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New digs, more opportunity for Aardvark Music students

April 3, 2020   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

Moving to a new location on Broadway in Orangeville means more practice rooms for music students at Aardvark Music and Culture.

The store front is now right in the middle of Broadway on the north side of the street in a very visible location.

The opportunity to move to this new location means they now have eight practice rooms for students.

“Obviously we are closed right now due to the pandemic, which is actually a mixed blessing because it gives us more time to organize,” said story owner Perry Joseph. “It was a huge move for us.”

He started business 11 years ago in a former location, the moved to a location at the west end of Broadway before making the decision to move to the current location.

“I was working one late shift and noticed there was 23 people between the front door and the lesson room hallway trying to get past each other,” Mr. Joseph explained when deciding it was time to move. “This precluded other people from shopping for records or doing anything else in the store. We just outgrew it. We decided we just needed more practice rooms and more space for people to move around in our store. We now have eight lesson rooms at the new location.”

While it is generally assumed that younger people are most likely to be taking lessons to learn an instrument, Mr. Joseph said they have students off all ages.

“We have students of all ages. We do have a teacher who is qualified to be a teacher for young children. We have a space for that and her keyboard. Normally the ideal age for children to learn is between the ages of eight and ten but we’ve had a lot of requests for children as young as six. Our oldest beginner was 91 years old. We also had an 81 year old student who had played piano her whole life but wanted to learn violin. Anybody can be taught at any time.”

The school teaches several instruments including guitar, piano, drums, ukulele, and bass. A band instrument specialist teaches flute, clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet.

There are two vocal teachers. One teacher focuses more on operatic music while the other’s specialty is contemporary style.

The store front features musical instruments and accessories and a large selection of vinyl records. The resurgence in recent of years of vinyl makes it a popular place for enthusiasts to drop by and see what’s available.

The new location means Aardvark Music and Culture can provide more opportunities for students while providing music store customers with a good experience.

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