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The Music Loft, Durham, 1982-2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Well, this past August, around the 22nd, The Music Loft closed it's doors to the public for good. That's very, very sad. Not because another independent musical instrument retailer had to go out of business, or that they were the first discount music store in the area. No. For me, it's personnel. I moved to North Carolina in 1982, the same year The Music Loft officially opened in Durham. And in September of 1984, I started working there.
When I left Baltimore for New York, my goal was to pursue a career in music; preferably as an audio engineer. I had no idea (or desire) to work in retail. But when things didn't go my way, I ended up in Chapel Hill in a job I really hated. After I quit, that's when Jay Miller, the original owner & founder of the Loft took me in. And I stayed there for 22 years. And in those 22 years I learned and grew as a musician. The Loft was like the old time general store in small town America where people came not just to buy their strings & things, but to meet other musicians or just hang out and sit around and "chew the fat." I met many, many of the musicians and friends there that I still play with today. The opportunities were limitless. I was encouraged to play and tour as much as I could because it gave a certain credence that the store was run by professional musicians. I can't begin to tell you how much I learned there except to say that my time there was extremely valuable. It will be missed. By me and all of the surrounding musical universe.
Posted by Ed T Butler at 11:46 AM
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Ed I agree with you 100% they were one of the first store to extend credit to me. I learn so music about my instrument talking with Jay, Tony, Chris, Brian and you. I remember many times just sitting in the store messing around on a guitar and someone would walk in and offer me a gig. I miss The Loft.