The Story Behind the Name: SoundPost and SoundPost Bridge

At ASAE Annual this week, plenty of attendees stopped by the SoundPost booth to talk about accounting automation and integrations.  But more than a few walked up with a different question:

"Why is there a guy playing the violin at an accounting technology booth?"

It is not the usual trade show tactic, but for me, it was the perfect way to introduce the story behind our name, SoundPost, and our flagship accounting automation platform, SoundPost Bridge.

The Origin of the Name

Long before I started SoundPost, I learned something about resonance, precision, and the importance of small things done well.  In 1981, a 5-year-old boy living in New Orleans was introduced to an instrument that had a small, hidden part inside called a sound post.

A sound post is a thin wooden dowel inside a violin that stands between the top and back plates.  It does not make any noise on its own, but it transfers vibrations, shapes the instrument’s tone, and gives the music strength and clarity.  Without it, the violin is silent.  The name SoundPost comes from that principle: small, well-placed actions can create something resonant and lasting.

Posting Soundly to the General Ledger

In accounting, “posting” is the action of recording a transaction to the general ledger.  Good accounting is about more than just moving numbers.  It is about doing it in a way that is accurate, consistent, and traceable.  In other words, posting soundly.

SoundPost exists to help associations do exactly that.

The Violin Bridge and Our Flagship Accounting Automation Product

If the sound post is the hidden heart of the instrument, the bridge is what connects the strings to it.  The bridge supports the strings over the violin, holding more than 40 pounds of tension, and transfers their energy into the body.  It is not glued in place but held steady entirely by that tension, a reminder that even under constant pressure, precision and balance are essential for performance.

Our flagship product, SoundPost Bridge, plays the same role for association finance.  It creates a stable, reliable connection between systems such as AMS, eCommerce, event registration, and fundraising platforms and the accounting ledger.  Like its namesake, it does not just pass information along. It channels and shapes it into a form that is useful, structured, and ready for reporting.

Closing Notes

The name SoundPost is more than a nod to my musical past.  It is a reminder that the smallest components, whether in a violin or in an accounting system, can have the biggest impact on performance.  SoundPost Bridge is built to bring that same clarity, connection, and resonance to association finance.

And yes, the little boy in the photo, bow in hand, was already learning that lesson, even if he did not know it yet.