ARTICLES ABOUT RISING STAR

   David and Daren Short's business has been on the rise a long time. The twin brothers conceived of the idea for a music rehearsal studio when they were members of a local band in the mid-1980s.
   After years of research, taking a series of college courses in business, marketing and music promotion, and discussions with studio operators on the West Coast, the brothers from Beech Grove launched Rising Star Rehearsals, Inc. in February 1995.
   "There comes a point when you have to stop the research and just do it," David said.
   The Shorts faced long odds in launching their business, and even some in the local music business were skeptical.
   First they had to find a landlord who would allow bands to practice their often-loud craft. They eventually landed a 1,600- square-foot home in Commerce Square on the southeast side. They agreed not to open until 5 p.m. on weekdays to accommodate the surrounding businesses.
   Then they had to convince local musicians it was worth it to pay about $10 an hour to practice in a professional studio. The Shorts were confident there was market demand.
   "We knew from our own experiences it was hard to find a place," Daren said. "We had practiced in all kinds of places-top of an old barn, an old theater, warehouses and an indoor soccer field."
  They were told musicians were too irresponsible, wouldn't pay and would trash the place.  The Shorts admitted they were soft at first, letting clients slide on payments occasionally and letting other rules get bent.
   "We weren't natural businessmen," David said. "But we learned."
   Slowly, as word began to spread, and the Shorts worked long hours handing out fliers and posting signs at music stores, business began to pick up.
  Now the 34-year-old brothers' office wall is lined with a large board filled with names of bands reserving one of Rising Star's two studios, which are often booked all day Saturday and Sunday.
  More than 250 bands have used the facilities since Rising Star opened five years ago, and the Shorts said they have a core of 10 regular clients that keep them busy.
   The Shorts, who first got into music as members of their school's band in sixth grade, now joke about their beginnings.
"Our first month, we made $90, and that was far less than our expenses," David said.
   Revenue for the most recent year hit $20,000, and the brothers expect that to double as they expand into audio and video recording and open a small retail outlet of music accessories.
   The Shorts recently invested $12,000 in audio recording equipment and $9,000 in video recording equipment. The equipment, which they bought used, is worth far more, they said.
   "We knew rehearsals wouldn't stand on [their] own forever," David said. "We knew even before we got started we wanted to get into recording. But the rehearsal studio is what the city really needed, and we had to get to the point where we could afford the recording equipment."  Increased business has the Shorts looking for a new home twice the size they have now. They would like to find a location near Interstate 465 on the southeast side and hope to move by the end of the summer.
  "We're getting to the point where we'll be a full-service entertainment studio," David said.
  The brothers still work part time to supplement their income - David making deliveries for courier service Fast Reaction and Daren at the Target warehouse on West Morris Street. But they anticipate working more at the studio as business increases.
  Rising Star offers local bands services that otherwise wouldn't be available or affordable, said Daniel Carr, lead vocalist and guitarist for the local band Medicated Becky [sic]. 
  "We rehearse two to three times a week, and they give bands a professional place to practice," Carr said. "Price is important, because it may not seem like much, but when you're a struggling band... . They're by far the cheapest."
   In addition to giving singers and musicians a safe haven to practice, the Shorts have fueled the local music business, industry insiders said.
   "They have their finders in a lot of stuff," Carr said. "They know a lot of bands and put a lot of people in the business together."
   Rising Star has taken a strategic approach to growth, which helped the brothers avoid financial ruin when the local music industry slowed a few years ago, said Jeff Diehl, owner of Diehl Productions and former member of the Henry Lee Summer Band. "They bring a dedicated but reasonable approach," Diehl said. "They've survived five years, and they've done it completely grass-roots. These guys are taking it step by step. They're not taking anything on until they can do it professionally."