North American Saxophone Alliance

What North American Saxophone Alliance does

The North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization incorporated under the laws of North Carolina in 1988, with origins at the First World Saxophone Congress in Chicago in December 1969 and formal establishment in 1976 under founding leader Frederick Hemke. NASA is described as the largest organization in the Western Hemisphere dedicated to the saxophone as a medium of serious musical expression, serving a membership base that spans professional performers, university professors, students of all levels, school band programs, and amateur enthusiasts across the United States and Canada through a 10-region governance structure (e.g., Region 1 Pacific Northwest through Region 10 Eastern Canada).

The organization's product surface consists of tiered annual memberships ($50-$300), a biennial national conference (next scheduled for March 12-15, 2026 at The Ohio State University) alternating with 10 regional conferences, classical/quartet/jazz improvisation competitions, two standing committees (Gender Equity and DEIBA), a mentorship program, a Stolen Instruments Database, and two publications — the peer-reviewed annual journal The Saxophone Symposium and the periodic NASA Update newsletter. The digital infrastructure is built on a WordPress website (saxophonealliance.org) with Cloudflare fronting and Wild Apricot powering member login, renewals, event registration, donor payments, and email communications; publication retail distribution is handled by Groth Music.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership dues, biennial conference sponsorships and exhibitor fees ($500-$5,000 tiers), publication sales and journal advertising, and tax-deductible donations to the General Fund and earmarked funds (Gender Equity Scholarship, DEIBA). Governance is volunteer-driven via an Executive Committee (President, President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer) plus appointed officer roles (Jazz Coordinator, Director of Scholarly Initiatives, Membership Director, Marketing Director, Communication Directors, Director of Development, Youth Engagement Advisor) and 10 Regional Directors, with no parent company or external ownership.

Name

North American Saxophone Alliance

Legal name

North American Saxophone Alliance

Website

https://saxophonealliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The North American Saxophone Alliance is the largest saxophone-focused nonprofit membership organization in the Western Hemisphere, serving professional saxophonists, university professors, students, and enthusiasts across the US and Canada via tiered annual memberships, biennial and regional conferences, competitions, and scholarly publications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Professional Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC)

Keywords

• Saxophone membership organization
• Music professional association
• Peer-reviewed music journal
• Saxophone conferences
• Music education nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Urbana

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. NASA offers tiered membership levels ranging from $50-$300 annually, with categories for students (Under 30 at $50), general members ($75), seniors ($60), and program memberships for middle/high school programs ($150). Higher tiers include optional donations to the general fund.
2. Conference Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees: The biennial conferences generate revenue through corporate sponsorships at Platinum ($5,000), Gold ($2,500), Silver ($1,500), and Bronze ($500) levels, plus booth fees for exhibitors.
3. Publication Sales: The Saxophone Symposium back issues and The Saxophone Journal are sold through Groth Music. Advertising space in The Saxophone Symposium is also available for purchase.
4. Donations: Contributing, Patron, and Benefactor members make additional donations to the NASA General Fund. The organization also accepts donations to specific funds including the Committee for Gender Equity Scholarship Fund and the DEIBA Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that delivers services to saxophonists through annual memberships, biennial national conferences, ten regional conferences, the peer-reviewed Saxophone Symposium journal, the NASA Update newsletter, competitions, and committee-driven professional development programs across North America.

Product overview

The North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) is a nonprofit membership organization offering a portfolio of products and services centered on saxophone performance, education, and community. The core offerings include annual membership with multiple tiers, the biennial national conference (next: March 2026 at Ohio State University), and ten regional conferences held in alternating years. NASA publishes The Saxophone Symposium, a peer-reviewed scholarly journal, and distributes NASA Update, a periodic newsletter. Additional services include competitions (classical, quartet, jazz improvisation), the Committee for Gender Equity with mentorship programs, and the DEIBA Committee supporting diversity initiatives. A stolen instruments database is available for members. The organization is governed by a constitution and bylaws, with leadership including an Executive Committee, regional directors, and appointed officers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NASA Membership Annual subscription membership for saxophonists offered in multiple tiers — Under 30 ($50), Standard ($75), Contributing ($100), Patron ($150), Benefactor ($300), Senior ($60), and School Program ($150) — providing benefits including conference discounts, access to The Saxophone Symposium, competition eligibility, and networking.
• Biennial National Conference NASA's flagship national conference held every two years featuring performances, master classes, lectures, competitions, and networking for saxophonists. Next scheduled for March 12-15, 2026 at The Ohio State University.
• Regional Conferences Annual regional conferences held in alternating years when the biennial national conference is not scheduled, covering 10 geographic regions across North America with performances, competitions, and educational events.
• The Saxophone Symposium A scholarly, peer-reviewed annual journal devoted solely to the saxophone, featuring original research on saxophone history, literature, pedagogy, jazz studies, and contemporary practices. Back issues are sold through Groth Music.
• Competitions Competitive events held during regional and biennial conferences including classical saxophone, saxophone quartet, and jazz improvisation categories, available to members.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Groth MusicminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGroth Music serves as the retail distributor for NASA publications including The Saxophone Symposium back issues and NASA publications. Members can purchase these materials through Groth Music's online storefront.
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationWild Apricot provides the membership management software platform for NASA, powering member login functionality, membership renewals, event registration, email communications, and the donor payment portal.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Horn Society: Professional membership organization for horn players, operating with similar structure of journals (The Horn Call), workshops/symposiums, commissions, and competitions. Comparable nonprofit music society with similar revenue model.
• International Trumpet Guild: Membership organization for trumpet players with peer-reviewed journal (ITG Journal), annual conference, and scholarly publications. Operates the same nonprofit professional society model as NASA.
• National Flute Association: Large membership organization for flutists with annual convention, The Flutist Quarterly journal, and competitions. Comparable in scale and benefits to NASA but focused on flute.
• International Trombone Association: Professional membership society for trombonists featuring the ITA Journal, annual symposium, and low-brass-focused events. Closely mirrors NASAs structure and scale as an instrument-specific nonprofit society.
• International Double Reed Society: Membership organization for oboe and bassoon players publishing The Double Reed journal and hosting an annual conference. Direct analog to NASA in mission, structure, and member-funded nonprofit model.
• Percussive Arts Society: Membership society for percussionists publishing Percussive Notes journal and hosting PASIC, the largest percussion convention. Similar music-instrument professional society model with scholarships and competitions.
• International Clarinet Association: Membership professional organization for clarinetists, with the same model of conferences, scholarly journal (Clarinet Studies), competitions, and regional/demographic structure. Most directly comparable peer in the same music-instrument society category.
• American Viola Society: Membership organization for viola players with Journal of the American Viola Society and biennial festival. Close analog as a smaller instrument-specific professional nonprofit society.

Broad incumbents

• College Music Society: Broader professional society serving all college music educators and performers, with similar journal (College Music Symposium), conferences, and member benefits. Comparable in mission but cross-instrument, making NASA a member subset.
• Music Teachers National Association: Nationwide nonprofit organization of independent music teachers offering journals, conferences, competitions, and certifications. Broader incumbent that overlaps with NASA in educational mission and professional development for musicians.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/saxalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-american-saxophone-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about North American Saxophone Alliance