Northwest Music Shop is filled to the brim with everything a musician could need

1 year ago 463
Instruments in their cases are stacked and scattered on the floor; drum heads and guitar strings line the walls and containers are stuffed with sheet music and vinyl discs. And that's just the front area. The back rooms and basement are packed just as tight.

Standing at the scratched-glass counter, owner Steve Stoltenberg almost blended in with the scenery. The office behind him was similarly crowded, with the desk covered in papers and a green, still-working, rotary phone hanging on the wall.

"I had a guy a while back walk in here. He had moved to the area," Stoltenberg said. "I took it as a compliment, but he got about halfway back (in the shop), then he turns around and says, 'I think I just walked 50 years back in time.'"

Northwest Music Shop has been in business for more than 50 years, offering instrument rentals, sales and repairs. Stoltenberg opened the business in 1972 and moved it to 1411 Washington St., Davenport, in 1974, where it has remained.

A musician himself, he got his start in instrument repair after his high school band director recommended Western Iowa Tech Community College and its repair program. His first job in the Quad-Cities was at Griggs Music, which recently was absorbed into West Music.

After leaving Griggs and working part-time in a different shop, Stoltenberg was encouraged to open his own place. He now works with schools, community bands and others to help with rentals and repairs.

"The kids all want shiny," Stoltenberg said. "Well, you kind of got to educate some of these customers, because some of the stuff I've got may not win a beauty contest, but they're better than the shiny ones of today."

One thing that sets him apart from other repair businesses, he said, is his personal interactions with the players, even encouraging them to come in after he's repaired the instrument, so he can hear how it sounds.

Stoltenberg is among a dying breed in the Quad-Cities — one of few locally owned instrument repair shops left. There are very few schools that teach instrument repair anymore, he said, and a graduate from one in Minnesota is now renting space in Northwest Music to do repairs.

The industry has changed considerably over the years, with instrument brands coming and going along with demand for certain instruments. It also is harder to find people who can do certain things, such as tune pianos or repair horns.

Much of the business owner's stock has come from other music shops and schools. Places that close will reach out to Stoltenberg to buy up what's left of their inventory. This has expanded to people dropping off instruments for free, just to get them off their hands, including a customer who walked in Tuesday afternoon to hand over an old clarinet.

"Never dreamed fluorescent lights would go obsolete, but I've got enough light bulbs to see me through," Stoltenberg said. "Let's say whoever buys this place when I'm done with it is going to have to change all the lights out in here."

While he isn't ready to retire quite yet, the end is in sight. He floated the idea to the repairman who rents space from him about potentially taking over, but currently there's no one in line to keep the business running when he steps down.

"I'm sure I will somewhat (miss it)," Stoltenberg said. "I have cut the hours back from what it used to be. I joke with people: 'I'm actually down to full time'. I'm open 40 hours a week. In the beginning I was open 50, 60 hours a week."