What American String Teachers Association does

The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in February 1946 by nineteen string teachers at the Music Teachers National Association meeting in Detroit, Michigan, with each founding member contributing one dollar to seed a nineteen-dollar operating fund. Headquartered at P.O. Box 551, Annapolis Junction, Maryland, ASTA serves more than 6,000 active members across the United States, including K-12 string and orchestra teachers, university faculty, private studio instructors, students, and corporate string-industry members, organized through 50+ state chapters and a network of collegiate student chapters. The organization's mission is to support string and orchestra teachers and players through teaching resources, professional education, local and national events, a Career Center, insurance programs, and community engagement.

ASTA's product portfolio centers on a content-and-community ecosystem delivered through a Tradewing-powered website platform. Core products include two peer-reviewed journals (American String Teacher published quarterly and String Research Journal published annually, both with SAGE Publishing), the ASTACAP Certificate Advancement Program (an 11-level non-competitive examination framework for bowed strings and harp), an annual National Conference, the Virtual String Teachers Summit (launched in 2023), the National Orchestra Festival competition, bimonthly ASTA eLearning webinars (40+ hours of on-demand content), a Career Center job platform, and mentorship programs. Supporting offerings include publications (String Curriculum, String Assessment Guide, String Syllabus), the New Canon Project (a composer-commissioning joint venture with ACDA and Rising Tide Music & Arts), Presto Teaching Tips video content, advocacy resources, and directory listings for teacher workshops and student camps.

Revenue is generated through a diversified nonprofit model with five primary streams: recurring membership dues (Student $50/year to String Industry Council $350-$625/year), event registration and conference sponsorship (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze tiers), publication sales, advertising and mailing-list rentals, and charitable donations processed through GiveButter. New Bundle & Save packages combine membership with conference and summit registrations at a 10% discount. The organization operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees under Executive Director and CEO Lynn Tuttle, supported by an elected Board of Directors and strategic partnerships with SAGE Publishing, Alfred Music, Shenandoah University, and a multi-tier roster of corporate sponsors including Yamaha, D'Addario, and the Music Performance Trust Fund.

Name

American String Teachers Association

Legal name

American String Teachers Association

Website

https://astastrings.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASTA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1946 serving 6,000+ U.S. string and orchestra teachers, students, and performers through membership dues, annual conferences, peer-reviewed journals, the ASTACAP certification program, webinars, and a state chapter network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfax

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and multi-year membership fees ranging from $50 (student) to $130 (professional), with discounted dual, institutional, and corporate membership tiers. Membership includes access to publications, webinars, state chapters, and event discounts.
2. National Conference and Virtual Summit Registration: Revenue from conference and summit attendance fees, with member discounts. The annual National Conference and Virtual String Teachers Summit provide substantial revenue through registration fees, exhibit sponsorships, and advertising opportunities.
3. Advertising and Sponsorship: Revenue generated from advertising in the American String Teacher journal, website advertising, e-newsletter placements, mailing list rentals, and Career Center job postings. Conference sponsorships at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze) provide significant sponsorship revenue.
4. Publications Sales: Sales of publications including ASTA String Curriculum ($49.99), String Assessment Guide ($59.95 non-member / $39.95 member), and String Syllabus Volume One ($39.99). Print copies of journals available for purchase.
5. Bundled Membership Packages: Bundle packages combining membership with conference and summit registrations at discounted rates (e.g., Professional Bundle at $540, Student Bundle at $190). Monthly payment plans available with convenience fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ASTA is a membership-based professional association that delivers teaching resources, professional development, peer-reviewed journals, a national student certification program (ASTACAP), annual conferences and virtual summits, and a Career Center for string and orchestra teachers, performers, and students across the United States. Revenue is generated through membership dues, event registrations, publication sales, advertising, sponsorships, and donations.

