Relationships with the Music Stores

I walk into my favorite music store and the people who work there all know me by name. They greet me with a genuine smile and I know they’re happy to see me. My day is instantly brighter.

Perks of Having a Good Relationship with the Music Store

If you have read any of my blog posts, you know that I like lists. They clarify things. I’m writing the list below and explaining what I mean for each item in the sections afterwards. There are more perks than just these four things, but these are the main ideas.

1. Good Advice
2. Networking
3. Trust
4. Try Things Out

Good Advice

If you find yourself stumped, you have a ton of musicians at your fingertips to give you advice. For example, my first time switching a piano student from Faber to Bastien after the primer level, I wasn’t sure what to do. The student needed the faster-moving method book, but there was a big gap between where the Primers ended between the methods. Faber goes much slower than Bastien.

I asked the person behind the counter what he would recommend. He mentioned a couple of ideas – write a few pieces of music to get her through the gap, or use the first few pages of a third lesson book to get her to that point.

I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, so I chose the second option and the student got through the gap famously.

Networking

The people at the music store know the best local bands, where they play, and what times. They know what music seminars are coming to town. They know which ensembles have openings and which ensembles have good reputations. All you have to do is ask, and they’ll help you out.

Trust

If you have created a good relationship with the people in the music store, you can trust them to give you good service. The repair techs will take their time on your instrument. If you have a problem with a product that you bought, they’ll trust you that it was an actual problem, and they won’t doubt you.

Try Things Out

A good music store will allow you to try things out that you would be surprised about.

When I accidentally put my electric metronome through the washer and dryer, I went to my favorite music store. I told them what happened and I brought my piccolo along. They opened up the metronome packages and allowed me to try each electric metronome that they had. The very last one was the one I could hear above the sound of the piccolo. The salesman knew how to open the packages so they would close up without anyone knowing.

I had no clue that trying out the packaged metronomes was even an option. When I was younger, they had metronomes behind a glass case that you could try. That’s why I brought my piccolo. I was very appreciative.

Supporting a Good Music Store

I personally drive half-way across my city in order to go to the music store that treats me right. The techs know what they’re doing and the staff is fabulous. In order to go there, I drive right past the music store that is 8 blocks from my house because they don’t treat me right. In the past, I have driven up to three hours in order to take my flute to a tech that I liked.

What with the amount of students that I have, the amount of sheet music that I buy is the equivalent of buying a student instrument once a year. I recommend this music store a lot to my students and to my colleagues. I support them the best that I can.

It’s important to me to have the resources that I need from the places that I go. I try not to order online if at all possible so I can support my local music store. I hope music stores never go away because online shopping can’t hold a candle to the service you get at a good music store.

Finding a Good Music Store

Good music stores can be hard to find. Some choose to hire people who are arrogant and condescending. Some choose to hire people who are only after your money and treat you like a cash cow. Some choose to hire repair techs who use shortcuts on your instrument, which makes things worse in the long run.

Test out the music stores within driving distance from you, systematically.

One test is to peruse the music. Do they ask if they can help? Do they stand there with an attitude?

Another test is to try to strike up a conversation. How do they respond? Do you have a nice conversation, or do they act like you’re stupid?

A really good test is to ask if they carry a folding music stand that gets at least 5 ft tall. They probably don’t. How do they treat you? If they just apologize or offer to order one, those are the best responses. Do they say that those stands don’t exist? They exist online. Do they talk about how you don’t need a stand that tall for various reasons? It’s a good idea to have one that tall for practicing while standing up.

If you need to get your instrument repaired, call around to all the stores in the area and ask to talk to them. Ask about their processes. How do they treat pads that stick? If they mention powder paper, run the other direction. That’s an emergency-only item.

As you can see, it’s a process, but it’s important. What if you unwittingly took your flute to a tech that makes your flute worse? What if you were sold something that’s unnecessary or the wrong thing for you? It’s important to take the time to find a good music store.

Conclusion

It’s important to find and support a good music store. That store will support you. It’s also just as important to not support the bad music stores, for obvious reasons. I hope this guide helps you find your music store home.