What began with a few teenagers, worship music, and an open backyard has grown into something Megan and Ken Gerber never quite planned but perhaps were always meant to create.
Tones N Bones is a nonprofit centered around music, faith, and community, providing a place where young people can gather, musicians can develop their talents, and families can experience live music together. But before there was a venue, there was simply the Gerber family opening their home.
Their children, Jack and Skyla, were involved in a youth group, and Jack and another teenage drummer began providing worship music. Soon, the backyard became a gathering place. A back-to-school carnival brought even more people together, and connections with Christian musicians led to small acoustic concerts at their home.
“We just kept opening the door,” Megan says. “Eventually, I felt that we were being called to open a bigger one.”
Even the name Tones N Bones is deeply connected to their family.
Jack was diagnosed with autism at age three and began speaking at five. From an early age, he developed a fascination with dinosaurs and paleontology, collecting fossils and dreaming of someday having a place where he could share that passion with other children. He also developed a love and talent for music.
When Megan and Ken began imagining the venue, the two worlds came together: “Tones” represented music, while “Bones” represented Jack’s fossils.
“Tones N Bones wasn’t just a clever name,” Megan says. “It told our family’s story.”
That family story has since grown into a community mission.
Tones N Bones offers young musicians opportunities to perform and develop their talents while also hosting established Christian artists, worship events and other ministries. The venue has welcomed artists including Disciple, Spoken and We Are Vessel, along with local musicians. One memorable event featured 14 local bands performing in a single day.
“Our mission is to create a place where people, especially young people, can come together, build relationships, discover and develop their talents, and find a sense of belonging,” Megan says.
That sense of belonging is ultimately what keeps Megan and Ken moving forward.
Megan remembers one worship night when another ministry was using the venue at no cost. At the time, she and Ken had been discussing the financial challenges of operating Tones N Bones while continuing to give the space to organizations that needed it.
During the event, Megan noticed a young man who had arrived appearing distant and down. Later, she saw him standing with his head lowered and hands raised while his friends surrounded him.
“I looked at Ken with tears in my eyes and said, ‘He needed this. This is why we’re doing it.’”
They never learned what he was going through. They simply knew Tones N Bones had provided a place for whatever he needed in that moment.
As the organization has grown, so has the community surrounding it. Volunteers, musicians, donors, ministries and friends have contributed everything from equipment and expertise to countless hours of their time.
This year, Megan is especially thankful to see Tones N Bones beginning to mature, with stronger systems behind the scenes and growing relationships with local musicians.
“There is a tremendous amount of talent in our community,” she says, “and we’re looking forward to creating more opportunities to bring those artists and audiences together.”
Most of all, the Gerbers remain grateful that something so meaningful grew from something so simple.
“We started by opening our home. Then we opened a venue,” Megan says. “Now we just want to keep opening doors for people.”