Hidden Gems: Meet Mike Meyer of Meyer Music and Band of Angels

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Meyer.

Hi Mike, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have worked in the family business since 1991 after graduating college. Meyer Music has been in business since 1966 in Blue Springs, Missouri. Meyer Music currently has six Meyer family members working in it representing three generations. I opened the Overland Park branch of Meyer Music in October 1992 and am responsible for all work with all of our accounts in Kansas. Meyer Music is a retail music store focusing on the family musician. We sell and rent pianos, band & orchestra instruments, sheet music, instrumental accessories and also provide music lessons on all instruments. We work with music directors in public schools and help with the ongoing needs in school music.

In 2010, I co-founded the charity Band of Angels with Fox 4 TV & Meyer Music in Kansas City. Band of Angels is a 501c3 charity that collects used music instruments from donors and makes them available to kids in financial need so they can participate in school band and orchestra. Additionally, Band of Angels provides scholarships for students to perform and attend summer music camp. To date, Band of Angels has given away more than 2550 instruments since we began in 2010 and has sent over 350 students to the summer music camp of their choice anywhere in the US. Band of Angels has had roughly 1.5 million dollars in community impact since we founded. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Running a family business always has its challenges but overall, we have navigated it better than most. We experienced very rapid growth which brought with it capital challenges but we were able to power through and when the economy has taken a turn for the worse, we were very well positioned to take advantage of what our competition could not satisfy and supply and grow during these times.

Band of Angels had a very similar story. We grew far more quickly than anticipated which proved to be a challenge with storage and capacity of handling all of the donations we got. Additionally growing a diverse board was one of our biggest goals. It is far more challenging than it seems, but I am very proud that we have one of the most diverse boards and organizations in the charity space. We absolutely wanted the children and families we served to see faces at our events and on our board that looked like them. Additionally growing into the grant space is a very slow process but has been good for us. We are concentrating on building a very sustainable organization and being financially smart and strong.

As you know, we’re big fans of Meyer Music and Band of Angels. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Meyer Music is a retail music store focusing on the family musician. We sell and rent pianos, band & orchestra instruments, sheet music, instrumental accessories and also provide music lessons on all instruments. We work with music directors in public schools and help with the ongoing needs in school music.

Band of Angels is a 501c3 charity that collects used music instruments from donors and makes them available to kids in financial need so they can participate in school band and orchestra. Additionally, Band of Angels provides scholarships for students to perform and attend summer music camp. More information about Band of Angels can be found at www.bandofangels.org.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My family and my Rotary organization have been the two biggest influences on my success. Working with your mother, father, brother, and sister can be a challenge at times. We are all strong personalities, however they have a combined level of knowledge that is unmatched. To me, family has always been the most important part of our business and the support me through all of my endeavors.

Rotary is the other organization I have belonged to for 25 years. It is a worldwide organization of business leaders doing charitable work to build a better community. The members of this club have been so amazingly supportive and have really helped guide me along the way. Their knowledge base is like being able to tap a database of 20 entrepreneurs who had walked the walk already. They have really helped me avoid many pitfalls along with donating a substantial amount of time and money to help make Band of Angels successful.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: meyermusic.com or bandofangels.org
• Instagram: bandofangels
• Facebook: bandofangelskc
• Youtube: Band of Angels