Heartland Sings

What Heartland Sings does

Heartland Sings, Inc. is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based nonprofit vocal music production company founded in 1997 by Maestro Robert Nance. The organization operates a company of 50+ professional full-time and part-time vocal artists, delivering high-caliber vocal productions in diverse musical styles, music education, and community outreach programs primarily within the Fort Wayne metro. Its three programmatic pillars are: (1) ticketed mainstage concert productions and the seasonal Summer Season of free outdoor concerts in city parks; (2) the Vocal Arts Institute offering voice lessons, piano lessons, vocal/choral workshops, masterclasses, and curriculum-based school programs; and (3) a community outreach arm serving seniors (Timeless Tunes), children and adults with disabilities (Summer Sing Playground delivered via Turnstone and Gigi's Playhouse), and the Hispanic community (Canto de Corazón, a free bilingual heritage choir co-sponsored with Plymouth Congregational Church). Annual signature events include The Spirit of Christmas and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration.

The organization's most distinctive physical asset is the ART-V™, a mobile performance stage with built-in power and amenities that allows its professional artists to deliver concerts in parks, neighborhoods, retirement communities, and venues that lack conventional theatrical infrastructure. Production and instructional infrastructure is anchored at the 2402 Lake Avenue headquarters in Fort Wayne, which includes the six-room Patricia Mae Adsit Studios (sound-treated lesson rooms), an Audio/Video Studio with infinity wall and blue/green screen capability, and the Vocal Arts Resource Center. Distribution is supplemented by the weekly Piano Bar at The Bradley hotel and the Heartland Voice podcast.

Revenue is generated through four principal streams: concert ticket sales (typically $35 advance / $40 day-of-show), individual donations processed via Network for Good, fee-based and free music education services (workshops at $25 for non-students, free for students), and tipping-based live entertainment at the Piano Bar. The organization is supplemented by institutional grants, including from the AWS Foundation for disability programming. Leadership transitioned over 2022-2024 with Robert Nance stepping back to Founder & Artistic Director Emeritus, Natalie Young assuming the Artistic Director role, Misha Gray-Chemey joining as General Manager in early 2024, and Lucy Rhymes taking on the newly created Director of Marketing & Sales function. The organization is governed by an independent board, has no parent company or external investors, and operates as a single Indiana-incorporated nonprofit entity.

Name

Heartland Sings

Legal name

Heartland Sings, Inc.

Website

https://heartlandsings.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Heartland Sings is a Fort Wayne, Indiana-based nonprofit vocal music production company founded in 1997, delivering ticketed concerts, music education through the Vocal Arts Institute, and community outreach programs serving seniors, individuals with disabilities, and the Hispanic community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Concert Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for performances including mainstage concerts, holiday performances like The Spirit of Christmas, and special events. Ticket prices range from $35 advance to $40 at the door for some events.
2. Donations and Contributions: Nonprofit organization accepting donations through Network for Good platform. Donors can contribute to general operating support.
3. Education Services: Revenue from Vocal Arts Institute lessons including voice lessons, piano lessons, vocal/choral workshops, and masterclasses. Some programs are free while others charge fees.
4. Piano Bar: Live piano performances at The Bradley hotel featuring Maestro Robert Nance, with tipping opportunities for the maestro.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heartland Sings is a nonprofit vocal music production company that produces professional vocal concerts and performances, delivers music education through its Vocal Arts Institute, and runs community outreach programs serving diverse populations in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The organization fields a company of full-time and part-time professional vocal artists and operates the ART-V mobile performance stage to bring live music directly into neighborhoods, schools, retirement communities, and community events.

Product overview

Heartland Sings is a nonprofit vocal music production company offering a portfolio of performing arts products and educational services. The organization operates as a single unified entity with multiple interconnected programs including professional concert productions, the ART-V mobile performance stage, the Vocal Arts Institute for music education, community outreach initiatives like Summer Sing Playground and Canto de Corazón, and live entertainment offerings such as Piano Bar. These programs collectively fulfill the mission of changing lives through song by serving the Fort Wayne community through performance, education, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ART-V™: A mobile performance stage program that allows Heartland Sings professional vocal artists to perform various musical genres anywhere the stage can be parked.

