Expo suggests: FM Music

Folly Moon Music tunes into the Muncie music industry by supporting and promoting local artists

By Stephanie Swendsen

“You don’t get anywhere dreaming small.” A simple phrase with a powerful meaning that Mike Martin, co-founder of FM Music, lives by. Based in downtown Muncie, FM Music conducts a number of different services as a multi-media production/marketing company and indie record label. It is affiliated and has its headquarters at Doc’s Music Hall. The collaboration occurred as an attempt to enrich Muncie’s technology, and diversify its culture.

In 2003, before the emergence of Myspace and other indie music marketing entities, Mike Martin and six other musicians wanted a way to help book and promote themselves while developing the Muncie music scene as a whole. They developed FM Music as a result. FM’s slogan is “Music with a Meaning, People with a Purpose.”

FM Music is an indie record label, but currently The Michael Martin Band is the only act signed. Since it’s opening, signing artists has not been the emphasis. Instead, the booking and promotion of Doc’s Music Hall has taken precedence. With the addition of Doc’s on Dill Street, more opportunities have emerged for local artists. FM does all the booking and promotion of the shows at both venues. It has also done marketing for the Wuhnurth Music Festival and Muncie Music Festival.

FM Music is also a media production company that includes CD production and printing services, such as T-shirts, hats and stickers. FM Music distributes its merchandise by selling directly at Doc’s Music Hall and through its Web site at FollyMoon.com.

In addition to these services, FM Music is working to support local artists. Martin says, “The idea is to educate artists on how to promote and book themselves. We’re trying to make this independent music scene grow and help to empower artists and let them know they can do it on their own.”

FM music is a young company with big goals. FM stands for Folly Moon, a beach in South Carolina. The laid-back atmosphere is the same approach FM Music strives to capture. Martin’s goal to “make Muncie a vibrant, cool, music scene” is not out of reach with the help of Ball State students.

FM Music’s street team is full of Ball State students. They meet once a week to discuss marketing ideas for how to draw more students to their venues, and then promote events throughout campus.

Martin praises the efforts of Ball State student, Mary McKeen. She is a student ambassador for Muncie Downtown Development but works directly with Martin with booking and promotion.

McKeen is an enthusiastic and vital addition to FM Music. Her involvement in the Bloomington music scene led her to continue her services in Muncie. Mckeen says, “I love working with Mike and FM Music. They have such a great outlook on music- it’s not just about being successful, it’s about good music and getting it out to people.”

FM Music looks for major growth in the next five years. It hopes to sign new artists to the label, create a recording studio, open a franchise in South Carolina and continue to develop its current venues.

The company is a valuable asset to Muncie’s development, and it has great potential to instill a sense of culture in the community.