Ethos Music Center

What Ethos Music Center does

Ethos Music Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 in Portland, Oregon, providing sliding-scale music education to youth throughout Oregon's underserved urban and rural communities. The company delivers programming through a portfolio of channels: Individual Lessons (one-on-one instruction across 22+ instruments at $15-$42 per 30-minute session depending on income tier), Group Classes (10-week ensemble terms at $95-$225 including Kinderkeys piano, choir, guitar, violin, and specialty offerings like Queer Music Class), Summer Camps ($175-$450 per week across themes including rock band, jazz, strings, and Spanish immersion), Home School Classes and Field Trips, plus two outreach arms — Music Corps, an artist-in-residence program at Portland Public Schools SUN sites, and Pass the Mic, free culturally-responsive music education for immigrant and refugee youth delivered with partners such as Hacienda CDC and Morrison Family Services. The organization also operates The Venue, a 150-standing/65-seated recital hall available for rental at $55-$130/hour on a sliding scale.

Ethos is governed by a Board of Directors (President Anneliese Davis, Treasurer Ralph Austin, plus five additional board members) and managed by Acting Executive Director Megan Moran (in role since 2024), Program Director Lauren Coons, Development Coordinator Adrian Leyva, and a staff that includes admissions, volunteer/marketing, instrument/facilities management, and finance/operations personnel, supported by more than 30 part-time music instructors. There is no proprietary technology platform; instruction leverages free consumer tools such as GarageBand, BandLab, and Chrome Music Lab. Revenue is generated from tuition, summer camps, and venue rentals, supplemented by tax-deductible donations, foundation and government grants, instrument donations, stock gifts, and programs such as Fred Meyer Community Rewards. Federal Tax ID is 91-1954235; the organization reports reaching nearly 5,000 kids across Oregon each year and has been recognized eight times since 2003 by the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities as one of the top 50 after-school arts programs in the United States.

Name

Ethos Music Center

Legal name

Ethos, Inc.

Website

https://ethos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ethos Music Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides sliding-scale music lessons, group classes, summer camps, and outreach programs to nearly 5,000 youth across Oregon each year, with a focus on underserved urban and immigrant communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD)

Keywords

• Music education services
• Youth music programs
• After school arts
• Sliding scale tuition
• Community music outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Music Lessons and Classes: Revenue from individual and group music lessons offered at various pricing tiers including full rate, reduced rate, and OHP/SNAP subsidized rates. Weekly 30-minute private lessons and 10-week group class terms generate recurring tuition income.
2. Summer Camps: Week-long summer music camps ranging from $175-$450 per week on a sliding scale basis. Camps focus on various instruments and musical genres including rock band, jazz, strings, keyboard, and choir.
3. Venue and Space Rentals: Concert venue rental ($55-$130/hr sliding scale) and practice room rental ($20/hr between 12-3pm M-F). Venue accommodates 150 standing or 65 seated guests with full PA system, house drum kit, and other equipment.
4. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Instrument donations accepted. Foundation and government contributions. Stock gifts, Fred Meyer Community Rewards program, and estate planning options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ethos Music Center delivers individualized and group music instruction, ensemble performance opportunities, and seasonal summer camps to youth ages 5 and older across 22+ instruments, offered on a sliding-scale basis from full rate to Oregon Health Plan/SNAP-subsidized rates. The organization also runs outreach programs (Music Corps and Pass the Mic) delivering after-school and culturally-responsive music education at Portland schools and community partner sites serving immigrant and refugee youth.

