BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: The Rhapsody String Quartet

DECORAH — The Rhapsody String Quartet is celebrating a decade of making music together this summer. Members and co-owners Eden Ehm, Krista Holland, Benjamin Kratchmer and Paige Albjerg perform a wide range of music, from Beethoven to the Beatles and Tchaikovsky to Taylor Swift. Their repertoire includes traditional wedding selections, classical string quartets, popular pop and rock hits, and custom requests. The Rhapsody String Quartet offers a musical concierge service, working with clients to select music tailored to their events, including weddings, cocktail hours, parties, celebrations, funerals and corporate functions. Eden Ehm spoke with DecorahNews.com on behalf of the ensemble about its experiences over the past ten years. DN: What inspired you to start this business? EE: All four of us have loved making music our entire lives, and now have non-musical careers. We welcome any opportunity to keep playing as adults, and playing with others is the most fun. We saw a need for a professional-level string quartet for hire in the region, and it was a natural next step to form our quartet. It's enjoyable to see what music everyone picks for their celebrations, and it's an honor to be a part of our clients' special days. DN: What is your background, and how did you develop your skill set? EE: All of us grew up learning our respective instruments from a very young age. This included lessons, chamber and symphony orchestras, competitions, music classes, and more from childhood through college. Now, as adults, we continue to hone our skills. We are active in area symphony and chamber orchestras, some of us teach private students, and one of us even makes instruments. DN: Tell us how you market your business to grow sales. EE: Our primary marketing is word of mouth. We get a lot of referrals from people who've heard our music at an event. It might be several years later, but they'll say, "I was at so-and-so's wedding and loved your music and would like it at my event." It's so amazing that our music left a lasting impact. We also get a lot of referrals from venues and vendors in the wedding industry who work with engaged couples. We enjoy attending area wedding markets to meet directly with newly engaged couples and chat with them about their vision for the music on their special day. DN: What has been your biggest success to date? EE: Our biggest competition is a speaker system and a playlist. Our biggest success is helping others see the added value of live music at their celebrations. Yes, it's a luxury service, but it's incredibly meaningful, personal, and memorable because you're treating your guests to a customized live music performance. It's an investment that goes a long way in setting the vibe of your event. DN: What is the best thing a customer ever said about your business? EE: The best compliment is always the wonderful feedback from guests after an event. Guests always come up to us and let us know how much they enjoyed the music, and how much of a treat it was to hear. They even mention specific songs, which lets us know they were really listening and engaged in our performance. We've also received some very heartwarming thank you notes after weddings. DN: What has been the biggest challenge that you were able to solve? How did you do it? EE: There are always challenges at events, but, fortunately, these are small issues like projecting sound outdoors on a windy day or a flower girl being too shy to walk down the aisle. The advantage of having live musicians is that we can adapt in the moment. A playlist can't adjust on the fly as unexpected things happen or take requests from guests. DN: If you believe you've embraced technology well in running your business, tell us what you did or how you did it. EE: I'm trying to shift from paper music in a binder to e-music on a tablet. The former is a pain when it comes to turning pages, especially on a windy day. The latter makes me nervous that a battery will die or my page-turning pedal won't sync. I always bring both paper and digital, so I have a backup. DN: What inspires you to get out of bed every morning? EE: Interest in string quartets has grown thanks to the TV show Bridgerton. It's really cool to see new people reaching out to us because they heard a string quartet's cover on that show, fell in love with that sound, and discovered that classical music can be trendy and fun. DN: What are the one or two things within your business that you need to improve upon over the next 12 months? EE: We'd like to improve our social media presence, and build out our pages more. This will involve posting more often, especially personal content about us as musicians and individuals, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into our rehearsals and gigs. We're all busy adults with many commitments, but in today's day and age, you need a strong social media profile to be seen as professional. DN: What interesting fact about your business don't most people know? EE: We take requests. If a song isn't on our repertoire list, please request it. Our official repertoire list is 170 songs and growing. DN: What is your favorite genre of music or favorite musical group? EE: We love the Vitamin String Quartet. Their edgy covers of popular music and fun tours have built a new generation of classical music listeners and appreciators. We get a lot of requests for songs from their albums. DN: Of all the places to which you've traveled, what has been your favorite and why? EE: We've played in some really neat venues. From gorgeous churches to scenic rural views, we're portable and can provide music anywhere, just as long as there's no precipitation on us. One especially unique venue was a wedding at a family farm in the area that had a ginormous boulder in the middle of a field. The couple got engaged on top of it, and they stood in front of it to get married. The rolling hill created a natural amphitheater for their guests. That was really special. DN: What one bit of advice would you give to a young person looking to get started in operating their own business? EE: All of us have non-musical careers. We love to show young musicians that you can continue to have a fulfilling and successful musical life as an adult, regardless of your educational and professional pursuits. Don't stop pursuing your hobbies and passions, as they could turn into a profitable and fun small business someday. Editor's note: Business Spotlights are produced by the newsroom of DecorahNews.com and are not a paid advertisement. The goal is to recognize area businesses by telling their stories. It is challenging to be an entrepreneur, regardless of the type or age of the business. DecorahNews.com recognizes the huge role that businesses play in our rural communities. If you own a business in Decorah or Winneshiek county and would like to be considered for an upcoming Business Spotlight, tell us about your business here.