Minnesota Music Educators Association

What Minnesota Music Educators Association does

Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) is a nonprofit professional association (EIN 41-6047295) supporting music educators and students across Minnesota. Founded over 74 years ago, the organization is a state affiliate of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) and operates with a small staff of 8 employees headquartered at a Brooklyn Park, MN mailing address.

MMEA's core offerings center on two flagship programs. The All-State program selects 628 high school musicians annually across seven ensembles (bands, choirs, orchestras) through auditions in March, followed by summer camps and a February performance at Orchestra Hall. The Midwinter Convention, held at the Minneapolis Convention Center, draws over 10,000 music educators, students, parents, and friends for professional development, relicensure sessions, performances, and an exhibit hall. Supporting programs include Elementary All-Star Choir, Elementary and Middle Level Festivals, the Digital Music Media Honors Program, Minnesota Future Music Educators (MFME), and the Interval professional eZine.

MMEA's revenue model is diversified across convention registration fees (with member rates requiring NAfME/MMEA membership), exhibit booth sales ($700 standard, $750 premium), annual membership dues, scholarship fund donations (including 100% of February concert proceeds), and award plaque sales. The organization partners with Perpich Center for Arts Education, MN-ACDA, MacPhail Center for Music, and MBDA to extend its programming. In 2025, MMEA awarded $62,972.50 in scholarships to 112 students for All-State Camps. The 2026 Midwinter Convention was shifted to a virtual format due to health and safety concerns, with virtual registration priced at 50% of the regular rate.

Name

Minnesota Music Educators Association

Legal name

Minnesota Music Educators Association

Website

https://mmea.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) is a nonprofit professional association affiliated with NAfME that supports Minnesota K-12 music educators and students through its All-State program, Midwinter Convention, festivals, and professional development resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Professional Association

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Music (Instruments, Voice, Music Theory) (EDAAAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Music Classes & Ensembles (Band, Orchestra, Choir) (EDAMANAC), Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE), Performance Coaching & Competition Preparation (Auditions, Recitals) (EDAMANAL)

Keywords

• Music education association
• Professional development conventions
• Student music programs
• All-state auditions
• Music educator advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn Park

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Convention Registration Fees: Registration fees for Midwinter Convention attendees with tiered pricing for members and non-members, including one-day registration options at 50% discount
2. Exhibit Booth Sales: Rental of exhibit hall spaces to vendors with standard booths at $700 and premium booths at $750, with early-bird discounts
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees tied to NAfME affiliation required for member registration rates
4. Scholarship Fund Donations: Donations and concert admission proceeds directed to student scholarship funds; 100% of February concert proceeds go to scholarships
5. Award Plaque Sales: All-State award plaques available for purchase by sponsoring teachers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Minnesota Music Educators Association is a nonprofit professional membership organization that supports music educators and their students in Minnesota. It runs the flagship All-State Program (auditions, summer camps, and concerts), the annual Midwinter Convention with professional development sessions and an exhibit hall, elementary and middle school festivals, and student programs including All-Star Choir and Digital Music Media Honors. The organization also publishes Interval, a professional eZine for members.

Product overview

Minnesota Music Educators Association operates as a membership-based professional organization offering educational programs and events for music educators and students across Minnesota. The organization provides a portfolio of programs including the flagship All-State Program with auditions and summer camps, annual Midwinter Convention featuring professional development sessions and an exhibit hall, Elementary and Middle Level Festivals, and digital publications. The programs serve high school musicians through All-State ensembles, aspiring educators through MFME, and elementary students through choir and festival programs. The organization supports music educators through advocacy resources and its professional eZine publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Midwinter Convention

Quantifiable outcome

• 628 students selected for All-State ensembles annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Perpich Center for Arts EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides three relicensure sessions for the Midwinter Convention, supporting professional development for Minnesota music educators
• MN-ACDA (Minnesota American Choral Directors Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors Dr. Arreon A. Harley-Emerson as choral presenter at Midwinter Convention
• MacPhail Center for MusicsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors Dr. Elizabeth Jaakola as DEIA presenter at Midwinter Convention
• MBDA (Minnesota Band Directors Association)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsors Michele Fernandez as instrumental presenter at Midwinter Convention
• NAfME (National Association for Music Education)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNational affiliation providing membership framework, national advocacy, and professional development resources for MMEA members

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Choral Directors Association (ACDA): National professional association for choral directors; MN-ACDA is already a strategic sponsor of MMEA programming. Comparable in mission (professional development, conventions, honors programming) but narrower in instrument focus.
• National Band Association (NBA): National association serving band directors; MBDA is MMEA's Minnesota counterpart sponsoring instrumental presenters. Comparable professional association hosting conferences, honor groups, and clinician networks for wind/percussion educators.
• National Association for Music Education (NAfME): National umbrella affiliate that charters MMEA and other state MEAs. Direct structural analog at the national level, providing the membership framework, advocacy, and professional development resources that MMEA localizes for Minnesota.
• Music Teachers National Association (MTNA): National professional association for independent and studio music teachers with conferences, competitions, and certification programs. Sits in the same membership-association category as MMEA but with a private-studio rather than school-based educator focus.

Regional players

• Perpich Center for Arts Education: Minnesota state arts education agency delivering relicensure sessions through MMEA's Midwinter Convention. Mission-aligned arts education provider in the same Minnesota ecosystem, complementing rather than competing with MMEA's programs.
• MacPhail Center for Music: Minnesota-based music education nonprofit already a strategic MMEA partner sponsoring DEIA presenters. Comparable mission of music education access in Minnesota but oriented toward tuition-based instruction rather than membership-based advocacy.

Direct peers

• Iowa Music Educators Association (IMEA): State music educator association hosting All-State auditions, conferences, and clinics for Iowa. Operationally identical model to MMEA and a directly comparable peer on member services and student programming.
• Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA): Adjacent state-level music educator association serving Wisconsin with the same All-State convention and membership structure. Closest geographic and functional twin to MMEA for benchmarking programs, scale, and operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minnesota-music-educators-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Minnesota Music Educators Association