KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers eastern Jackson County, including Blue Springs and Grain Valley. Share your story idea with Claire.
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Betty and Ted Meyer were Kansas City Public School teachers looking to increase their income when they opened Meyer Music off of 40 Highway in Blue Springs 60 years ago.
The odds were not in their favor at the start.
"I got a document from a small business administration, and it said you need to have 12,000 people to support a music store, and at that time, we had about 5,000 in Blue Springs. So we knew we need to keep our jobs and then just see how it went, build it up, if we could," Ted Meyer said.
They did — opening more stores across the metro over time. Meyer Music currently has three locations, with its reach stretching east to west from Lawrence, Kansas to Marshall, Missouri, and north to south from Richmond, Missouri down to Pittsburgh, Kansas.
Meyer Music's first account 60 years ago was the Blue Springs School District. Over the years, it has grown its support and partnerships with school music programs, from instrument rentals and repairs to sponsorship.
Blue Springs High School Band Director Dr. Tim Allshouse has seen that support firsthand.
"We went to Grand Nationals this past year, we had two contras that all of a sudden weren't working. And I made a call, 'Anything we can do,' and before I got off the phone, we had repair technicians up here at the high school to help us to be successful, because they knew how important that was for us," Allshouse said.
For many in the Kansas City area, Meyer Music is the place where a love of making music began. It has offered music lessons from the start.
Linda Simpson is the longest-tenured employee at Meyer Music without the Meyer last name. She has spent 55 years teaching and now running the Blue Springs store.
"That's a testament to the Meyer family, because I am part of their family, and it's a wonderful place to work," Simpson said.
Simpson worked closely alongside matriarch Betty Meyer.
"I taught all of the Meyer kids... and I taught all of their kids and I was like, Betty's right hand person. She and I were a team when we sold pianos and did lessons," Simpson said.
Betty Meyer passed away August 23, 2023, but her family has kept the business family-focused. Second-generation co-owner Tom Meyer said the legacy she built lives on.
"I think she would be very proud to to see all of the the family members that have worked here and currently worked here… So, as we are now, have two in the third generation that are going to be moving the company forward long term. I think it is very gratifying, you know, both past and present to have have that legacy here," Tom Meyer said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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