Published June 2003

Kennelly Keys in tune
with music scene

The Herald/DAN BATES Bill Kennelly (foreground) is joined by some of the staff at Kennelly Keys’ newest building on 196th Street SW in Lynnwood. The facility has a variety of new features, including music lesson rooms, repair facilities and a library-like sheet-music section.

By Eric Fetters
Herald Business Writer

When Bill Kennelly talks about the future of his family’s music business, he can barely contain his enthusiasm.

Even when he’s standing in the middle of a dark, abandoned racquetball court, which he envisions as a first-class rehearsal room for local musicians.

The president and co-owner of Kennelly Keys Music has big plans for the new flagship store and corporate offices on Lynnwood’s 196th Street SW. The building is three times larger than the previous location.

It’s a big move for any family-owned business, let alone one that’s into its fifth decade.

“By no means do we have deep pockets, but it’s working out,” 38-year-old Kennelly said. “We’ve been really blessed to have the support and following we do.”

Despite being in an industry buffeted over the years by cuts to school music programs and changing times, Kennelly Keys has prospered. Known for its strong emphasis on band and orchestra instruments, the business’ gross revenues have increased by double digits each of the past five years, Kennelly said.

One recent contributor to that success has been a resurgent interest in family-oriented activities, such as playing music, among both children and adults. People who take lessons from teachers at the store come from all walks of life, Kennelly said.

But the core of the business’ customers over the years has been young musicians in school bands. They play many of the 4,000 instruments that Kennelly Keys’ nine stores rent out each year.

To get educators and students familiar with Kennelly Keys’ name, the business for years has provided music students with free folders perfect for holding their sheet music. Additionally, Kennelly and his employees get to know area music teachers.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have such strong, good programs in the area,” he said, mentioning high school bands and orchestras in the Mukilteo, Edmonds and Shoreline school districts as nationally recognized examples.

Jake Bergevin, director of bands at Edmonds-Woodway High School, said local schools’ relationship with Kennelly Keys is a two-way street, as the business helps out with large donations.

“They’ve been a great presence in our program,” Bergevin said, mentioning Kennelly Keys’ sponsorship of events and music-related speakers at the school.

While supporting music education helps Kennelly’s business, it seems to also be a true passion — maybe in part because he also was a music student. “Oh yeah. I took years of piano and trumpet and played in my high school jazz band,” said Kennelly, who still plays a bit of guitar. “But I consider myself a very mediocre musician.”

Kennelly Keys is named after his parents, Roy and Pat Kennelly, who married after meeting at an Arthur Murray Dance class in Seattle. They opened their first music store in North Seattle in 1960.

Over the years, the business grew to include other stores. The company moved its corporate office to Lynnwood in 1980.

The new store and main office at 4918 196th St. SW, which opened May 1, but will be undergoing construction in coming months, will include a dozen small rooms and two group spaces for all those students to practice.

The building also has expansive areas set aside for instrument repairs and storage. Additionally, the larger sales floor will allow Kennelly Keys to add grand and console pianos and a larger selection of sheet music.

But that’s just in the main 32,000-square-foot building located on the expansive property Kennelly Keys recently purchased. Next door, the vacant Manor Athletic Club has another 6,700 square feet.

That’s where Bill Kennelly envisions dividing the old racquetball courts into six soundproof rooms that local groups, from rock ‘n’ roll bands to small jazz combos, can use for rehearsals. There’s such a shortage of practice space, he said, that some bands rent and then jam into unheated storage spaces meant for household belongings.

He wants to turn the rest of the old fitness club into an open recital room that school music and nonprofit groups could use for fund-raising events.

In addition to the Lynnwood project, the company remodeled its Bellevue Square store, opened a store on Everett Mall Way and added a Woodinville store in recent years. The business also added a retail outlet at the Bellevue campus of Music Works Northwest.

Kennelly has plans for more expansion but said he’s being careful.

“I’m not going to expand outside my market area if it’s going to take away from what we’re doing here. I’d rather have a smaller market and do it well,” he said.

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