Product overview

Ethos Music Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit music education organization founded in 1998, providing access to music education for youth in Oregon's underserved communities. The organization operates a multi-layered program portfolio centered around Individual Lessons (one-on-one instruction across 22+ instruments) and Group Classes (ensemble-based learning including Kinderkeys, choir, guitar, violin, and performance groups), complemented by seasonal Summer Camps with diverse musical focuses (rock band, jazz, strings, queer rock, Spanish immersion). Outreach programs include Music Corps (after-school residencies at Portland schools) and Pass the Mic (free culturally-responsive education for immigrant youth). The organization also operates The Venue, a rental performance and practice space. All programs are offered on sliding-scale pricing to ensure accessibility regardless of socioeconomic status.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Lessons One-on-one personalized music instruction for students ages 5 and older across 22+ instruments including piano, guitar, violin, voice, drums, and specialty instruments. Offered at full, reduced, and OHP/SNAP sliding-scale rates.
• Group Classes Ensemble and group instruction for ages 5 and up including Kinderkeys piano, Group Piano 1-2, Group Guitar, Group Ukulele, Choir programs, Violin, specialty classes such as Queer Music Class and Intro to Music Production, and performance ensembles including Jazz Ensemble, Rock Band, and Metal Band.
• Summer Camps Week-long day camps for students ages 5-17 with diverse musical focuses including Jammin' Salmons rock band, Music Exploration, Choir Camp, Keyboard Camp, Rock Band Sessions, Strings Camp, Glissando Jazz Camp, Queer Rock Camp, and Spanish Immersion camp (Inmersión en Español). Offered on a sliding scale at $175-$450/week.
• Home School Classes & Field Trips Customizable daytime enrichment programming for homeschool groups including instrumental/vocal classes, music topics classes (Music Technology, Beatmaking, Songwriting, Rock Music History), ensemble lessons, interdisciplinary specialty classes, and field trip workshops.
• Music Corps Artist-in-residence after-school program providing specialized music enrichment at Portland SUN school sites for grades 1-12, with culturally responsive programming including choir, rock bands, drumming, beatmaking, music technology, dance, and bilingual Spanish music classes.
• Pass the Mic Free culturally-responsive music education and mentorship program for immigrant and refugee youth, providing ongoing or series-based classes at schools, community centers, and libraries to remove cost and transportation barriers.
• The Venue Recital hall and performance space rental available on a sliding scale ($55-$130/hr) accommodating 150 standing or 65 seated guests, with house drum kit, PA system, spotlights, monitors, mics, DJ boxes, and a green room; practice rooms available at $20/hr and optional sound tech for $25/hr.
• Classes, Workshops & Demonstrations Ongoing and series music classes plus specialty workshops for schools, community spaces, and events, including beatmaking/music production, songwriting, instrumental classes, singing, and one-time demonstrations for assemblies and festivals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 5,000 kids around Oregon each year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2019Featured Ethos' Pass the Mic summer camp in a 2019 news piece highlighting youth from around the world. OPB coverage raises awareness of the program and attracts community support.
• Bleeding Hearts BallminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting Pass the Mic program for immigrant youth through music education. Bleeding Hearts Ball contributes to fundraising and community awareness for the program.
• Hacienda CDCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing locations and support for Pass the Mic classes serving immigrant and refugee youth. Hacienda CDC helps identify community needs and connects Ethos with underserved populations.
• David Douglas High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school for Pass the Mic program providing culturally-responsive music education for immigrant youth at David Douglas High School.
• Morrison Family ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting Pass the Mic program through funding and resources for music education services for immigrant youth.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Community Music Center of San Francisco: San Francisco nonprofit offering music lessons, classes, and ensembles on a sliding-scale basis with outreach to underserved youth. Directly comparable nonprofit music education model in a West Coast urban context similar to Portland.
• Levine Music: DC-area nonprofit community music school providing private lessons, group classes, and outreach programming with financial aid. Comparable sliding-scale, multi-program nonprofit structure serving a metro region.
• Settlement Music School: One of the oldest community music schools in the U.S., providing tuition assistance and lessons across instruments for underserved Philadelphia families. Directly comparable as a long-running nonprofit music education provider with need-based pricing.
• MacPhail Center for Music: Minneapolis-based nonprofit music education center offering lessons, early childhood programs, and community partnerships. Similar nonprofit structure, multi-instrument lessons, and community-outreach orientation.
• Portland Music Academy: Local Portland for-profit music school offering private lessons across many instruments. Closest same-metro peer competing for the same family and student market, though operating on a full-price rather than sliding-scale model.
• Old Town School of Folk Music: Chicago-based nonprofit community music school offering group classes, private lessons, summer camps, and sliding-scale pricing with a strong community/folk music identity. Highly comparable in mission, program mix, and nonprofit sliding-scale model.
• Neighborhood Music School: Los Angeles nonprofit community music school offering private and group instruction with financial assistance. Directly comparable as a regional nonprofit providing sliding-scale music education to diverse urban populations.
• The People's Music School: Chicago tuition-free nonprofit music school serving low-income youth with private lessons, ensembles, and performance opportunities. Closely comparable mission to Ethos' Pass the Mic and Music Corps outreach, with similar sliding-scale/zero-cost access philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• Berklee College of Music (Community Outreach Programs): Major music institution with Boston-area community education and outreach programs. Comparable in offering music instruction and youth programs, but operates at significantly larger scale and is not focused on sliding-scale community access.
• Carnegie Hall (Music Education Programs): National-scale music institution running the Lullaby Project, Link Up, and other youth music education initiatives. Comparable in running underserved-youth music programs, but as part of a far broader portfolio with national reach and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ethosmusiccenter
• Xx.com/ethosmusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/ethosmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ethos-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Ethos Music Center