Erik Holmgren serves as the Program Manager for Creative Youth Development (CYD) at the Massachusetts Cultural Council where he oversees funding for CYD and contributes to the CYD National Partnership. During his time at the Mass Cultural Council he was responsible for launching SerHacer, the first public support system for El Sistema-inspired work in the United States, and Amplify, which provides grants directly to young people for youth led projects. Prior to his work at the Council, Holmgren was on faculty at Frostburg State University and Columbia University. He holds five degrees in music and education and is the founder of Musical Perspectives, one of the first online journals focusing on scholarship in music performance.