George Pareti on Music, FTY and What’s Next

George Pareti has never really waited for someone else to give him a platform. The Chicago-area creative is the founder of ForTheYouth, a media and events platform built around putting emerging artists, creators, and local scenes in front of more people. What started as interviews and music coverage has grown into events, artist showcases, original series, brand collaborations, and a community that reaches well beyond Chicago.

A big part of Pareti’s focus now is expanding ForTheYouth into something bigger than just one page or one type of content. Under the FTY umbrella, he has been developing original shows and concepts like Office Hours and In The Works, each giving artists and creatives a different way to tell their story. Office Hours is built around conversation, giving artists a space to talk more openly about their music, ideas, careers, and what they are building beyond a release. In The Works leans further into the creative process, focusing on what artists are making before the finished product reaches the public.

Both shows represent where Pareti wants to take ForTheYouth next: more original programming, stronger storytelling, and projects that can grow into their own recognizable brands while still living under the larger FTY world. At the same time, Pareti has continued building his own career as an artist. His music pulls from many of the same things that shape his work outside of it: Chicago, Italian culture, old movies, fashion, family history, and the idea of making something that can last longer than a social media moment. Instead of separating everything into different lanes, Pareti has slowly turned all of it into one larger world.

The next chapter is centered around Dolce Vita, a project Pareti has been developing through music, visuals, short films, live experiences, and content. For Pareti, though, making music is only one part of the story. Through ForTheYouth, he has spent years interviewing artists before they became widely known, throwing independent events, covering Chicago’s underground scene, and creating opportunities for younger creatives to get involved. That experience has also shaped the way he approaches his own career. He understands both sides: being the artist trying to get noticed and being the person behind the platform deciding what deserves attention. That perspective is part of what makes his path different.