Counselor Top 40 distributor Proforma (asi/300094) is helping to support music education, thanks to its latest service project.

Caption: Proforma (asi/300094) helped to empower youth through its annual service project benefiting the W.O. Nashville Music School.

During the 2025 Proforma Convention and Family Reunion, the distributor partnered with the W.O. Smith Nashville Music School, a nonprofit dedicated to providing affordable, high-quality music instruction to children from low-income families. The school serves more than 400 students each year and is supported by more than 200 volunteer instructors who help transform young lives through the power of music.

More than 120 Proforma Convention attendees participated in the 2025 service project, assembling 400 personalized student welcome bags filled with folders, writing instruments, water bottles and other items. The supplies will help prepare students for their first lessons. Service project participants also wrote over 400 letters of encouragement for students and teachers.

“We are incredibly grateful for Proforma’s support and generosity,” said Valerie Cordero, executive director of the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School. “These welcome bags, along with the handwritten notes, will provide our students with the tools and motivation they need to keep pursuing their lessons. The letters of encouragement to our generous volunteer instructors are one way of showing our appreciation for their selfless, impactful work. Partnerships like this help us continue making music accessible to all.”

The annual service project kicked off the women’s session at the Proforma Convention and Family Reunion, with participation open to all attendees and their guests. Highlights of this year’s women’s session included a keynote address from Cordero, a roundtable discussion featuring accomplished women leaders in the print and promotional products industry and a networking luncheon.

“I am so proud to be part of Proforma’s annual service project and the empowering women’s session,” said Vanessa Edwards, director of business development at Proforma. “Music has the power to shape lives, and being able to contribute in a meaningful way alongside our Proforma family is incredibly rewarding.”

Michelle Dalton, senior vice president of owner and supplier success, echoed the sentiment: “Partnering with W.O. Smith Nashville Music School has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. This is more than a service project – it’s a way for the Proforma community to help open doors for the next generation through creativity, education and compassion.”

Proforma donated more than $30,000 in support of the music school in Nashville, encompassing both in-kind products and financial contributions.

Proforma ranked fourth on Counselor’s most recent list of top distributors, with 2024 North American promotional products revenue of $662 million.