A little about us…
For the love of music
Steven and Melissa met 7/11 2008 working at a steakhouse together in Winfield, KS. They quickly became close friends when they realized they had a shared passion: music. While their backgrounds were different (Steven was into metal, punk rock, etc. while Melissa was mostly exposed to mainstream, bluegrass, and oldies), they could tell that they both had a high appreciation for music - no matter the genre.
Steven’s first instrument was drums, and Melissa’s was the alto saxophone. Turns out, Melissa had attended a performance of one of Steven’s bands before they knew each other (it was called The Rise of Autumn!). Steven, unfortunately, never got to experience Melissa rocking “Flight of the Bumblebee” as she retired from playing before they met.
Where it went from there
By 2011, Steven and Melissa were newlyweds and a conversation one day led to Steven revealing a big dream of his: he wanted to attend the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences CRAS (in Arizona) and learn all about recording engineering. Melissa wasn’t one to hold back, so you can guess it was only a matter of a couple months before they were packed up moving West. The schooling was 2 fold: in-class training at CRAS, followed by a real-life internship at a major recording studio. Steven was accepted to intern at Paragon Studios in Franklin, TN, so off they went (with a 3 month old boy in tow)! He completed his schooling, then Melissa took her turn and the family moved back to Kansas. By 2017, Melissa completed her business degree at K-State (just in time for their oldest to start Kindergarten chased by 2.5 year old little sister). They fell in love with Manhattan, and decided to call it home.
Chasing music
Steven worked several different places to support Melissa while she finished college, but his favorites (you guessed it) were all affiliated with music. In 2019, Melissa opened her own business (that’s a whole different story) and Steven supported that along every step, but it wasn’t what he wanted to do forever. In 2022, they met Emily, the owner of Miss Emily’s Music School. Steven LOVED what the school was bringing to the community, and became a drum instructor there. It fueled the fire even more. When life got in the way of him staying there as an instructor, he promised Emily he would keep in touch. Lo and behold, in spring of 2025, Emily reached out with a curious proposition: she was ready to retire from this chapter of her life, and inquired if Steven was interested in purchasing the school. What a beautiful full circle moment when they closed on the purchase: 7/11 (2025).
The rebrand
Steven and Melissa believe it is their job to take the foundation that was built, and take it to the next level. Because music is a powerful thing, and because our community deserves it.
When deciding on a new name for something so important, they took their time. They wanted it to really mean something, down to every word. So let's break it down:
INNER FORTE. There's something super cool about this term: it's a double entendre! Simply put, it has two meanings. Forte as a musical term means to play something loudly. When used as a noun? It's a thing at which someone excels. Their dream is to help every musician find THEIR Inner Forte, their inner boldness, inner strength. It's in there, they know it!
MUSIC LABS. Why labs? Why not school or academy or institution? Well, because they believe those terms felt a little too... prim? Conformist? Something they didn't want to make a drudgery. They believe music should be exploratory and experimental and something you enjoy doing. And it is ever-evolving, a new discovery is always ahead.
And then the tagline. Discover What IF. It could be a simple question that sparks a lifetime of joy in music: What If? What if your child found an outlet? What if they made friends or found a way to communicate? What if they discover an instrument you never thought they'd be into, and they love spending time making music?
Steven and Melissa are so honored to be on this journey and can’t wait to bring the love of music to anyone that has an interest. Thank you for this life!
VISIT US!
MANHATTAN, KS LOCATION
4060 Stagg Hill Rd
Manhattan, KS 66503