Local Music Stores Are Where It's At
Every musician has many relationships. Ones with bandmates, girlfriends, and the usual list of friends. Musicians also have relationships that have a direct influence on their music life. Not career, LIFE, because it will never be work to do what musicians do. Ever booked a show? Ever called a conference, label, management co., or radio station? Any response on the other end is an immediate relationship one wants to maintain as long as it is a healthy relationship. How about your relationship with your local music store? Do you have one? You should. Do you do unto others as you would have done unto you? In your music store relationship that is? Think about it. Do you have any relationship with your local music store or any of its employees? I do. I have a relationship with many "local" music stores. I do not consider Guitar Center or Sam Ash a local store. I do not care if you live a block away it’s not local! I am talking about the stores in Grayslake, Libertyville, Antioch, or Gurnee. You should at least know one of these stores. I am going to cover one store per column until I run out of cool places to spend time checking out, buying gear or lessons from, or hanging out at. It could be awhile.
My first experience comes form the coolest music store I have been to. This is not to take anything away from any other local music store. This is MY personal experience, and can soon be yours!! I have been a drum teacher at The Music Source for about one and a half years. I have a lot of friends at this store. Actually a lot of my friends work there too. The Music Source is a cool place to work and hang out. No, it’s not customary to just hang out at the Source but it does happen. It’s a store with character and personality and a lot of history... 16 Years of it!!
The Source carries a large assortment of music necessities. Guitar strings, picks, drum sticks, reeds, drum heads, music stands, guitar stands, sheet music, lesson books, guitar pedals, and the list goes on. They also carry guitars, pro audio, and drums. Washburn, Peavey, Marshall, Martin, Yorkville, Peace, McPherson and Dean are all names we recognize. The Source carries many products from these well-known manufacturers. Complete drum sets are available at a very reasonable price. Speaking of price I promise you that you will get a very competitive price from Bob. Bob has been the infamous owner of The Source for 16 years!! Actually he is a partner with his long time friend Paul. Bob is the lively character behind the counter 90% of the time. He’s the one cracking jokes, cutting deals for students, talking to parents while eating his lunch, checking on orders, and answering the phone ALL AT ONCE!! Yes folks he is crazy. He chose to run a store that helps all of us. Bob will cut you a deal on anything in the store. Why you ask? HE IS ONE OF US. He has been where we are and he wants to make it as easy as he can for us to continue our endeavors. He is a long time guitar player and singer and still plays in a band that practices more than mine do!! He knows it’s not cheap to do what we do so he hooks us up. Do not forget that he is providing a service to you and should be allowed to make a couple of bucks. Check it out; his prices are more than competitive!
The Source also rents small PA rigs to bands that actually book their own shows (yes that was a dig, it would be nice to see more bands take some initiative and not other bands’ patience). It’s cheap too. Two speakers with poles, a mixer/amp, cables and mic’s are about $50 a night. That’s a good deal folks! The Source also has the best repair shop around. I am going to get in to trouble for this as my next-door neighbors and friends are employees of another store. Chip is the guitar repair Master! He really is that damn good. Ask anyone about Chips work and you will find out for yourself. Repairs are done every Wednesday and usually you can drop something off Tuesday and pick it up Thursday.
Last but not least The Source has 9 studios in which you can take lessons!! The source offers guitar, drum, band instrument, violin, piano, and voice lessons for all ages and ALL levels. A few of the teachers there are even in local bands you guys check out. The Elvi, Overtone, Holeshot, and Daedulus are names that come to mind. These lessons are one on one and 30 minutes long. You take one lesson a week at the same time and day each week. All of the teachers are very experienced, some with Masters degrees, and some with life earned degrees. All said and done, the Source is a cool place to post a band member wanted sign, meet up with friends and check out new gear, pick up sticks before a show, or just stop in to say hi to everyone. I am there no less than two days a week. Though it’s usually a couple more.
Swing by and say hi to Bob. Tell him you read this and wanted to see how year 17 was going. Buy a pair of sticks or some strings.... shit buy a guitar you know you want to! I'm out........
Moons
My first experience comes form the coolest music store I have been to. This is not to take anything away from any other local music store. This is MY personal experience, and can soon be yours!! I have been a drum teacher at The Music Source for about one and a half years. I have a lot of friends at this store. Actually a lot of my friends work there too. The Music Source is a cool place to work and hang out. No, it’s not customary to just hang out at the Source but it does happen. It’s a store with character and personality and a lot of history... 16 Years of it!!
The Source carries a large assortment of music necessities. Guitar strings, picks, drum sticks, reeds, drum heads, music stands, guitar stands, sheet music, lesson books, guitar pedals, and the list goes on. They also carry guitars, pro audio, and drums. Washburn, Peavey, Marshall, Martin, Yorkville, Peace, McPherson and Dean are all names we recognize. The Source carries many products from these well-known manufacturers. Complete drum sets are available at a very reasonable price. Speaking of price I promise you that you will get a very competitive price from Bob. Bob has been the infamous owner of The Source for 16 years!! Actually he is a partner with his long time friend Paul. Bob is the lively character behind the counter 90% of the time. He’s the one cracking jokes, cutting deals for students, talking to parents while eating his lunch, checking on orders, and answering the phone ALL AT ONCE!! Yes folks he is crazy. He chose to run a store that helps all of us. Bob will cut you a deal on anything in the store. Why you ask? HE IS ONE OF US. He has been where we are and he wants to make it as easy as he can for us to continue our endeavors. He is a long time guitar player and singer and still plays in a band that practices more than mine do!! He knows it’s not cheap to do what we do so he hooks us up. Do not forget that he is providing a service to you and should be allowed to make a couple of bucks. Check it out; his prices are more than competitive!
The Source also rents small PA rigs to bands that actually book their own shows (yes that was a dig, it would be nice to see more bands take some initiative and not other bands’ patience). It’s cheap too. Two speakers with poles, a mixer/amp, cables and mic’s are about $50 a night. That’s a good deal folks! The Source also has the best repair shop around. I am going to get in to trouble for this as my next-door neighbors and friends are employees of another store. Chip is the guitar repair Master! He really is that damn good. Ask anyone about Chips work and you will find out for yourself. Repairs are done every Wednesday and usually you can drop something off Tuesday and pick it up Thursday.
Last but not least The Source has 9 studios in which you can take lessons!! The source offers guitar, drum, band instrument, violin, piano, and voice lessons for all ages and ALL levels. A few of the teachers there are even in local bands you guys check out. The Elvi, Overtone, Holeshot, and Daedulus are names that come to mind. These lessons are one on one and 30 minutes long. You take one lesson a week at the same time and day each week. All of the teachers are very experienced, some with Masters degrees, and some with life earned degrees. All said and done, the Source is a cool place to post a band member wanted sign, meet up with friends and check out new gear, pick up sticks before a show, or just stop in to say hi to everyone. I am there no less than two days a week. Though it’s usually a couple more.
Swing by and say hi to Bob. Tell him you read this and wanted to see how year 17 was going. Buy a pair of sticks or some strings.... shit buy a guitar you know you want to! I'm out........
Moons
