60 Years of Capitol Music

The band instrument repair shop at Capitol Music in Montgomery, Alabama, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you were to make an appointment to have your instrument fixed at 3 am, that’s fine by James Darby, owner and master repairman. “When in college I read the book Two Lifetimes in One or How to Never Get Tired by Paul V. Nutt who contended that you only have to have two hours of sleep. So, for two years when in college I slept only two hours each night. The key is to keep yourself excited about what you are doing. After repairing instruments since 1947 it is sometimes hard to maintain that excitement. Back in my playing days, I was lead trumpet on “Holiday on Ice,” Ringling Brothers Barnum Bailey Circus, Beatty Circus band, and a number of top dance bands. Today at 86, I still make it on two hours sleep, but four hours feels a lot better.”

Darby in his college days received a scholarship to play lead trumpet on the Auburn Knights, as well as a scholarship to play lead trumpet on the University of Alabama Cavaliers. “I love to create things in life,” says Darby. “So I used the music scholarship in engineering.  After working for the U.S. Corp of Engineers I realized my love for music and went back to college in marketing and retailing. My first foray into retail was with the Ryan Piano Company in 1947 and then I went with Forbes and became manager of Forbes. In 1955, I left Forbes to go into business for myself. I debated between Montgomery and Huntsville. For 33 years I stayed in a very small location in downtown Montgomery, eventually with four warehouses. The store was very profitable, then I moved Capitol Music to our present location, which was previously a huge supermarket.”

This year, Capitol Music celebrates 60 years of operation, and quality is the most important thing to Darby after all these years. “I preach to my employees, you can be an artist or you can be a butcher in everything that you do,” explains Darby. “If you try to do something perfectly, you will be lucky if it comes out passable. Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.” Capitol offers a multitude of unique services including different types of long- and short-term rental programs – none of which have any type of finance charges or services charges – music lessons, and the opportunity for a student to change from one instrument to another. “As long as it is not a new instrument, the student can change from any instrument to another and all the money paid can be transferred from one instrument to another as many times as the teacher requests,” says Darby. “We sell the value of music and what it will do for the player. All instruments go through the shop repaired and play-tested before leaving the store. The main thing is to get a playable instrument in the students’ hands and good instructors.”

In terms of what brands they carry, Capitol has a unique situation. “People are buying cheap unplayable junk from Internet-based companies and bringing it to us in hopes that we can make it playable,” says Darby. “Because of the Internet, we are not stocking new instruments that the customer can buy literally at our dealer cost. We have thousands of instruments in inventory and usually can locate what the customer is looking for or an equivalent. Our huge amount of used instruments differentiates us from most other music stores.” Capitol is home to the Darby Trumpet, an instrument of Darby’s own making. “What I was after in designing the Darby Trumpet was to have the features of the $3,000 horn at student level pricing,” Darby explains. “Randy Johnston, then president of Blessing, went along with my plan and I was surprised at the number of Darby products that we sold. I was shocked at the number of pro musicians that bought the Darby products. Not because of price, but they liked the way it played. Especially with modified lead pipes and modified bracing… the Darby horns are not being made at this time. I hope to be able to change that.”

Capitol’s top sellers in the strings department are low-end acoustic guitars, violins, and ukuleles, while their top sellers in band instruments are used rent-to-own instruments. “Over a period of time I have now purchased 35 other music stores that could not make it,” says Darby. “We have five large warehouse areas loaded down with instruments. In years past I never worried about inventory. If it does not sell this year, because of inflation, it will be worth more the next year… with the downturn in the economy it is like I have bought stocks and bonds and the bottom has fallen out. One of our top high schools used to have over 400 in the marching band. Recently the new band director came in, only seven students… he has now built the band up to about 50. The second biggest school did have over 300, but recently only 12 students.”

Darby thinks the declining numbers in middle and high school bands can be attributed to an increase in technology use. “Computers have changed everything,” says Darby. “The fourth, fifth, and sixth graders that the bands draw from for beginner programs are not in music now as they were years ago. Most of these students are not out there exercising or reading books. Most of them in large measure do not relate to the kind of music being played by the school band programs. ‘That’s one of those old fashioned things my granddad used to play. This is all the music I need right here’ on a little iPod in their hand. The universities have to teach these future music teachers and band directors how to make music more fun and exciting. More than computers… A real challenge. We still have a few bands left where the teachers know how to make it more fun than computers.”

As for what’s next for Darby and Capitol Music, Darby says he would be open to selling the store. “People say ‘Darby, at 86 years old and with everything like it is, have you ever thought about selling the store?’” he says. “Yes, I could sell it if the right person came along. It’s still a great store, but no longer a family operation.” After over 60 years in the business, Darby has a deep and true appreciation for music and its power. “When you boil it down in this old world, it’s all about giving of yourself to others and simply showing love to others. Through music we touch a lot of lives and we leave the world a better place.”