Novi Music Owner Heading to Korea; Store to Close Its Doors

Looking ahead these days makes owner Kurt Zimmermann happy, but looking back makes him a little sad.

In mid-August, Zimmermann will close the doors of his business for good and fly to South Korea, where his family lives. While he is excited to start his new job as a teacher and to be reunited with his wife, Sunghee, and daughters Jessie, 9, and Ella, 5, he admits he will miss all of the friends he made over the past 10 years.

"We had a lot of regular customers," he said. "There's been people who have been coming to us since we've been around. It's been a real pleasure to be in this community. Some people we really got to know well."

The decision to close wasn't unexpected, but it happened more quickly than even Zimmermann planned. Sunghee Zimmermann is from South Korea and has been there with their children since April. The couple had been thinking about moving at some point in the future, but an unexpected opportunity put those plans in high gear. 

Concerns about family had the couple thinking more in recent months about relocation, and Kurt Zimmermann had contacted a placement agency about securing a teaching position.

"It was not looking real promising at first," he said. "Then I got home a little over a week ago and there was a contract in my mailbox."

The school wanted him to start in August. "I thought it over for a bit ... and decided I might as well jump on that. I'll be teaching English and some music," he said.

Would he consider opening another music store in Korea? "Maybe," Zimmermann said. "I know a couple of shop owners, and I'm going to try to get into that loop over there. I like teaching, but I've been contacting musicians from there to perform with."

Novi Music Center started with a group of the Zimmermanns' musician friends. The couple had been teaching all around the metropolitan area, from Brighton to Troy to Detroit, and decided to open a central location where students would come to them. They hired friends and over the years have taken on other musicians, some who've stayed the whole decade and others who've taught a few years and moved on.

In addition to teaching, Kurt Zimmermann performs with local rock bands, playing the electric violin. "I enjoy hanging around with musicians," he said. "It's a really kind of fun crowd."

The Zimmermanns own the building on Grand River, so that will be for sale, along with everything and anything inside the building—literally.

"If they've been comfortable in these chairs in the waiting room in the lobby, they can take them home," Zimmermann said.

Displays, cabinets, office supplies, keyboards, pianos and, of course, violins, cellos and other instruments are for sale. Instruments that were available for lease will be offered for sale at a price less than the cost of a year's rental, he said.

For information, call 248-477-6666. The store is located at 32716 Grand River Ave.