South Bay Guitar Society Of San Jose, Inc.

What South Bay Guitar Society Of San Jose, Inc. does

South Bay Guitar Society of San Jose, Inc. (SBGS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Cupertino, California, that promotes classical, acoustic, and fingerstyle guitar across the South Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is governed by an all-volunteer board (including President Josh Friedman and Secretary Louise Lee) with no paid staff and operates with a mailing P.O. Box address and ensemble rehearsals hosted at The Guitarist in Santa Clara. The organization serves five primary segments: the general community audience attending free or low-cost concerts, amateur and professional guitarists participating in the SBGS Guitar Ensemble and open mics, young guitarists competing in Junior (≤13) and Senior (14–18) divisions, school guitar programs receiving Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship grants, and senior-care facilities hosting community engagement performances.

SBGS delivers a portfolio of roughly fifteen distinct programs, anchored by the annual Jerry Snyder GuitarFest (now approaching its 20th anniversary), a year-round virtuoso concert series featuring artists such as Marc Teicholz, João Luiz Rezende, and Jerónimo Maya, master classes, youth and composition competitions (the Young Dae and Inja Kim Composition Competition with $900 in total prizes), the SBGS Guitar Ensemble, and a virtual SBGS Technique Class on Zoom. The supporting technology footprint is minimal: Wild Apricot membership management software powers the sbgs.org member portal, event registration, and newsletter, while Zoom delivers the virtual technique class. The organization curates an archive of 300+ concert recordings, 200+ master class videos, and 1,000+ open mic event recordings, and runs directory services for guitar teachers, luthiers, and event performers.

The revenue model combines seven annual membership tiers ($35–$1,500, non-auto-renewing), per-ticket concert revenue (e.g., $17.50–$50 for the Jerónimo Maya concert), $25 youth competition and $35 composition competition entry fees, $35 master class performer slots, donations (including to the Tom Gardin Memorial Fund, where 100% reaches recipients), and modest fee-for-service payments from senior-care facility performances. Marketing and distribution run through sbgs.org, an email newsletter, partner-venue event listings, and word of mouth among the volunteer community. Geographic reach is concentrated in Santa Clara County with documented activity in San Jose, Cupertino, Santa Clara, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Los Altos, Sunnyvale, and a 2024 expansion into Santa Cruz.

Name

South Bay Guitar Society Of San Jose, Inc.

Legal name

South Bay Guitar Society of San Jose, Inc.

Website

https://www.sbgs.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Bay Guitar Society of San Jose is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes classical guitar through concerts, master classes, youth and composition competitions, ensemble rehearsals, and community performances across California's South Bay region, run entirely by volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Cultural Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Musical Groups and Artists (71113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA), Songwriting & Composition (Topliners, Co-writers, Camps) (MPAIABAA)

Keywords

• Classical guitar education
• Live guitar concerts
• Music competitions
• Community music programs
• Music performance workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Cupertino

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership contributions at seven fixed levels from $35 to $1,500 per year. No auto-renewal; one-year subscription period.
2. Ensemble Participation (Donation-Encouraged): The SBGS Guitar Ensemble is currently an all-volunteer ensemble with no participation fees. Participants are encouraged (but not required) to become SBGS members.
3. Master Class Performer Fees: Performer slots in master classes are available for $35 each (30-minute sessions). Auditing is free.
4. Competition Entry Fees: Youth competition entry fees of $25 per competitor. Composition competition entry fee of $35.
5. Concert Ticket Sales: Ticketed virtuoso concerts and GuitarFest events generate ticket revenue (e.g., Flamenco Virtuoso Jerónimo Maya at $35 general / $50 premium / $17.50 student general / $25 student premium).
6. Donations / Tom Gardin Memorial Fund: Tax-deductible donations to the 501(c)(3) organization, including the Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship Fund administered at no cost so 100% of contributions benefit guitar education recipients.
7. Community Engagement Performances (Fee-for-Service): Private events at senior-care and healthcare facilities generate modest performance fees (e.g., private events at Mission Skilled Nursing & Subacute Center and Sunnyvale Post-Acute Center).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

South Bay Guitar Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that organizes live classical and acoustic guitar programming including virtuoso concerts, master classes, open mics, the SBGS Guitar Ensemble, youth and composition competitions, the annual Jerry Snyder GuitarFest, community engagement performances at care facilities, and the Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship Fund. It also curates free online resources including a performance video archive, public-domain guitar scores, and directories of guitar teachers, performers, and luthiers for the South Bay community.

Product overview

The South Bay Guitar Society operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a portfolio of music education and performance programs. The organization functions as a community hub for classical, acoustic, and fingerstyle guitar enthusiasts rather than a single product company. Its programs include regular Open Mics at library venues, Virtuoso Concerts featuring professional performers, Master Classes for skill development, Youth Competitions (Junior and Senior divisions), the annual Jerry Snyder GuitarFest festival, the SBGS Guitar Ensemble for intermediate-advanced players, the SBGS Technique Class (virtual), Composition Competition (Young Dae and Inja Kim), Guitar Lessons and Guitarists for Events directories, Community Engagement performances at care facilities, the Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship Fund for guitar education, plus media resources including Performance Videos and Scores archives. The Society uses Wild Apricot membership software to manage operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Jerry Snyder GuitarFest: Annual guitar festival featuring masterclasses, performances, open mics, and competitions
• Tom Gardin Memorial Fund
• Young Dae and Inja Kim Composition Competition
• South Bay Guitar Society Youth Competition