Product overview

ASTA operates as a membership-based professional association offering a comprehensive ecosystem of products and services for string music educators. The core offerings include two peer-reviewed journals (American String Teacher and String Research Journal), the ASTACAP certificate program, annual National Conferences and Virtual Summits, the National Orchestra Festival competition, ASTA eLearning webinars, and a Career Center platform. Supporting products include publications (String Curriculum, Assessment Guide, Syllabus), mentorship programs (standard and Eclectic Styles Jambassadors), the New Canon Project composer commissioning initiative, Presto Teaching Tips video content, advocacy resources, and membership tiers with bundled conference/summit packages. The organization also maintains state and student chapters, an online community, Resource Library with 40+ hours of content, a Teacher Workshops Directory, and Student Camps Directory. Revenue streams include membership dues, event registrations, publication sales, advertising, and sponsorship. The association partners with SAGE Publishing for journal distribution, GiveButter for donations, Smartsheet for forms, and Shenandoah University for continuing education credits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• American String Teacher Journal (AST)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 6,000 active members served across the United States
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• William Harris Lee & Co., Inc.coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference and NOF instrument sponsor. Provides cellos and basses free of charge to NOF groups.
• Yamaha Corporation of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Committed to enriching lives through music education for over 50 years.
• Alfred MusiccoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Primary publisher of ASTA publications including String Curriculum and String Syllabus.
• Music Performance Trust FundcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Platinum sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Nonprofit established in 1948 dedicated to making music part of every child's life.
• Connolly Music Company / Thomastik-InfeldcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference and provides direct support for NOF Grand Champions programs.
• D'AddariocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. World's largest manufacturer of musical instrument accessories.
• Huntington T. BlockcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Preferred insurance provider offering exclusive instrument insurance to ASTA members.
• Southwest StringscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Has served the string instrument community for over 30 years.
• Conn SelmercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Gold sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Leading manufacturer and distributor of musical instruments.
• Shar MusicminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Silver sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference.
• ArrangeMe (Hal Leonard)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Bronze sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Global platform for selling arrangements of popular songs and original compositions.
• Glasser*NY & Larsen StringsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Bronze sponsor of the 2024 ASTA National Conference. Exclusive importer for Larsen Strings in North America.
• SAGE PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial publishing partner for American String Teacher journal and String Research Journal. Provides better online access, easier article search, and increased accessibility.
• Shenandoah UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with ASTA to offer undergraduate and graduate college credits for conference, summit, and ongoing professional development. Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
• American Choral Directors Association (ACDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in the New Canon Project, commissioning new works by Black and Latine composers for orchestra and choral classrooms.
• Rising Tide Music & Arts (RTMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in the New Canon Project. Manages composer pathway and publication initiatives for the project.
• TradewingcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite platform provider powering ASTA's membership management, event registration, online community, and content delivery systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• National Association for Music Education (NAfME): The largest U.S. professional association for music educators; comparable nonprofit membership organization delivering journals, conferences, advocacy, and professional development — though broader than ASTA because it covers all music disciplines, not just strings.
• Music Teachers National Association (MTNA): The U.S. professional association for independent music teachers (piano, strings, voice, etc.); runs the same kind of membership, journal, conference, and certification model as ASTA — directly comparable nonprofit professional-association economics.
• Suzuki Association of the Americas: A nonprofit that supports Suzuki-method string teachers, students, and parents in the Americas; shares ASTA's string-only focus, certification/training programs, conferences, and chapter-based community structure.
• American Choral Directors Association (ACDA): A discipline-specific nonprofit professional association for choral directors; structurally mirrors ASTA's model (membership, journal, conference, advocacy) and is already a documented joint-venture partner of ASTA via the New Canon Project.
• Percussive Arts Society: A nonprofit professional association for percussion educators and performers offering membership, a peer-reviewed journal, an annual convention, and certification — an instrument-discipline twin of ASTA's model.

Emerging players

• International Society of Bassists: A smaller professional association focused specifically on double bass; overlaps with ASTA's string-only mission but operates at a narrower scale and lacks ASTA's broad institutional reach.

Regional players

• European String Teachers Association (ESTA): The European counterpart to ASTA for string teachers; same mission and structurally similar nonprofit membership/events model but operates primarily in Europe rather than North America.
• Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM): A UK-headquartered music education and assessment organization running graded exams and teacher training; comparable to ASTA in its certification/assessment focus (analogous to ASTACAP) but operates primarily outside the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• American Federation of Musicians (AFM): A large, established union and professional association for U.S. musicians; overlaps with ASTA in serving professional musicians and educators but covers all instruments and follows a labor/union model rather than a teacher-only nonprofit model.

Others

• NAMM Foundation: The nonprofit arm of NAMM that supports music learning through advocacy and research; thematically adjacent to ASTA's mission around string/music education and a potential ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/astastrings
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ASTAonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/astastrings
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-string-teachers-association-asta

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 American String Teachers Association