Print Music Retail
Jeff Eckroth is the son of the founders of Eckroth Music in North Dakota. His parents, Bill and Mary Ann, established the store in 1972 and Jeff recalls numerous stories about growing up in the store and in the industry he would come to love. Jeff helped develop the store’s combo business and...
Mary Ann Eckroth quietly sat behind the desk working on the books while her husband Bill traveled to the local schools to help the band directors. She took care of the customers and cleaned the store when he would travel for industry meetings, and she taught herself many of the business practices...
Rod Lindner and his wife Sally truly own and operate a mom and pop music store. They have no employees, so when they are sick or out of town, the store is closed. Lindner Music is located in the small farming community of Watertown, South Dakota. They do little advertising because the people who...
Sally Lindner once owned and operated a beauty shop in the small farming community of Watertown, South Dakota. After her husband, Rod, opened a music store in town, she could hardly wait to get off work so she could run to the store and help out. After a while she decided to work for the store...
Joe Lindner has a real passion for playing and teaching music. He gives lessons, mostly on drums and guitar, in his parents’ music store, Lindner Music in Watertown, South Dakota. Joe is also the instrument repair technician for the store, having gone to school for his training. The repairs he...
Kevin Cranley grew up in the music industry and has a passion for all elements of the music business, as if it were in his blood. As a young man he completed odd jobs around the Willis Music store and helped his father with the publishing side of the business. Years later Kevin took over the...
Richard Gore’s father was a band director who expanded the school’s bookstore into a music store in Denton, Texas. As the store grew, Richard’s passion for music grew, as did his interest in the sheet music sold in the store. Richard’s parents, Harold and Betty, welcomed him into the business in...
Janet Gratsch began working at Willis Music when she was 17 years old in the Choral Department. She remained with the store until she retired and even after her retirement she would be called by the staff and hummed a song for her to name, and she would. Janet was hired in 1940 and recalled with...
George Hauer established Madison Music Center in 1998 in the small Connecticut town of the same name. His main focus is sheet music and band instruments, but if you ask him he may admit the store was opened in his retirement to keep him active. George was active in music retail for a very long...
Dee Starkey recalls the days when his father, Jim, had a well known dance band in Wichita and played at night while teaching music during the day. In 1954 he opened Jim Starkey Music with a strong focus on lesson programs and hiring the best teachers in the area. His wife, Sally, who he met in...