ENSEMBLE PERFORMING ARTS NAMED TO INC.’S FASTEST GROWING LIST
I nc. Magazine has ranked Ensemble Perform- ing Arts 503 overall on the 2025 Inc. 5000, its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. The Denver-based company is one of the largest employers of music and dance teachers in the country and has been on the list for three years in a row. Established in 2019 following the pur- chase of a single music school in Louisville, Colorado, Ensemble now serves students at more than 85 local music and dance schools and other arts-related businesses. Ensemble works to preserve each business’ individual brand and community relationships, all while creating exciting opportunities for students and meaningful, stable careers for faculty and staff. T he Guitar Center Music Foundation (GCMF), a nonprofit dedicated to sup- porting music education and therapy programs through instrument donations, has expanded its outreach in the first half of 2025. With a mission to ensure access to music regardless of financial or geographic barriers, GCMF has continued to empower schools, community centers and therapy programs across the U.S. Early this year, GCMF led a coordinated industry response to the Southern California wildfires, partnering with companies, including Sony Music Group, Music & Arts, Gibson, Sennheiser, Universal Audio, Ibanez, Martin and many others. Together, they provided needed instruments, funding and support to more than 600 musicians and 15 community- based orgs and schools affected across the greater Los Angeles area. At the 2025 NAMM Show in Anaheim, GCMF co-sponsored the Ultimate Jam Night in partnership with the David Z Foundation, raising funds for wildfire recovery. In honor of Women’s History Month, GCMF supported two events on March 25. The Foundation served as title sponsor for Women:Amplified, a cultural celebration at The Recording Club in Santa Monica, California, and later that day, co-sponsored Women on Record, a panel at Guitar Center’s Hollywood flagship location.
proving our longevity and consistency. To have this level of consistent growth at our scale is a testament to the strength of our team and the success of our partnership- focused business model.” Over the past year, Ensemble has deep- ened its commitment to serving the perform- ing arts by continuing to expand beyond schools, including new partnerships with National Educational Music Company, a leader in supporting music education founded in 1957. “Our continued growth is allowing us to use the benefits of scale to positively impact the students, teachers, and communities we support in more than 25 states,” Homer said. {ensembleschools.com}
“The arts industry is not broadly rep- resented on the Inc. 5000 list, so we’re privileged to rank among the country’s fastest-growing companies while doing what we love – serving an arts-focused mission that we are extremely passionate about,” said Jeff Homer, Ensemble Per- forming Arts’ CEO. “This is the third year we’ve ranked in the top 600 companies,
Guitar Center Music Foundation Expands Efforts
One of two sold-out Behind the Lyrics shows at The Listening Room in Nashville, Tennessee, in June.
GCMF also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, presenting $5,000 grants to three pro- grams in need: Urban Youth Harp Ensemble (Atlanta), Jazz Power Initiative (New York) and Greene Central High School (NC). Ad- ditional wildfire relief funding included a “Music Matters” grant from Law Rocks and $16,500 raised by the Get Together Founda- tion’s benefit concert at the Canyon Club. In June, the Guitar Center Music Founda- tion partnered with Custom House for two sold-out Behind the Lyrics shows at The Lis- tening Room in Nashville, Tennessee, closing
out CMA Fest weekend with a celebration of songwriting and community. “These are just a few examples of the ways in which GCMF has expanded the scope of our efforts in the first half of 2025,” said Myka Miller, GCMF executive director. “Our ongoing goal is to continue to grow, and we have been fortunate to get lots of help from others in the industry. We thank everyone who has supported our efforts this year, and we look forward to much more activity in the back half of 2025.” {guitarcenterfoundation.org}
14 I MUSIC INC. I OCTOBER 2025
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