Music Retail
Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Company serves as a focal point for the music makers all around the DC area and is one of the premier music retail stores in the country. The store also stands as a lasting tribute to the man behind the name, Mr. Chuck Levin. Mr. Levin passed away before he could...
Robert Levin was the youngest of Chuck and Marge Levin’s three children, literally growing up in the store. From his earliest memories, he can remember observing and learning his father’s many successful traits and techniques that were at the core of building such a successful business. Along...
Wil White worked for Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center for nearly 30 years! It all began on October 6, 1987 when he was looking for a job and answered an ad for a cashier. He was hired by the founder, Mr. Levin, who impressed on Wil his passion for music. Wil witnessed firsthand the way...
Bill Higgins enjoyed the country and hillbilly music he heard growing up. He surrounded himself with music his entire life. In 1965, Bill and his wife Nancy, opened Bill Higgins Music just south of Baltimore in Catonsville, Maryland. The store expanded over the years to include teaching, instrument...
Jimmy Mays performed rock and country music for over 30 years. Along the way he kept his day job, working at Bill Higgins Music from nearly the beginning. Some 40 years later Jimmy stands next to the owners, Nancy and Bill Higgins, to serve their customers, each and every day. As Jimmy put it “This...
Gordon Keller owned and operated a string of piano stores in and around northern Virginia and became a much-celebrated figure in the area due to his work at the Kennedy Center and Wolf Trap. Mr. Keller was also a well-regarded leader within the music products industry and among piano technicians....
Larry Bearce formed Reston Music in northern Virginia in the 1960s and later opened several locations in the area. One key to the store’s success was the man himself. He was a dedicated music maker who found personal satisfaction in watching student’s progress and learn music. He took pride in...
Nancy Higgins and her husband opened a small music shop in 1965. It was a very good year to start. The Beatles had invaded the United States and nearly every child you met wanted to play music. Bill Higgins Music, outside Baltimore, Maryland, grew over the years and Nancy worked every aspect of the...
Sam Keeney loved playing music! He had a road organ he hauled to performances nights and on weekends. Starting in the late 1950s, his day job was music retailing. In 1970 he bought a store in Spry, Pennsylvania, and renamed it Sam Keeney Piano and Organ Company. Over the years he pioneered product...
Michael Cooney taught music in the public schools in Massachusetts for over 25 years. During the time of his teaching he also established a high-end flute company in the early 1970s called Northeast Winds. Over the years the company built a worldwide reputation for quality of product with a special...