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Glenwood Music owner Joe Rodgers stands near the expanded portion of his music shop located in South Glenwood.
Chelsea Self / Post Independent -
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Glenwood Music owner Joe Rodgers points out where the grand opening party will take place at his music shop in South Glenwood Springs.
Chelsea Self / Post Independent -
As the Internet and large music retailers unplug mom and pop music shops across the country, Glenwood Music continues to hit the right notes.
Located at 3102 Blake Ave. Suite D, the local full-service music store owned by Joe and Ann Rodgers recently expanded its current location by 2,800 square feet and plans to celebrate with the community on June 15.
When Rodgers moved from the D.C./Baltimore area to Denver, the instrument technician knew that the big city life was no longer for him.
“When Guitar Center came to town it very much changed the landscape and they bought up the mom and pop, brick and mortar store that I was in for many, many years as a service technician,” Joe Rodgers said of his former instrument repair shop on the east coast.
After heading west, and following a brief stint along the Front Range, Rodgers purchased Glenwood Music from friend Larry Gruber in 2010 when it still operated out of its former space, 715 Cooper Ave.
“As much as there was a need for [musical instrument] repair out here, it was not enough to be a full-time, twenty-four seven business,” Rodgers explained. “I quickly realized you had to diversify.”
In December 2011, Rodgers moved Glenwood Music into Blockbuster’s former location in the Roaring Fork Marketplace and has continued to sell and rent musical instruments as well as offer lessons and equipment repairs ever since.
However, earlier this year, the mom and pop music shop’s expansion made way for a warehouse and loading dock to house more musical inventory as well as a piano showroom and an enclosed humidity controlled acoustic guitar and ukulele area.
“We take great pride in selling Colorado acclimated used pianos,” Rodgers said. “All of my pianos are screened by my piano technicians before they even come in, to make sure that they are in 100 percent playing condition.”
Additionally, the newly constructed acoustic guitar and ukulele room not only protects the integrity of the instruments but also allows their true sounds to come through, according to Rodgers.
“We needed something a little more dedicated and something where the customer could really hear the instrument better,” Rodgers said of the humidity controlled acoustic guitar and ukulele room. “People can really hear the subtle differences now.”
Glenwood music will host its “Expansion Grand Opening Celebration” from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, with food, drinks, live music and substantial door prizes.
“Other than sound checks it is going to be nonstop music all day long in that new area,” Rodgers said of the musicians that will perform in the new piano showroom at the celebration.
Artists performing will include Joe Kelly, John Michel and Michael Jude, Vid Weatherwax, Feeding Giants and others.
“Our number one motto is musicians helping musicians, which is related to treat others the way you would like to be treated,” Rodgers said of Glenwood Music’s recipe for success over the years.
“We even get comments from the tourists, ‘Oh, I wish there was still a music store like this in our town.’”
