Meet ToneLab, a creative musical business by Armen Yedigarian, Narek Tovmasyan, and Arsen Ohanjanyan. ToneLab is one of the projects that took part in the Artbox Incubator program, receiving Artbox seed funding upon successfully completing the program and presenting a compelling business plan package. ToneLab is a multi-purpose and ambitious project – a space that gathers together musicians of various levels and experiences, offering them a platform for professional activity, recording, as well as learning. The studio officially opened its doors in 2023, shortly after the completion of the Artbox Incubator program. Since then, the team has been regularly hosting a series of live concert performances with various Armenian musicians and bands. Read on to learn about the vision that the ToneLab team has for the studio. 
 

ToneLab is simultaneously a band, a school, and a label. What are the needs you spotted and you wanted to cater to when starting your multi-profile creative venture?
 

Particularly in rock and alternative music production, there appears to be a dearth of knowledge, human resources, and technical facilities. Over a decade of experience in teaching and performance has inspired us to coordinate courses and lessons that enable in-depth knowledge of the instruments and music being taught. We aim to offer a new environment that facilitates carefree creative flow during group rehearsals, and organize everything under one roof. Our mission is to offer superior quality and dignified treatment to creative people and music lovers.
 

What is it like to operate in the context of the Armenian music scene? What are the challenges or opportunities that businesses like yours face?
 

Anything new takes time to take root in the minds of its audience. Our greatest challenge is to establish a new level of quality, which we approach with a sense of responsibility, and undertake every step necessary to promote the growth of the industry.

Could you share some of your plans regarding ToneLab with us? How do you see your business growing in the upcoming years?
 

ToneLab is a rapidly growing organism – day by day, our team is joined by new specialists and more people are using our services. Soon, we will need a larger facility where every ToneLab branch can have its own center under one roof. Our goal is to continue making progress in the field and to present our artists abroad in the coming years, while also creating an appropriate format for hosting international festival performers.
 

As alumni of the Artbox Incubator program, is there any particular business advice you learned during the program that you would like to share with up-and-coming creative entrepreneurs?
 

There was a piece of advice that suggested presenting ideas as simply as possible, as if explaining them to an old grandmother or a 3rd grader :) The idea is to simplify the concept by filtering out unnecessary details and focusing on its essential parts.

Photo credits: Dezerlis