Products and services

• Open Mics Free open mic events for guitarists to perform, held in person at libraries (Los Altos Library, West Valley Branch Library) and virtually via Zoom.
• Virtuoso Concerts Ticketed professional concert series featuring acclaimed classical and acoustic guitar virtuosos performing for the South Bay community, including events at venues such as Tateuchi Hall.
• Master Classes Educational sessions taught by professional guitarists where performer slots cost $35 per 30-minute session and auditing is free.
• SBGS Youth Competition Annual competition for young guitarists in Junior (age 13 and under) and Senior (age 14-18) divisions with a $25 entry fee and prizes of $500 first, $300 second, and $100 third per division.
• Young Dae and Inja Kim Composition Competition Annual composition competition for original classical guitar quartet works with a $35 entry fee per submission and $500/$300/$100 prizes; the top three winners are performed at the annual GuitarFest.
• SBGS Guitar Ensemble A volunteer guitar ensemble for intermediate to advanced players, directed by Josh Friedman, rehearsing weekly on Saturdays at The Guitarist in Santa Clara, with performance opportunities at GuitarFest.
• SBGS Technique Class Weekly virtual technique class via Zoom covering fretboard knowledge, tone production, and rhythm, taught by instructor Sebastian Quintero; open to all levels including beginners.
• Jerry Snyder GuitarFest Annual multi-day festival combining virtuoso concerts, master classes, open mics, youth and composition competitions, luthier displays, and ensemble performances, held at venues such as Evergreen Valley High School and Starting Arts Center; the 2027 edition marks the festival's 20th anniversary.
• Community Engagement Performances Performances at senior-care facilities (Mission Skilled Nursing & Subacute Center, Sunnyvale Post-Acute Center), healthcare centers, libraries, museums, and schools across the South Bay, generating modest performance fees.
• SBGS Memberships Annual memberships at seven tiers — Individual $35, Sustaining $50, Patron $100, Sponsor $250, Benefactor $500, Maestro $1,000, Founder $1,500 — providing access to the member portal, sheet music, ensemble participation, and other benefits.
• Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship Fund Scholarship fund administered at no cost so 100% of contributions benefit guitar education recipients in public schools; past recipients include Evergreen Valley High School, Santa Teresa High School, Oakland School for the Arts, Las Vegas Academy, and Pajaro Valley Middle School.
• Performance Videos Archive Public archive of over 300 recorded concerts, 200+ master classes, and 1,000+ open mic events made available for viewing with artist permission.
• Scores - Performance and Analysis Resource platform offering public domain research papers on guitar works, composers, and artists, plus music scores self-published by composers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth Competition awards $500 first prize, $300 second prize, and $100 third prize per division.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Evergreen Valley High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvergreen Valley High School hosts the annual Jerry Snyder GuitarFest and is a repeat recipient of Tom Gardin Memorial Scholarship grants (2014, 2023). The school provides the venue for the organization's flagship annual event.
• Starting Arts Center (San Jose)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStarting Arts Center at 99 Notre Dame Ave., San Jose is the venue for the 2027 Jerry Snyder GuitarFest and serves as the competition and concert venue for youth competitions.
• The Guitarist (Santa Clara)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guitarist at 1356 Franklin St, Santa Clara, CA provides rehearsal space for the SBGS Guitar Ensemble for weekly Saturday rehearsals (1:00–2:30 pm).
• Los Altos LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLos Altos Library at 13 South San Antonio Road hosts SBGS Open Mic events for the community.
• West Valley Branch Library (San Jose)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest Valley Branch Library at 1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd, San Jose hosts in-person SBGS Open Mics.
• Mission Skilled Nursing & Subacute CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBGS provides regular community engagement performances at Mission Skilled Nursing & Subacute Center (410 N. Winchester Blvd., Santa Clara) featuring student and member musicians.
• Sunnyvale Post-Acute CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBGS provides regular community engagement performances at Sunnyvale Post-Acute Center (1291 S. Bernardo Ave., Sunnyvale) featuring student and member musicians.
• Performing Artists (Guest Virtuosos)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBGS hosts world-class guitar virtuosos for concerts and master classes at GuitarFest and throughout the year, including artists such as Marc Teicholz, João Luiz Rezende, Janet Noguera, Jerónimo Maya, and many others. These artists provide the professional artistry that anchors SBGS programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Guitar Foundation of America: The largest U.S. classical guitar organization promoting the instrument through competitions, festivals, and educational outreach. Closely comparable mission to SBGS but operating at a national scale with similar concert, master class, and competition programming.
• Peninsula Guitar Series: Bay Area classical guitar concert series referenced in SBGS's marketing channels and partner listings. Directly comparable as a regional classical guitar presenter operating in an adjacent Bay Area geography with similar concert programming.
• Los Angeles Guitar Society: Regional classical guitar society serving Southern California with concerts, master classes, and competitions. Directly comparable nonprofit mission and programming structure to SBGS but serving a different metropolitan geography.
• Boston Classical Guitar Society: Regional classical guitar society in the Boston area delivering concerts, master classes, and community programming. Closely comparable nonprofit mission, volunteer-driven model, and audience profile to SBGS.
• New York Classical Guitar Society: Regional classical guitar society serving the New York metro area with concerts, master classes, and competitions. Comparable nonprofit mission and programming structure to SBGS in a different geography.

Broad incumbents

• San Francisco Conservatory of Music: Established Bay Area music education institution offering classical guitar instruction, concerts, and community programs. Comparable as a regional music institution but at substantially broader scope and scale than SBGS's volunteer-driven nonprofit model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-bay-guitar-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 South Bay Guitar Society Of San Jose, Inc.