The mission of the Stretto Youth Chamber Orchestra is to provide high level immersion based musical training and character development to a diverse community of children and youth between ages 6-18. Local and international performances and student-led fundraising deepen the experience of being part of a community of socio-economic inclusion, adding dimension to peer leadership and mentoring.The Stretto community believes that children learn empathy through modeling and experience, and so we foster empathy in the context of community by prioritizing inclusion and emphasizing the value of mutual care. The ensemble includes students living in wealth and students living below the poverty line, including children that have become wards of the state. In addition, students represent all major religious backgrounds and all racial backgrounds, including African-American, Asian-American, Caribbean-American, European-American, Hispanic-American, and immigrants from across the globe. All students’ joys and struggles, no matter how different the context, are honored as significant within our community. We do not function on competitive hierarchy, rather service and a capacity for nurture are emphasized as the characteristics of a strong leader. Older students mentor the younger students and lead their peers as an act of service, not a mark of prestige. They inspire each other to invest their energies within their ensembles and, ultimately, their communities.Local and international performances are a part of our training. The students share their music with those who might not otherwise have access, including playing during meals for the homeless and at nursing homes. We travel biennially to Asia or Europe with all members of our ensemble regardless of their ability to completely cover their costs of travel. This type of experience matters because the students can view themselves as citizens of the world. The enjoyment they experience during their musical development carries over into their adult years and, like the compassion we foster, ends up as part of the DNA of our students and alumnae, creating emotional fulfillment within their lives and careers. We model the strength and confidence that a diverse and shared community can create when all the individuals are joined in a shared purpose.