About RBI Music

Fort Worth, Texas - "Where the West Begins" - is celebrated for its rich Western heritage, but it also boasts an extraordinary musical legacy. While often overshadowed by larger music centers like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, Fort Worth has been home to influential artists and innovators including T-Bone Burnett, Ornette Coleman, Van Cliburn, Delbert McClinton, Leon Bridges, and many others.

That same spirit of musical innovation gave rise to RBI.

In 1961, local music store owner Woods Moore and his son, Tommy Moore, began building educational musical instruments in the back room of Ault's Music. Recognizing the growing need for affordable, durable instruments for elementary music classrooms, they established a small manufacturing facility just east of downtown Fort Worth. There, they produced hundreds of bell sets, wood blocks, jingle sticks, and other classroom essentials. Their vision led to the creation of Rhythm Band Incorporated (RBI), the first company dedicated exclusively to elementary music education.

Tommy Moore later founded International Music Company, where he became a pioneer in global musical instrument manufacturing. Working as an OEM partner for many of the world's most recognizable brands, International Music produced electric and acoustic guitars in Japan, Korea, India, Taiwan, and China, while also manufacturing professional PA equipment in Korea. Jerry Freed, who would later found Gator Cases, joined Tommy during this period, helping establish International Music as a major force in the wholesale musical instrument industry.

Meanwhile, Rhythm Band continued to grow under the leadership of Bob and Laura Bergin. Bob was deeply involved in the music education community, serving on the boards of TMEA, AOSA, and NAMM throughout his career. Together, Bob and Laura attended more than 20 music educator conferences each year and spent over four decades building RBI into one of the most trusted names in music education. They also expanded the company's wholesale business, developing long-standing partnerships with many of the nation's largest school supply companies—relationships that have endured for more than 30 years and reflect RBI's unwavering commitment to quality products and exceptional customer service.

Brad Kirkpatrick joined International Music in the mid-1980s as Purchasing Manager, working directly with instrument manufacturers across Asia. He later became Operations Manager, overseeing the company's global supply chain. In 2003, Brad joined Rhythm Band as Director of Operations under Bob Bergin, and in 2007, following Bob and Laura's retirement, became co-owner and President of what had become Rhythm Band Instruments. As only the third president in the company's history, Brad continues to lead RBI today.

In 2015, Jon Vanderploeg, an experienced mergers and acquisitions executive, joined RBI as co-owner and operator. Together, Brad and Jon began expanding the company's vision, rebranding the business as RBI Music to better reflect its growing portfolio of musical instrument brands.

Today, in addition to its industry-leading elementary music products, RBI Music owns globally recognized brands including Boomwhackers, Toca Percussion, Grover Pro Percussion, and Silvertone Guitars. These brands are distributed worldwide through a carefully selected network of dealers and distributors, continuing the company's long tradition of innovation, quality, and service.

More than 60 years after its founding, RBI Music remains committed to inspiring musicians of every age—from a child's very first rhythm lesson to professional performers on stages around the world.