KEY LEAVES® is a Seattle-based family business specializing in wind instrument care products that leave keys open to dry. Key Leaves was founded by Rulon Brown, a professional saxophone player and music teacher who grew up fixing horns at his local music store. Like all saxophonists, Rulon ran into the problem of sticky key pads that cause playing malfunction and costly repair. So he created Key Leaves natural-care products to eliminate sticky keys and help musicians sound their best.

Since launching in 2018, Key Leaves has won praise from world-class players and repair techs, and critical acclaim beyond any wind instrument accessory from the last 75 years.

Rulon Brown began as a self-taught designer making products by hand in his garage. Building on the success of Key Leaves, Rulon grew the patent and product portfolio to include GapCap® end caps, Vent Vine™ key props, Spit Sponge™ pad dryers, and now the RULON product line.

We are musicians dedicated to clean design and powerful results that help you sound your best! Because of this, our products are beloved by world-class musicians, teachers, repair shops, and musical instrument makers.

In winter 2022 Rulon Brown launched RULON, a line of musical instrument products to give brasswind and woodwind players luxurious comfort and even higher performance. RULON products include tools for music education, ergonomic comfort gear, and instrument cleaning cloths featuring limited-edition fashion prints. RULON designs draw inspiration from elite sport and modern design, yet soulful craft is the beating heart of each RULON design.

When a RULON product helps a child with small hands start learning saxophone, a creative soul grabs hold of musical adventure. When our compact screwdriver gives an instrument a quick fix before showtime, the artist takes the stage with confidence. When our ergonomic designs help a musician play with less pain, their music can sing. RULON helps you get comfortable and play. So we keep drafting, sculpting, testing, chopping, blending, and crafting our way toward radically useful music gear so you make your best music and look great doing it.

"Life improves most radically when you dare to ask what is no longer needed. It's fuel for invention. I love to refine blunt ideas and question tradition because it starts a slow mo improv where the performance is something you hold in your hands, use repeatedly, and share with others." - Rulon Brown

RULON BROWN
President / Founder
A hopeless band geek living his dream to make music and help musicians sound their best.

KRISTEN BROWN
Strategic Advisor
A highly specialized medical pro, Kristen helps keep our products and business healthy. She is also the "Mom" in our "Mom & Pop" family biz.

ALEXIA McLEAN
Executive Assistant
A professional saxophonist and passionate educator with experience managing music stores and teaching programs. Alexia keeps things running smoothly across our team.

MARLA B.
Admin Manager "Queen B"
A compassionate and calm soul with an eye for detail to keep our biz flowing to Mumbai, Manitoba or Missouri.

TOM WANNE
Business Development Officer
An industry vet with success including co-founding Theo Wanne mouthpiece company and work for Fiberreed and Nadir Saxwind.

Joverey Manero holding P Mauriat alto saxophone

JOVEREY MANERO
Social Media
A saxophone playing graphic designer with social savvy who also helps lead her university band.

Photo by Ron Brown

Ever heard of the commons? It’s all the great stuff we share, like air, water, and a habitable earth. These resources are held in common, not owned privately. We take this truth to heart and our President even wrote a song about caring for the commons.

Because woodwind key pads are expensive, can’t be repaired, and are costly to replace, we are glad to be able to help musicians toss fewer pads on the trash heap. It’s a good day when we can help you sound your best, save our planet, and save $green$ along the way.

We care enough to:
  • Design for durability & washability for years of use and re-use.
  • Use sustainable or recyclable material in our products and packaging.
  • Recycle our scrap material. Ethical manufacturing is important to us and our scrap material is reused for product and industrial reuse.
  • Research new methods for simpler, cleaner, longer lasting products.

Howe we package:

  • We favor use of recyclable components that require no end-user separation before recycling.
  • We reuse and recycle packaging materials.
  • We strive to compact packaging to decrease material use and environmental impacts from storage and shipping.
  • We minimize use of plastic in our packaging.
  • We avoid use of EVA foams and other vinyl products in our packaging and production processes.

We support the creativity, technical ability, and industry of our community. We are proud to make Key Leaves products in the U.S.A.

Special thanks to:
The amazing family and friends who make Key Leaves possible: Kristen, Mike, Ron, Cindy, Jason, Dayna Brown, Jonathan Stapley, Paul Rucker, Gene Ann, Deborah, Jeanette, Taylor, Nick, Bruce, Kevin, John & Barbara Kagerer, Teresa & Dave Hoskins, Elin & Rich, Terry, Rich Bell, Lee, Sean Aydlott, and many more.

Big shout out to:

  • Tim, Heather & Joyce at Baker Hostetler
  • John W. Hubbard at emks.fi
  • Shon Hancock for his radical design mentorship