Michigan School Vocal Music

What Michigan School Vocal Music does

The Michigan School Vocal Music Association (MSVMA) is a nonprofit membership association that supports vocal music education in Michigan's public, private, and parochial schools. Headquartered in Big Rapids, Michigan, MSVMA organizes 16 geographic districts across the state and serves school vocal music programs, individual music educators, students, and retired educators through a tiered membership structure. Membership fees range from $15 (student) to $810 (two-school), with annual renewals effective July 1.

MSVMA's core offerings include school and individual memberships, district and state choral festivals, state solo and ensemble festivals, a portfolio of honors choir programs spanning grades 6–12, and specialized events in A Cappella, Art Song, Chamber Choir, Musical Theatre, and Vocal Jazz. Professional development is delivered through the Michigan Music Conference, the Clinician Consultant Program, and the Choral Student Leadership Conference. The organization also provides grants, scholarships, repertoire and sight-reading guidelines, and advocacy resources for vocal music programs.

MSVMA runs on a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model, with membership and event registration delivered through the Wild Apricot SaaS platform. Revenue is generated primarily from annual subscription membership fees, supplemented by festival participation fees, on-site medal and plaque sales, and donations. Operational staffing is lean, with approximately 10 employees including an Executive Director (Brian Leduc, the 4th in the role), a Director of Operations (Debra Jacks, in role since 2015), a Membership and Office Coordinator, and a Director of Honors Choirs.

Name

Michigan School Vocal Music

Legal name

Michigan School Vocal Music Association

Website

https://msvma.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Michigan-based nonprofit membership association supporting school vocal music education across 16 districts through festivals, honors choirs, professional development, and advocacy resources for educators and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Big Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School Memberships: Annual membership fees from schools (public, private, parochial) at various levels - single building school membership, two school membership, junior high/middle school, high school, elementary school, and new school memberships. Fees range from $220 to $810 depending on school type and configuration.
2. Individual Memberships: Annual membership fees from individuals including associate members (adjudicators, clinicians, administrators, college/university teachers, private voice teachers), student members, and retired members. Fees range from $15 to $100.
3. Event Participation Fees: Revenue from festival participation including State Solo & Ensemble Festival (1,161 participants) and State Choral Festival (221 participants). Medals sold on-site for $5 each, and plaques available for order.
4. Awards and Merchandise: Sale of medals ($5 each for Division I/Excellent and Division II/Good performances) and plaques ($50 per plaque) for schools receiving ratings at district and state festivals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MSVMA is a nonprofit professional association that provides membership, training, and competitive performance opportunities for Michigan school vocal music programs. It sells tiered school and individual memberships, organizes vocal music festivals and honors choir events, and runs professional development conferences for directors and students across 16 districts.

Product overview

MSVMA operates as a unified membership organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of vocal music education programs and services. The core offering consists of various school membership tiers (High School, Junior High/Middle School, Elementary, Associate, Student, Retired) that provide access to the organization's festivals and events. Key programs include Honors Choirs for grades 6-12+ (with multiple voice part configurations), State and District Choral Festivals with optional ratings, Solo & Ensemble Festivals, and Specialized Events (A Cappella, Art Song, Chamber Choir, Musical Theatre, Vocal Jazz). MSVMA also provides professional development through the Michigan Music Conference, Choral Student Leadership Conference, and Clinician Consultant Program, along with grants/scholarships and curriculum resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Memberships Tiered institutional membership for Michigan K-12 schools operating vocal music programs, providing access to MSVMA festivals, honors choir participation, professional development, and the 16-district network.
• Individual Memberships Individual membership tiers (Student, Retired, Associate) for music educators, students enrolled in school vocal music programs, and retired directors, providing access to professional development, networking, and event participation.
• Vocal Music Festivals Conducted vocal music festivals organized at the district and statewide level that provide ensemble performance evaluation and recognition for member schools and students.
• Honors Choir Program Selective honors choir program that recognizes outstanding student vocalists from MSVMA member schools across Michigan, providing performance opportunities at the state level.
• Professional Development Conferences Conferences and clinics delivering professional development, training, and networking for vocal music directors and educators across Michigan.
• MSVMA Merchandise Branded merchandise and apparel sold to members, schools, and supporters of the association.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,382 student participants at state events in 2025-2026 school year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Higher Education PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan colleges and universities that provide dedicated support to MSVMA's mission of educating, empowering, and experiencing vocal music in Michigan schools. These partners contribute to the success of delivering quality vocal music programming to students and teachers.
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationWild Apricot provides the membership management software platform that powers MSVMA's website, membership enrollment, event registration, and member communications. This is the core technology infrastructure for the organization's operations.
• Paul Streelman PhotographyminorOthersPhotography services provider for MSVMA events. All event photographs can be ordered through Paul Streelman Photography.
• Soundwaves.orgminorOthersDVD production and ordering service for MSVMA events. DVDs of performances can be ordered through Soundwaves.org.
• GuideStarminorOthersGuideStar (Candid) provides nonprofit information profile for MSVMA, allowing donors and stakeholders to verify organizational information (EIN: 38-2117855).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Federation of State High School Associations: Umbrella organization governing high school activities nationwide, including music adjudication standards. Represents the broader regulatory/standards environment in which MSVMA operates.
• National Association for Music Education: The largest national music education association in the U.S., serving all music educators across instrumental, vocal, and general music. MSVMA is essentially an affiliated state-level vocal specialist within the broader NAfME ecosystem.

Direct peers

• American Choral Directors Association: National professional association for choral directors, offering conferences, honor choirs, and festivals at the national and division level. MSVMA is effectively its Michigan state-level counterpart focused on school vocal music; both serve the same core customer (choral educators) with similar event-based programming.
• Music for All: National nonprofit advocacy organization supporting music education in schools, running festivals, advocacy campaigns, and educator resources. Comparable in mission and school-targeted programming to MSVMA.
• Illinois Music Education Association: Statewide Illinois music education association with district festivals, all-state ensembles, and professional development. Operates the same district-plus-state association model as MSVMA.
• Chorus America: National service organization for choruses, with a membership model, professional development, and conferences serving choral professionals and ensembles. Comparable to MSVMA at the professional choral level.
• Ohio Music Education Association: Ohio's statewide music education association with district events, state adjudicated events, and honors programs. Closely mirrors MSVMA's structure, GTM motion, and revenue model in a neighboring state.
• Texas Music Educators Association: Large statewide Texas music education association known for its All-State audition process and convention. Operates an analogous district-plus-state honors structure for vocal music educators and students.
• Michigan Music Education Association: Statewide Michigan association covering all music education (instrumental, general, vocal) in schools. MSVMA sits alongside MMEA as the dedicated vocal-music-focused state association; both operate district structures, festivals, conferences, and advocacy for Michigan music programs.

Emerging players

• Music Teachers National Association: National association for independent music teachers with state affiliates, events, and certification. Adjacent to MSVMA's educator membership segment but focused on private studio instruction rather than school choral programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-school-vocal-music

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Michigan School Vocal Music