The Alabama Blues Project

What The Alabama Blues Project does

The Alabama Blues Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts education organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, within the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center. The organization's mission is to preserve the heritage of blues music as a traditional and contemporary art form through interactive programs that educate and entertain. Its core product portfolio comprises three educational program types, all taught by professional blues musicians: Blues in School (classroom and assembly programs), After-School Blues Club (flexible extracurricular programming), and Blues Camps (intensive summer programs culminating in a free public performance). A tiered student pathway leads from introductory programs to Alabama Blues Productions, an advanced ensemble that rehearses weekly and performs at community events.

The organization operates a hybrid revenue model combining tax-deductible donations (accepted via PayPal), Summer Blues Camp tuition at $250 per student with need-based financial assistance, and merchandise/DVD sales through its own website and a Bonfire e-commerce storefront. Programs are delivered through partnerships with multiple Alabama school systems (Tuscaloosa City/County, Hale County, Wilcox County), the University of Alabama, Police Athletic League, and library systems in Birmingham and Oxford, with summer programming hosted at Grace Presbyterian Church. The go-to-market motion is community- and event-driven, leveraging festivals, library summer reading programs, and grassroots social media presence.

The leadership team includes Executive Director Ashley R. Wheat (appointed February 2019), Director of School Programs and Special Activities B.J. Reed, and a roster of credentialed instructors including Alabama Blues Hall of Fame harmonica instructor John Bull and touring guitarist Keith 'Cashmere' Williams. The organization has been recognized with the Blues Foundation's Keeping the Blues Alive Award and the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities' Coming Up Taller Award. Operating capacity is small (1-10 employees) and the geographic footprint is regional within Alabama, with several hundred children ages 6-18 served annually and at least eight public performances delivered each year by advanced ensembles.

Name

The Alabama Blues Project

Legal name

Alabama Blues Project, Inc.

Website

https://alabamablues.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Alabama Blues Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 that delivers blues music education programs, summer camps, and an advanced student ensemble to children ages 6-18 across Alabama, primarily through school and community partnerships in the Tuscaloosa region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Music Camps (Band, Choir, Instrument Intensive) (EDAMALAJ)

Keywords

• Blues music education
• Youth music programs
• Music heritage preservation
• After-school programs
• Community arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuscaloosa

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. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to support music education programs. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Summer Blues Camp Tuition: Tuition-based revenue from Summer Blues Camp program for children ages 6-18. Tuition is $250 per student with financial assistance available.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, totes, and mugs through Bonfire e-commerce platform.
4. DVD Sales: Sales of concert DVDs documenting performances including 'Evening of Art & Blues' events and 'Lady Sings the Blues'. Priced at $20 each.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Alabama Blues Project is a nonprofit arts education organization that delivers blues music instruction and heritage programming to children ages 6-18 across Alabama. Its core offerings include in-school classroom and assembly programs (Blues in School), flexible after-school blues clubs, intensive week-long summer blues camps with tuition, and an advanced performing ensemble (Alabama Blues Productions). The organization supplements program revenue through sales of branded merchandise and concert DVDs via its website and an external Bonfire store.

Product overview

The Alabama Blues Project is a nonprofit music education organization offering a portfolio of programs centered around preserving and teaching Blues music to children ages 6-18. The core educational offerings include three main program types: (1) Blues in School - classroom and assembly programs partnered with schools; (2) After-School Blues Club - flexible extracurricular programming; and (3) Blues Camps - intensive summer programs with instruction in guitar, drums, vocals, and music history. The organization also operates Alabama Blues Productions, an advanced ensemble for dedicated students. The product portfolio is complemented by merchandise including performance DVDs and branded swag (totes, mugs, shirts, sweatshirts) sold through an external Bonfire store. The organization was founded in 1995 and reaches several hundred children annually through these programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches several hundred children ages 6-18 annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tuscaloosa One PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity collaboration to help present programs and engage families in the Tuscaloosa area.
• Tuscaloosa City and County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership for classroom and assembly programs bringing blues education directly to students.
• Hale County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership extending blues education programs to students in Hale County.
• Wilcox County SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool partnership extending blues education programs to students in Wilcox County.
• University of AlabamaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for community collaboration and program support.
• Police Athletic League (PAL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partnership for youth engagement through music programs.
• Birmingham Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for summer reading programs featuring blues music education and instrument demonstrations.
• Oxford Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost venue for summer reading programs featuring blues music education and instrument demonstrations.
• Grace Presbyterian ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue host for Summer Blues Camp 2026, providing facility for week-long intensive music education program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Little Kids Rock: National nonprofit that provides free music instruments and instruction to under-served K-12 students. Comparable in that it delivers music education to under-served youth through school partnerships, though it serves multiple genres and a broader geography.

Broad incumbents

• Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum: Nashville-based institution with extensive educational programming dedicated to American music heritage. Comparable in its mission to use regional music heritage as a vehicle for youth and public education programs.
• Music Forward Foundation: National nonprofit advancing music education and supporting emerging musicians. Operates at greater scale across multiple genres, but its youth music-education mission and instrument-instruction programs make it a relevant structural comparable.
• MoPOP (Museum of Pop Culture): Seattle-based music and pop-culture museum with extensive educational programs for youth and schools. Comparable mission around music heritage education, though it spans genres and is a larger institution.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Education Programs: Cleveland-based music heritage institution with strong youth and school education programs. Comparable music heritage preservation mission and school partnership model, though focused on rock and roll rather than blues.

Direct peers

• Blues Foundation: Memphis-based nonprofit dedicated to preserving blues music heritage and supporting blues musicians. Most directly comparable peer because it shares the blues heritage mission, awards programs (Keeping the Blues Alive), and educational/preservation activities, operating at a national scale rather than regionally.
• National Blues Museum: St. Louis-based museum and education facility celebrating blues music heritage with programs for youth and the broader community. Directly analogous mission of blues heritage preservation plus youth and public education programming.

Regional players

• Americas Music: Memphis Music Foundation: Memphis-area music heritage organization with educational programs. Comparable music-education and heritage-preservation focus rooted in a specific city's music tradition, similar to Tuscaloosa's blues heritage.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alabluesproject
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcy_MlCtgxoMVDin_R51V2w
• Facebookfacebook.com/alabamabluesproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/alabamabluesproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alabama-blues-project

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 The Alabama Blues Project