REFOCUS - Music Inc. Magazine

InsideRETAIL
> Guitar Center
Responses to its MAP policy
PAGE 16
> Music & Arts
Debuts new store format
PAGE 18
> Steve Weiss Music
Boosts sales by going mobile
PAGE 19
> Tribute
Ed Roman
PAGE 20
RHAPSODY PIANO AND GUITAR I BY KATIE KAILUS
RHAPSODY IN RICHMOND
When piano
retail chain
Jordan Kitt’s
changed owners
in June
2011, the company’s Richmond,
Va., location was set to close.
But Paul King, previously Kitt’s
regional vice president, saw an
opportunity to fulfill his dream.
Four months later, Rhapsody
Piano and Guitar opened two
miles down the road from the
former Kitt’s location.
14 I MUSIC INC. I MARCH/APRIL 2012
The Crafter
Guitars room
“I love Richmond, and we
just saw this opportunity to have
fun again and grow the music
school that was started at the old
Kitt’s store,” King said.
He and his business partner,
Wesley Pollard, former director
of education for the Richmond
Kitt’s, managed to retain all the
students and teachers from the
former location. “Basically, we
unplugged from the old Jordan
Kitt’s store and plugged in
here,” King said.
Previously a spa, Rhapsody’s
4,350-square-foot location is broken
up into four main rooms.
There are six lesson studios,
where close to 100 students
now take weekly piano, guitar
and voice lessons. Roughly half
of the space houses the piano
showroom, which features new
Yamaha acoustic and digitals, as
well as a variety of used and vintage
pianos. Two soundproofed
guitar rooms include new Crafter
and Yamaha models, as well as
The main
piano
showroom
The accessories
and gifts room
some vintage instruments.
Rhapsody’s lobby area features
print music, accessories
and small music-related gifts,
including music-themed pillows,
mugs and glass trinkets — all
items that King said help land
sales. The store also sells handmade
piano bench seat pillows
that can be customized.
“We wanted [our store] to
be a place where people can
have fun and shop,” King said.
“I think we’ve succeeded.” MI