By Morris Malakoff, JTNews Correspondent
Financial adviser Albert Israel will be the first to tell you he is no musician. But he is the proud owner of a music store. Not one with racks of CDs and after-market iPod accessories, but a good old music store — one stocked with sheet music and musical instruments and practice studios. A place where musicians ranging from the 3rd grader with a desire to try out a clarinet to a professional who earns his or her daily bread turning the black dots of transcribed musical notes into audible sound.
Capitol Music is an old-line retailer in Seattle, founded in 1919, and, until 2006, operating in downtown Seattle. Just over seven years ago, Israel and a partner bought the business. A few years later, Israel became the sole proprietor.
Burgeoning rental rates in the central business district amidst ongoing renovations and upgrades of commercial and retail properties forced Israel to shutter his brick-and-mortar operation and move his stock into storage. He continued some sales via the Internet, but knew that to be viable the store would need to be a place where musicians could see and touch what they were looking to buy. His main competitors in the region, Ted Brown Music and Kenelly-Keys, both have multiple locations.
“I purchased Capitol Music as an investment,” said Israel. “But I discovered that it was an important resource in the local music community. I wanted to keep it as a part of the Seattle music scene.”
After a year of searching, Israel came upon an available location in the Roosevelt District of Seattle, north of the University of Washington. That location, at the corner of 12th Ave. NE and NE 65th St., is scheduled to open on Feb. 1.
Israel believes that the new location is ideal for musicians of all levels of skill and interest.
“A lot of the business is centered on kids and families who rent instruments and buy sheet music for lessons and school,” he said. “As nice as downtown Seattle is, it often is not a place you want to send a child on the bus by himself. The Roosevelt area has a much safer feel. We are a few blocks from Roosevelt High School and there is generally plenty of parking nearby.”
The store, which will sell a broad selection of sheet music as well as musical accessories such as reeds and music stands, will feature two practice studios for use by teachers and students. Through 2008, those rooms will be made available to teachers for free.
The manager of the store will be Asher Hashash, a well-known local musician who has worked previously at the Stroum Jewish Community Center and with Temple B’nai Torah. His expertise in Jewish music will give Capitol Music a unique marketing edge in the vibrant and varied Seattle music community.
Hashash defines Jewish music generally as Klezmer, Ladino and the music of his native land, Israel.
“In the Jewish community in Seattle there is also Mizrahi music in the Arab-Jewish community as well,” he said.
Since for the most part Jewish music uses common instruments like clarinets or guitars, there won’t be a need for stocking unique instruments. There will be a need, however, for sheet music.
While it seems that almost anything can be found on the Internet, including the sheet music, Hashash says that for most musicians, buying online is generally not viable.
“Musicians like to be able to look at a piece of music before they buy it to make sure it is something that they can work with or that it is precisely what they are looking for,” he said.
Hashash said that at events like the Folklife Festival, he has seen the growth in interest in Jewish music and has spoken with musicians who often voice concern over not being able to find sheet music.
“There is no doubt that there is a market for it,” he said.
One other probable source of customers for Jewish music, Hashash said, are bands and performers hired for B’nai Mitzvah and weddings.
“If you are a Jewish bride and Bubbe is coming out for your wedding from New York, and you want to have a few Jewish songs played at the reception in her honor, the band may not have those in their repertoire,” he said. “Now, the bride can tell the band where they can get the music.”