Our Business
Harmony AVL+media
We have more than 50 years of combined experience in the AV space as designers, creatives, and technicians. We’re all musicians, audiophiles, and lovers of all things quality content, and we want the media we love to look and sound amazing at home and at work. We also support the artists, venues, and producers that are the reason our systems and equipments even exist and believe in giving back through fundraisers, community service, and money-raising campaigns to support the causes, organizations, and people that make entertainment possible.
our team
Meet our Team
We love living in Asheville in part because there are so many incredible music venues, theaters, pubs, restaurants, and amazing outdoor spaces. We’re also quite a cast of characters and like to work hard and play hard. We are all creatives with deep interest and knowledge about all things media, and we love bringing your vision to fruition.
President/CEO Tommy Calloway
Tommy has been with Harmony for over ten years and believed in the company so much he bought it from our founders. He is a designer, entertainer, Asheville comedian of the year, DJ, illustrator, graphic novelist, and multi-instrument musician and composer. He is also the co-host of The Great Reset podcast.
Vice President Shawndra Russell
Shawndra is a long-time writer and media/communications specialist and co-owner of Harmony. She serves as our Project Manager for all Harmony projects and leads our marketing efforts. She is also a drummer, novelist, ex-college volleyball player, and Tommy’s co-host on The Great Reset podcast. She’s published five books and regularly contributes to VisitNC.com and Capital at Play.
System Designer Adam Meier
Adam is a long-time performer and appreciator of all things audio and visual–in fact, he and a friend dissected every James Bond movie complete with charts and other nerd-ery during lockdown. With IMBD credits including a role alongside Daniel Radcliffe in Imperium, and Adam worked on the popular LaZoom tours for many years.
Harmony Mascots Lokwa and Waya
Shawndra and Tommy were on the hunt for a new addition to their family when a friend of a friend shared pictures of these adorable twin girls whose pregnant mama had been rescued on the side of the road. They come to the office every day and bring the cuteness and cuddles every day and love greeting clients! When they’re not at work, they love to go disc golfing, take neighborhood walks, and play fetch.
Philosophy
What does “Technology in Harmony with Your Life” really mean?
We believe that every customized system and every piece of gear we install should be super-easy for our clients to use. Whether you have 50 bartenders who all need to be able to switch TVs and audio zones in a snap, or you want to program your home to greet you with just the right automatic lighting and music ambience and shut down whenever you leave at the touch of a button, we will guide you through tried-and-true questions about your project that will get you the end result you’re looking for to create a home or business that works seamlessly with your day-to-day life. We also build relationships with top-of-the-line vendors, builders landscape architects, interior designers, and business owners so we can have our
thumb on the pulse of everything that’s happening in our industry so we can give you plenty of options for gear that fits your budget and help you save money on the things you don’t really need so you can invest in the things you really, really want.
We believe people should have entertainment spaces that deliver exactly the experience they want every single day.whether it’s just for you and your family, you like to host intimate gatherings, or you’re a big-backyard-party kind of household. Whatever your style, we can make it happen.
We’re also dedicated to giving back to our local community through disc golf tournament fundraisers, monthly raffles to support a cause we support, and giving our time to organizations doing great work in and around Asheville.
History
22 years ago, our founders Scott and Sam Varn had a vision for utilizing Scott’s experience at Adobe and early stages of iTunes and creating great AV spaces for people to listen to the music they love deeply and watch their favorite shows and movies in spaces that were beautiful to look at and provided the best sound, visuals, and overall experienced possible. They started this business out of their home in the Montford neighborhood of downtown Asheville, then moved to what is now Nine Mile restaurant on 233 Montford Avenue. About 10 years ago, they were ready to expand again and found our lovely cottage showroom in East Asheville.
Over the years, they worked on hundreds of commercial and residential projects in the greater WNC area, including projects for The Biltmore Estate, The Bier Garden, Curate, and many other beloved restaurants, pubs, organizations, and beautiful homes throughout our region. They were successful because they have always focused on providing quality service, products, and a great experience from start to finish for every client and helping visions come to life. They are also artists at heart and will now be focusing their time and attention to their nonprofit, Preserving a Picturesque America, but they’re legacy lives on and they will always be mentors for the Harmony team going forward.