Evan Jones, Owner

Evan's wife is Susan, they have two children, Adam, age 23, and Erin, age 19. They all work in the family business.

"I played trumpet in school ensembles throughout grade school and high school. When public school ensembles were no longer an option, I helped found a local community band to allow myself and other adults to continue playing their instruments beyond high school. I began playing guitar at age 15, and I currently perform in two rock bands and run sound for a third.

"I started writing my own songs and recorded several solo albums starting in 1979. From 1978-2000, I played in one of the more popular cover bands in the region. This was a great educational experience, as I learned what it took to become a professional musician. As I grew tired of playing songs that were written by the hottest artists of the day, I began writing more music that was important to me. In 1997, I formed the band Drain Babies and recorded two CDs of original music.

"In 2006 I formed Jonestown, a four-piece roots rock band, with my son Adam as the group's drummer. We released our debut CD in March 2012. In 2011, I also joined a popular area rockabilly band, Ryan Cain and the Ables. We recorded and released our first CD in November 2012. I am sound engineer for Second Street, a 10-piece R&B/horn band. I am also a member and past president of the Shinnston Community Band, a 70-piece concert band. I am a founding member and was  the first president of this band, which formed in 1998. In December 2012, I was honored to be named President Emeritus of the community band.

Business Career

"Bandland is a specialized band and orchestra store focusing on the educational market. We also specialize in school and combo percussion, band instrument repair, print music, and entry/hobbyist level acoustic guitars. Our focus is serving the local schools, band and orchestral rentals and private lessons. We visit all the schools in our region on a weekly basis and are known for our commitment to band and orchestra programs.

"I started working at Bandland in 1978 while in high school. My former boss, Fred Ross, was a world-class sax player who toured with the Les Brown Band as lead alto sax prior to opening Bandland in 1964. Fred Ross was also a former board member of NASMD.

"I purchased Bandland in 1990.  During the early years of my ownership, I worked to rebuild the business through growing strong customer relationships that had waned during the last several years. At this time, my wife and I were raising two young children while trying to learn the ropes of owning and running a retail business.  

"Although Bandland had been an established band instrument store, there was a lot that needed improvement. While I was doing what I could to keep the business sustainable, it didn't see the growth that I desired until after attending my first NASMD conference in 2006. With this newly-found connections, encouragement, and growth, I attended my first RPMDA conference in 2007. I was already familiar with quite a few NASMD and RPMDA members as a result of reading and studying Music Inc. Magazine and the other trade publications. This is when I really started to learn all the valuable business practices I had been missing during my early years as a business owner.

"This was also the time when I realized I needed to make some serious upgrades for my business to grow and be viable in the upcoming years. My first priority was to develop a stronger relationship with our school accounts by hiring an educational representative. I also wanted to start offering lessons. We installed the AIMsi point of sale system to better track our inventory. Although I didn't intend for the timing to work as it did, all of these things ended up happening the same year! Needless to say, the next several years were quite an adventure and very, very busy, especially for my wife and me.

"After networking with the new friends I had made in RPMDA and other music industry organizations, I was inspired and challenged to improve various aspects of my business as quickly as possible. As the business started to grow, I realized we were a bit understaffed and somewhat cash-poor. This was predictable, but I was not quite prepared for the amount of workload I was about to take on.  

"My son, Adam, was getting interested in the business while in high school, working at the store during the summer break and other school holidays. He is a very good student and musician. He went to West Virginia University and received a bachelor's degree in music with emphasis on trumpet and a minor in business administration. Obviously, I was anxious for him to finish college and join the family business.  He came on board full time in the summer of 2011 and has been a huge asset. His current role is accessory and music buyer while also contributing a bit everywhere else. Adam attended his first RPMDA in 2012. My wife, Susan, has been the accounts manager since the early 1990s. My daughter, Erin, now a college student, also assists with various duties as her time permits.

The Positive Power of Networking

"I have not missed an RPMDA conference since first attending the Milwaukee show in 2007. That show made a big impression on me. The family atmosphere within RPMDA was enlightening. I greatly value the second set of friends that I gained as a result of RPMDA and other organizations. Along with seeing my friends each year and learning at the educational seminars, a huge benefit has been the networking. As each year goes by, I find myself communicating more and more with various members of the association to share ideas and ask questions. The generosity and willingness to share among the membership is so valuable. By getting to know these various store owners and associates, I continue to stay inspired during the tough times and long hours that are necessary to build a successful business.

"When I attended my first RPMDA conference, Bandland had four full-time employees and one part-time employee, including my wife and me. Since that time, we have added two full-time employees, two part-time employees, and 11 lesson instructors. We have doubled the size of our print department and have implemented countless policies, procedures, and better business practices. We have one more planned remodel for 2013. We will be doubling the size of our lesson facility by placing it in our current warehouse and building a new warehouse area. The new warehouse area will include facilities to add efficiency to our school delivery program and for sending and receiving school repairs, along with housing our instrument rental bank.    

"After all these years in the business, I am really noticing the positive effects of what I have learned. The importance of hiring high quality employees and empowering them, implementing strong policies and values, and working toward every detail of better customer service cannot be understated.
 

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"I must say that any chance of being successful in this business requires a commitment to many hours of hard work and constant maintenance to all aspects of the business.  We certainly have a long way to go to be on the level with many of my industry peers, but we are a leaps and bounds ahead of where we were prior to my first RPMDA conference. If you are considering upgrading your business, buckle your seat belt, hold on tight, and be ready to enjoy the challenge."