An interesting point; what is good word to describe younger generation musicians?

Somehow I would expect a youth stage to have a more amateur feel than a, I don't know, rising stars stage, or something...

A yob stage is my favorite.   

We often use the word 'young' when describing our own music. What sort of group does that conjure up to you? What word is better to describe a young professional (or semi-professional) act?