Kevin Damm, President of the Kansas Music Merchants Association
As music educators, you make possible the transformative experiences that shape Kansas students into dedicated musicians, confident leaders, and lifelong lovers of the arts. Your passion and expertise are the foundation of music education in our state. At the Kansas Music Merchants Association (KMMA), we see the impact of your work every day—and we are honored to stand alongside you.
In that spirit, I’d like to share why supporting Kansas music merchants is not only mutually beneficial but essential to sustaining strong music programs across our state.
1. Local Merchants Strengthen Local Programs
When you partner with Kansas-based music businesses, you help ensure immediate access to high-quality instruments, supplies, repairs, and service. Our members live here. They work here. They attend your concerts. They know the challenges Kansas educators face; tight budgets, limited time, and unique program needs; and they can respond quickly and personally.
National online retailers can offer convenience, but they cannot match the accountability and long-term partnership of a music store who drives bends over backwards day in and day out to make sure your students have what they need when they need it.
2. Expertise You Can Rely On
KMMA members employ specialists in instrument repair, acoustics, sound reinforcement, marching band logistics, and inventory planning. These professionals are trained to work specifically with school systems. A trusted merchant partner can help you:
- Assess instrument inventories
- Plan replacement cycles
- Prevent costly repair issues
- Equip emerging programs
- Navigate new technologies
- Manage unexpected emergencies
Your time is precious. When you lean on a knowledgeable merchant, you gain back hours of rehearsal preparation, administrative work, and musical focus.
3. Advocacy and Support for Music Education
Local music stores are among your strongest advocates. Many KMMA members donate to scholarships, underwrite festivals, support honor ensembles, and lobby for policies that protect music funding. When Kansas music educators support Kansas music merchants, you strengthen allies who are actively fighting for the visibility and viability of your programs.
Simply put: we are invested in your success because your success is our success.
4. Keeping Dollars in Kansas Benefits Everyone
Your purchases from KMMA members directly support:
- Kansas jobs
- Kansas communities
- Kansas families
- Kansas students
Every dollar spent locally circulates within our communities—supporting school events, local taxes, and the infrastructure that allows music programs to thrive. When schools buy from Kansas-based businesses, they help sustain the ecosystem that keeps music education strong statewide.
5. Students Deserve Safe, Reliable Instruments and Services
Kansas merchants are accountable to the educators and families they serve. Our repair technicians, rental programs, and service teams uphold high standards—because they see your students face-to-face. They provide safe, well-maintained instruments, transparent rental agreements, and immediate support when something goes wrong before a performance.
Your students deserve that level of care.
6. Partnership, Not Just Products
More than anything, KMMA members believe in partnership. We see ourselves as part of your teaching team. Our goal is to help you deliver the most meaningful music education possible—not merely to sell instruments.
When you call a Kansas merchant, you reach a human being who knows your school, your program, and your challenges. That relationship is invaluable.
A Shared Mission
Kansas music educators and Kansas music merchants share the same mission: to ensure that every student in our state has access to a high-quality, life-changing music education.
By choosing to support KMMA members, you reinforce the network of professionals who support you, your students, and your community. Together, we build a stronger, more vibrant musical future for Kansas.
On behalf of the Kansas Music Merchants Association, thank you for all you do—and thank you for allowing us to serve alongside you.
Together, we make music possible.
