Mike Meyer’s life has always been grounded in music. After school, the bus would drop Mike and his two siblings off in front of his family’s downtown Blue Springs music shop, and the Meyer clan would hang out, helping with customers and doing homework, before heading home for the evening.
Mike’s parents, Ted and Betty Meyer, were both school teachers. They opened their first Meyer Music in 1966 as a way to supplement their income. Since then, two locations—in Overland Park and the Northland—have been added, and Meyer Music rents instruments to thousands of students representing about 60 school districts. Each location is helmed by a Meyer family member. “It’s truly a family affair,” Mike says.
With this success, the Meyers have been able to start Band of Angels, a nonprofit that provides instruments to kids who want to study music but can’t afford to buy the instruments. One of Band of Angels’ most popular fundraisers is Art That Blows, an event where art created from broken and unusable instruments is auctioned off.
Let’s get to know Mike Meyer.
Is there one piece of instrument scrap art made for an auction that sticks out? There have been so many amazing pieces, but there is one made by a former Hallmark artist named Robert Hurlburt. It is a seven-foot-tall sculpture called Marley. He actually stands in front of the Meyer Music in Overland Park. I just thought all of the kids who came in to take lessons would just stare at him with amazement. He looks similar to Jar Jar Binks from Star Wars. Kids are constantly taking selfies and pictures with it when they come in.
Do you have a favorite spot to make music? I play the piano, and honestly, just sitting in my living room playing on my grand piano is my favorite thing. It just makes me relax and unwind. We have a tradition at my house I started when my kids were young. I would go in fairly early in the morning and start playing “Happy Birthday” on each of their birthdays. It would wake them up, and they just loved it. It made them smile. They are all grown now, but they still expect a video of me playing them “Happy Birthday” on their big day.
Do you have a favorite KC metro building or sculpture that inspires you? I love signs. The iconic signs like the Western Auto, Town Topic and Gem Theater signs are the ones that inspire me. It’s such an amazing throwback to see them. Several of my recent (scrap instrument) art pieces are these signs being recreated.
What are your aspirations for Band of Angles? Band of Angels has been an amazing, soul-fulfilling ride so far, and it’s much bigger than I anticipated. I was very surprised that I had stumbled onto something like this and that it is such a need in all communities. We have already given instruments to students and schools in 20 different states. My long-term goal is to see Band of Angels grow to be a national charity that was founded and is headquartered here in KC.
Is there any musician, singer or band that you would like to jam with (alive or dead)? Billy Joel has always been my guy. Being a young boy who loved playing the piano, he was my idol. It wasn’t always cool when I was late to football practice because I had a piano lesson, but now, today, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I can’t sprint like I used to, but I can still sit down and play the piano and share that with friends. Billy made playing the piano cool, and I may have used playing his songs to get a few dates along the way.
