Music Mart and Studios
Fairbanks
Anita Tomsha, President/Owner
Business this year: Slightly down from 2012.
Evolution in the industry you’re excited about? We love the newer carbon-fiber bowed instruments. They are long-lived and lightweight and have become more affordable. Facebook is a popular medium to stir excitement for new products at the store. Probably the most innovative program for us is our “auto-pay” two-month credit program. Our customers love it and we never have to send bills. The customer splits his purchase into three equal monthly payments, which are then paid by auto debit through the bank.
School bands and orchestras are still going strong. We support our teachers and students as much as possible so music will continue to flourish in the interior of Alaska. Some larger guitar manufacturers try to dictate the stocking requirements for our store. Since we have a smaller population base, we need to choose our own inventory. Because of freight cost to and from Alaska, it is prohibitive to sell products online outside the state. Right now, we seem to be getting mixed messages about the business climate in the coming year.
New lines or brands you’ve taken on with success this year? We recently added the Teton line of acoustic guitars, which are distributed by Chesbro Music Company. They are well-made, great-sounding guitars at an affordable price.
Product of the Year? The Composite Acoustic Guitar distributed by Peavey Electronics. With our extreme cold and dry desert climate, they hold up and are never high-maintenance. Our best-selling item is the violin. In particular, we found a high-quality import company in California called Classical Strings. Their instruments arrive ready to play from the most discriminating of players to the very beginner in fourth grade orchestra.
