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Bandsource’s clientele<br />
ranges from<br />
local pros to firsttime<br />
players.<br />
Such notables as<br />
saxophonist Mark Colby<br />
entrust their instruments to<br />
company co-owners Jarod Bufe<br />
and Matt Johnson, who also<br />
happen to be the store’s repair<br />
techs. But the Downers Grove,<br />
Ill., dealership has also forged<br />
strong relationships with local<br />
school band directors since<br />
opening two years ago, making<br />
it the exclusive seller, renter<br />
and repairer for multiple districts<br />
in a small but densely<br />
populated area. (Most of the<br />
schools are within a five-mile<br />
radius of the store.) As a bonus,<br />
Bandsource has found a robust<br />
clientele via private-teacher<br />
referrals.<br />
“What makes us special is<br />
that the same guys who work<br />
on the top professionals’ instruments<br />
come up and evaluate<br />
your high school kid’s trombone,”<br />
said the company’s third<br />
co-owner, Pete Biedron, who<br />
handles sales and marketing.<br />
“We are instrumental in the<br />
instrument tryout process, and<br />
we’re trying to find the right<br />
models for kids. We are kind of<br />
like an old-school throwback in<br />
that we do business with professionals<br />
and students.”<br />
It may not be a conventional<br />
school music rental<br />
shop, but so far, Bandsource’s<br />
business model has exceed<br />
even its owners’ projections.<br />
“We are ahead of where we<br />
projected we would be,” Bufe<br />
said. “Rentals are great, and<br />
general sales are phenomenal.<br />
<strong>Music</strong> and accessory sales are<br />
double where we projected<br />
they would be.”<br />
TRYOUT-FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT<br />
For Biedron, a perfectly set<br />
up horn is even more<br />
important for beginners than<br />
for professionals.<br />
> Bananas at Large<br />
Opens second location<br />
PAGE 20<br />
> Guitar Center<br />
Announces succession plan<br />
PAGE 22<br />
> Stanton’s Sheet <strong>Music</strong><br />
Celebrates 50th birthday<br />
PAGE 23<br />
> Cascio Interstate <strong>Music</strong><br />
Hosts indie bands at Summerfest<br />
PAGE 24<br />
BANDSOURCE I BY KATIE KAILUS<br />
TECH OWNED & OPERATED<br />
Bandsource<br />
exceeds sales<br />
projections<br />
with fast, techsavvy<br />
service<br />
Inside RETAIL<br />
From left: Bandsource’s Jarod Bufe,<br />
Pete Biedron and Matt Johnson<br />
“We all feel very strongly<br />
about music education,”<br />
Biedron said. “It’s important<br />
for students’ instruments to<br />
work better than professionals’<br />
[instruments] because<br />
they need that good sound.<br />
Professionals can blow<br />
through any kind of problem<br />
that exists, whereas if a fifth<br />
grader doesn’t have a really<br />
good repair tech working on<br />
their horn or it’s not working<br />
OCTOBER 2010 I MUSIC INC. I 15