Products and services

• Concert Productions Professional vocal productions in diverse musical styles featuring the company's full-time and part-time vocal artists, including seasonal concert series, holiday performances such as The Spirit of Christmas, and special events. Targeted at general community members and arts patrons in the Fort Wayne area.
• ART-V Mobile Performance Stage A mobile performance stage with built-in power and amenities that allows professional vocal artists to perform a variety of musical genres anywhere the stage can be parked, bringing live entertainment to neighborhoods, retirement communities, churches, and community events.
• Vocal Arts Institute Educational division offering voice lessons, piano lessons, vocal and choral workshops, masterclasses, and curriculum-based programs for students of all ages and abilities. Some programs are free for students, with paid options for non-students.
• Canto de Corazón A free Hispanic community choir dedicated to sharing Hispanic cultural heritage and building language skills in both Spanish and English through music, serving the Hispanic community in Fort Wayne.
• Timeless Tunes A community outreach program designed to engage senior community members through musical experiences at retirement communities and care facilities.
• Community Outreach Programs Artistic and educational presentations bringing music to community members with limited access, including seniors and people with disabilities, through partnerships with organizations such as Turnstone, Renaissance Pointe YMCA, and other community groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 30 years of service to the Fort Wayne community since 1997

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plymouth Congregational ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for performances, rehearsals, and community programs. The church serves as a venue for major concerts including The Spirit of Christmas and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration. Co-sponsors Canto de Corazón community choir program.
• TurnstonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Summer Sing Playground program providing music education to children and adults with disabilities at Turnstone facilities.
• Gigi's PlayhousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Summer Sing Playground music education program serving individuals with Down syndrome.
• Renaissance Pointe YMCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership for outreach programs and neighborhood engagement.
• Purdue Fort WayneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local university for music education and artist development.
• Allen County CourthouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for annual Spirit of Christmas holiday concert tradition.
• Auer Performance HallminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcert venue for major performances including A Choral Testament celebration.
• Harrison Hill Elementary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYMCA Summer Camps partnership providing Spanish language learning through music to elementary school children.
• Arts United of Greater Fort WaynecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor arts umbrella organization that awarded Founder Maestro Robert Nance 'Artist of the Year' in 2017.
• Fort Wayne Dance CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for Broadway Revue Workshop Series combining singing and choreography.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Fort Wayne Philharmonic: Fort Wayne's largest professional performing arts organization, offering orchestral concerts, education programs, and community outreach in the same metro market. It competes with Heartland Sings for the same local donors, sponsors, and ticket audiences, and operates an overlapping education/outreach model.
• Indianapolis Symphonic Choir: Indiana's premier symphonic chorus producing concert seasons, holiday traditions, and educational outreach within the same state. Comparable as a professional vocal ensemble operating in Indiana with a similar community-outreach and education orientation.
• Fort Wayne Civic Theatre: A Fort Wayne-based community theatre presenting musical productions, education programs, and youth programming. Competes with Heartland Sings for local audiences, sponsorships, and arts grants in the same market, with overlapping education/community programs.
• Cincinnati Vocal Arts Ensemble: A regional professional choral ensemble producing concert seasons in the Midwest. Comparable as a nonprofit professional vocal group delivering themed concert programming and community education, operating in a similar mid-size-market context.

Direct peers

• Cantus: An internationally touring professional male vocal ensemble that produces curated concert programs in diverse musical styles and runs educational outreach. It mirrors Heartland Sings' model of full-time professional vocal artists producing themed concert seasons paired with community engagement.
• Chanticleer: A Grammy-winning professional vocal ensemble presenting concerts, education programs, and residencies. Highly comparable as a nonprofit professional vocal company that pairs live performance with outreach, similar to Heartland Sings' programming structure.
• VocalEssence: A Minnesota-based choral and vocal-arts nonprofit producing concerts, education, and community programs including initiatives for underserved populations. Directly comparable to Heartland Sings in mission, program mix, and nonprofit performing-arts structure.
• Roomful of Teeth: A Grammy-winning professional vocal ensemble based at Williams College known for vocal innovation, residencies, and education. Comparable as a small nonprofit professional vocal company producing distinctive concert programming and educational outreach.
• Masterworks Chorale: A community-based professional choral organization producing concert seasons with educational outreach. Operates with a similar nonprofit model combining concert production, vocal-arts education, and community programming.
• The Sixteen: A UK-based professional vocal ensemble producing concert seasons, education programs, and vocal-arts outreach internationally. Highly comparable in operating model — small company of professional vocal artists, themed concert programming, and extensive education/community mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/heartlandsings
• Xx.com/heartlandsings
• Facebookfacebook.com/HeartlandSings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartland-chamber-chorale

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Heartland Sings