Hey guys, Michael and Michaela here, and we are More Than Music Creations.
We just want to tell you a little bit about what we do and why we do it.
Our mission is to CONSERVE, CREATE, and CONTRIBUTE.
We work with bands and musicians to repurpose their used guitar strings into music inspired art and jewelry.
This keeps the strings out of our landfills, generates revenue for our music partners, and gives back to our non-profit partner Kids In a New Groove.
Updated: May 21, 2020
Who we are, what we do, and why we do it.
My name is Michael Kelton. My wife Michaela and I started More Than Music Creations as a way to combine our love of art and music with the purpose of reducing waste and giving back.
Michaela and I grew up in south Austin, TX. We were both raised in environments that not only allowed, but encouraged our creative tendencies. At a very young age I followed in my father's musical footsteps, while Michaela found her passion in visual arts and dance.
Although we went our separate ways for college, we ended up back together in San Marcos, TX where we opened The Stellar Cafe in 2013. After five years of running a coffee shop that we absolutely loved, it was becoming more and more obvious that it was holding us back from something, though we didn't know exactly what. We made the bittersweet decision to sell the cafe in 2018, allowing Michaela to focus on art while I continued to play music.
One day Michaela stopped me as I was about to throw away a set of guitar strings I had changed. "Maybe I could make something out of them instead" she said, and More Than Music was born. As her creations evolved I reached out to my bandmates and other musicians to collect their used strings. Before long Michaela was setting up at local art markets and interest started growing.
In 2019 we reached a sort of crossroads where MTM was taking up so much of her time that we knew we needed to make a decision. It was all or nothing. In our previous business endeavors, giving back was something we talked about but were unable to do in an impactful way. We simply needed every dollar we made to pay our own bills. This time however, we were in a position to start a business with conservation and contribution at the forefront of our purpose. Over coffee at Nate's in Buda, our vision took shape:
Giving fans a deeper connection to the music they love through music inspired art that gives back and goes green.
The feedback we receive and excitement we see in our partners and customers continue to reassure us that we're heading in the right direction. I hope you'll join us on our journey!
