The Missouri American String Teachers Association Honors Meyer Music with the Distinguished Service Award

The Missouri American String Teachers Association (MoASTA) awarded Meyer Music the Distinguished Service Award on January 26, 2023 at the 85th Annual Missouri Music Educator Association (MMEA) Conference at the Tan-Tar-A Conference Center in Osage Beach.

The Distinguished Service Award ¬is presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of string education in Missouri. This award may include retail music dealers, instrument repair persons, school administrators or supervisors, state music administrators, public school and college officials, composers, orchestra conductors, active or inactive music educators and others whose support of string education has been exemplary.

Tom Meyer and Mitzi Phelan were in attendance to accept the award on Meyer Music’s behalf. Tom says, “We are filled with gratitude to serve the string programs around Kansas City, and we appreciate the recognition.”

The theme of the MMEA 2023 conference was “Grow MO: Telling Our Story and Influencing Our Future.” Family-owned Meyer Music has been influencing the futures of young musicians and supporting music education since Ted and Betty Meyer, both former teachers in Kansas City schools, opened their first store in Blue Springs in 1966 and eventually expanded to two other locations in Overland Park and Kansas City North.

Every week, more than 2,000 students take private music lessons from Meyer Music. And, every school year, Meyer Music staff works closely with local school district orchestra directors, their students and parents to ensure everyone has what they need—from beginning and performance-level instruments and accessories to bows and supplies—to hone young musicians’ talents.

Beyond orchestra instrument rental packages and private lessons, the Meyer Music family is active in the music education community at large. For anyone associated with orchestra education, chances are you’ve seen the Meyer Music name listed as a sponsor of many district, division and state performances and competitions.

“Our parents started our music education very early on, and we helped in the store. Learning an instrument wasn’t just a school activity in our family. Our parents’ philosophy was that playing music was part of our overall child-to-adult development,” says Mitzi. “Today, there are so many studies proving how the benefits of learning to play an instrument not only improve academic performance, but also create skills that last a lifetime. Like Tom said, we appreciate the recognition of this award, but it really is our honor to support the strings community in every way we can.”

About Meyer Music

Serving Kansas and Missouri since 1966, the backbone of Meyer Music's business has always been orchestra and band education. We work with all of the local school districts in our area to assist them with our extensive private lesson studio. With three locations and a Meyer family member in each one, Meyer Music is the best source in the Kansas City area for quality orchestra instruments and music instruction.