Chantilly Music Store Feeds Creative Expression

When I was a little girl, I remember how exciting it was to visit the local music store.  I would beg my mother to stop in to look for new sheet music or to gaze at the shiny brass and silver instruments.  I had a dream that I would one day learn to play every single one. 

When I entered , that feeling of warm familiarity and happiness mixed with hopeful aspirations flooded throughout my body once again.  I was immediately greeted by the friendly staff who I enjoyed meeting very much.  You can always tell when you've found a good music store, by not just the friendliness of the staff, but also by the observation of their personalities.  As musicians, we are all so different, whacky and unique.  But honestly, we are all exactly the same.  Musicians are friends with everyone.  I immediately felt like I had made not only new but close friends.  I could see this was the right music store for me.

The manager of the music store is Jerry Hammack.  Once a percussion private teacher, he now runs and manages the family grown store.   Jerry explained to me that the Chantilly Music store has been in the area since 1995.  It is one of four in a family of stores and is the third in the chain.  The music store was owned by the same man for its entire existence until recently.  A little over a year ago, Larry Bearce, a lover of music and community, passed away.  He was very pivotal for music in the school system, as far as renting instruments and providing instruments for people or schools who could not afford them.

After his passing, Bearce's sons took over the music stores.  They are both very musically inclined, as is everyone who is involved in this family chain.  With their leadership, the stores have reached another generation.  Jerry Hammack explains, "It's the same philosophy, but hopefully with a modern touch, because it was very much like an old hardware store, like a real family place.  It still is today."

Once the store was under this new management, Hammack took over the store.  He explained to me his goals and why it's so important for these real music stores to remain in existence.

"The main thing we do here is teach lessons.  Unfortunately, there are places in the area that teach you just about being in a rock band," said Hammack".  "With such little instruction and now YouTube and Guitar Hero, students of music have learned to seek instant gratification." 

"But music is still the one thing that you can never rush," continued Hammak.  "It's so hard to convince people of that with other sources saying, 'If you just watch my videos once a week and give me five bucks, I'll teach you how to play Pearl Jam.'  But without a one-on-one experience, it's really hard to become a musician.  I personally don't feel that people are discovered.  People make it through hard work."

Lessons for all instruments are available at the store.  The main instruments that are taught are guitar, drums and piano.  The teachers also have clarinet, sax, oboe and bass guitar students.  They even have a few students who also sing.  Currently, Chantilly Music holds about 200 lessons a week.

The best age to start lessons is usually 6 or 7.  Some 5-year-olds can start lessons, but it really depends upon their attention span and whether they are able to practice and even hold the instrument.  Any age and level after that is welcome to sign up for lessons.

Hammack proudly bragged about the teachers. "Everyone who works here is either a practicing musician or a musician in school.  Not somebody who just said, 'Yeah, I can play Ozzy Osborne!'  It's really a close family.  Everyone got here because they knew someone else." 

"They have places down the road where they'll take your kid in for a thousand dollars and teach them, 'Put your fingers here and there and remember to smile and here's a t-shirt!'  It's a great recreational musical experience and a lot of fun, but it hinders the students who want to learn because they naively think, 'Oh, now I know how to play the guitar!' Then [they] become humiliated by someone who actually can play the guitar," said Hammack.  "Most often, this discourages them from ever picking up the instrument again.  I hate that."

Hammack is also very passionate about the other services they offer.  The store has a full on-site repair shop where they can fix instruments in-house.  This is pretty rare for the area.  "We have two people dedicated to just fixing instruments at all times.  Which is very important."

The store also has retail sales of instruments and sheet music.  Of course, they also rent musical instruments to students and schools. 

Because it is important to encourage students to remain interested in the study of music, Chantilly Music holds fun and entertaining recitals.  The last recital held was all Beatles music.  Any student could participate, but they had to play a Beatles song and no song could be repeated.  The next recital is planned for this summer on June 11 at 7 p.m.  The theme is "Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."  Students are already eagerly signing up.  The music store also has a rock band, which is very popular.

Though I didn't learn to play EVERY instrument, I did learn to play quite a few.  This passion never would have started if it wasn't for that little music store of my past.  I can't imagine a neighborhood without one.  Our local music store sparked the passion that shaped me into the person I am today.  I'll always be thankful for that.