Our Story

A Legacy of
Excellence & Service

Named in honor of Ricardo Scales and Patience Scales, whose dedication to musical excellence and cultural preservation continues to inspire our work supporting the next generation of artists and changemakers.

Ricardo Scales - Conservatory Trained Virtuoso and Cultural Pillar
Musical Virtuosity

Ricardo Scales

Reunited and it sounds SO GOOD. The incredible privilege of collaborating with the Maestro who believed in me first. When I was introducing the Bay to my jazz artistry, he took a bet on me and the rest is history. My instrument cemented the presidential work and civic engagements followed.

Now we're documenting mastery before it becomes memory: capturing performances, preserving what happens when someone has spent over four decades weaving classical precision, jazz improvisation, gospel soul, and R&B groove into something unmistakable.

This concert series is living archive. Ricardo's contribution to American sound doesn't disappear into unmarked history. Not on my watch.

Legacy Highlights

  • 40+ Years of conservatory trained virtuosity
  • 30+ Albums and Billboard recognition
  • Presidential Performances and civic engagements
  • Cultural Leadership from San Francisco's Redwood Room to international stages
  • Mentorship Legacy opening doors for emerging artists across the Bay

Ricardo Scales Legacy Concert Series

When legends like Billy Joel and Harry Connick Jr. abandon their hotel rooms to join you at the piano, you've transcended performance. This is what it looks like when artistry becomes cultural infrastructure.

Grace & Elegance

Patience Scales

The woman who raised a maestro. Patience Scales represents the foundation upon which excellence is built. Her name itself speaks to the quiet strength, unwavering support, and enduring commitment that shaped one of the Bay Area's most distinguished musical careers.

In naming Parade of Youth to honor both Ricardo and Patience, we recognize that legacy is not created in isolation. Behind every virtuoso is a family that believed first, sacrificed most, and celebrated loudest. Behind every standing ovation is someone who stood by through the practice, the rejections, the long nights, and the longer journeys.

Patience's elegance and grace live on in the way we serve our sponsored artists: with dignity, with attention to detail, with the understanding that supporting creative work is sacred work.

The Foundation of Excellence

  • Family as First Believers in creative potential
  • Grace Under Pressure modeling resilience and dignity
  • Nurturing Excellence through patience and commitment
  • Timeless Elegance that continues to inspire

A Name That Speaks Volumes

Patience. Not just a virtue, but a legacy. The kind of unwavering support that allows genius to flourish, excellence to mature, and cultural contributions to endure across generations.

Patience Scales - Grace, Elegance, and the Foundation of Excellence
Our Mission

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Musical Excellence

Following Ricardo's example, we support artists who are committed to mastery, innovation, and pushing the boundaries of their craft while staying rooted in tradition.

Patient Support

Honoring Patience's legacy, we provide the steady, unwavering support that allows creative projects to mature and flourish without rushing the process.

Community Impact

Like Ricardo's commitment to opening doors for others, we create pathways for artists and youth leaders to access resources and networks that transform their work.

Named in Honor. Built for Impact.

Parade of Youth was founded on the principle that every artist and youth leader deserves access to the infrastructure needed to bring their vision to life. Our fiscal sponsorship services remove financial and administrative barriers, allowing creators to focus on what they do best.

Through partnerships with organizations like Artists and Athletes for Change (AAFC) and LINEA, we provide comprehensive support that goes beyond traditional fiscal sponsorship, creating pathways for sustainable creative careers and community impact.

Core Values

The Principles That Guide Us

Excellence Without Compromise

Ricardo's 40+ years of mastery teach us that excellence is not accidental. We hold ourselves and our sponsored projects to the highest standards of quality, professionalism, and impact.

Patience in Process

True cultural impact cannot be rushed. We understand that meaningful projects require time to develop, mature, and achieve lasting influence. We provide the patient support that allows this to happen.

Opening Doors

Just as Ricardo took a bet on emerging artists, we actively create opportunities for underrepresented creators to access resources, networks, and platforms that transform their work.

Documenting Legacy

We're committed to ensuring that contributions to American culture don't disappear into unmarked history. Through our work, we create living archives of excellence.

Sacred Service

We approach our work with the understanding that supporting creative work is sacred work. Every project we sponsor receives our full attention, dedication, and respect.

Intergenerational Impact

From Patience's foundation to Ricardo's mastery to the next generation we serve, we recognize that true legacy spans generations and creates bridges between past, present, and future.

Join Our Legacy

Ready to Transform Your Vision?

Join our community of artists and youth leaders who are carrying forward the legacy of excellence, patience, and cultural impact.

Apply for Fiscal Sponsorship

Questions? Email us at info@paradeofyouth.org