Foreground Music, Please

Muzak and other forms of background music have been a part of the American office scene for a half-century, partly in the belief that music soothes people into working more efficiently. But all of it sounds pretty much alike, and some of it, in fact, can lull people to sleep. Now two Washington State entrepreneurs, Michael Malone and Mark Torrance, have selected different kinds of music for different kinds of situations. They call it foreground music. Malone's firm, Audio Environments of Seattle, this year expects sales of $15 million.

Currently there are 16,000 Audio Environments clients, including dentists, the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet, clothing stores, Howard Johnson's restaurants and 26 airlines. For a monthly fee of $45, an establishment can choose music that varies to fit desired moods: peppy during a frantic rush-hour lunch, distracting during a dental procedure or tranquil when customers should linger, as in a boutique. The fare ranges from Bach to rock. Says Malone: "If the right music is playing, it supports fantasy, with the person buying the outfit or wanting to come back to the store." Or maybe even back to the dentist. Many of them are, it seems. Malone says his business is growing 40% annually.