have reached the end of their usable life. In addition to instruments, significant funding is needed for essential incidentals such as valves, valve oil, drumsticks, drumheads, reeds, cork, grease, music, method books, and ongoing repairs. Even with great care, instruments used by young musicians require frequent maintenance, and a poorly functioning instrument can quickly discourage a student from continuing. To meet these needs and keep our program strong and inspiring, Mandarins anticipates instrument replacement costs of approximately $75,000 in the upcoming year.

2. Mandarins is proud to provide music instruction at Jesse Baker School, serving students with disabilities whose physical and cognitive needs require thoughtful, adaptive approaches to music education. Many of these students benefit from specialized or modified instruments that accommodate unique physical limitations and learning styles, allowing them to participate meaningfully and experience success through music. To expand access and ensure each student has appropriate, engaging tools for instruction, Mandarins seeks to purchase additional specialized instruments. The anticipated cost for these instruments is approximately $10,000, which will directly support inclusive, accessible music education for students at Jesse Baker School.

3. Mandarins also provides percussion instruction to incarcerated high school students at the Sacramento juvenile detention facility, offering music education as a powerful tool for expression, discipline, and personal growth. To sustain this program, we must supply durable, high-quality percussion equipment, including drums, replacement drumheads, practice pads, and drumsticks. These materials see heavy, daily use and must be replaced regularly to remain safe, functional, and engaging for students. Reliable equipment is essential to maintaining a respectful learning environment and ensuring students can fully participate and benefit from instruction. To continue and strengthen this important program, Mandarins anticipates equipment and supply needs totaling approximately $30,000.

Equity Statement

The mission of Mandarins is to “transform the lives of youth through musical performance” believing that everyone brings their individual identity, culture and talent to unite and create amazing musical ensembles.

In 2016, Mandarins developed a long term business plan which “celebrates diversity and all of its forms including gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious and social-economic diversity. Creating shared values, sustained musical appreciation, and connection through diverse music can act as a foundation for building a culture of diversity, extending to the surrounding community as an expression of inclusivity.” (Source: Mandarins Statement of Inclusivity).

Mandarins Board of Directors believes that the organization can achieve its mission by drawing on the skills, talents, and perspectives of a broad and diverse range of leaders. Further, diverse viewpoints from different life experiences and cultural backgrounds can strengthen organizational deliberations and decision-making.