Guitars, jam sessions and more: Waynesboro Music set for grand opening Saturday
WAYNESBORO — When he was a kid, Rob Seal would spend two weeks every summer with his grandparents in Castlewood, a small town tucked in the southwest corner of Virginia. He hadn't grown up playing bluegrass music, although he did start taking guitar lessons as a young child in Dayton.
When you're in the heart of Appalachia, though, bluegrass music is hard to escape. Seal's granddad would take his brother and him to jam sessions or hold his own.
"We'd play in his living room, people were always coming in the house and it was this social hub of like music and activity," Seal remembered.
Although Seal spent much of his adult life working in communications and marketing, first as a newspaper reporter and then for the University of Virginia, music was always part of his life. He played in bands in high school and jammed with his friends at college. Seal worked in various music stores as a way to make some extra money. At one of those stores, in Warrenton, he taught banjo, guitar and mandolin.
"I always liked it," Seal said. "We would sort of daydream, my wife and I, about, well, one day we're going to open (a music store). We should do that."
That one day is now, specifically Saturday when Rob and Brandi Seal will hold the grand opening for Waynesboro Music. The musical instrument store, focusing on guitars and acoustic instruments from the bluegrass family, is located in the Colonnade Shopping Center at 520 W. Broad Street, Suite E in downtown Waynesboro. The husband and wife are also planning to offer lessons and regular jam sessions.
On Saturday, the store will open at 10 a.m. A friend of Seal's, Gabe Robey, will play as part of a trio at 2 p.m. on the small stage in the corner of the store. At 4 p.m. there will be a jam session for anyone interested.
"People can bring their instrument," Seal said. "We'll have it as loose or as structured as it needs to be based on the amount of people that are here."
After Saturday, normal store hours will be 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Thursdays; 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Fridays; and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturdays. The store will be closed on Sundays and Mondays.
Seal would like to hold the jam sessions once a month to start.
"There's so many great players around, not just bluegrass, but in all genres of music right here, right in the Valley," Seal said. "The Valley has always been a hotbed of great musicianship and it's always been under the radar."
The store will feature guitars and acoustic bluegrass instruments. As just one person — Rob will run the store on a daily basis while Brandi will continue working as a CPA in Harrisonburg — Seal knew he couldn't be a full service music store with woodwind and brass instruments or classical pianos and violins. Over time he might carry some items for classical musicians or members of school bands, but for now he's focusing on what he knows best.
Waynesboro Music will be a distributor for guitars from Staunton's Huss and Dalton and Beard Guitars out of Hagerstown, Maryland. There are also other brands of guitars, both for beginners and experts. He also has a few carbon fiber guitars, which, unlike wooden guitars, are resistant to humidity and temperature changes.
"For their marketing, they throw one of these in the pool, shake the water out and hit a chord," Seal said. "And it sounds great."
The store also has a wall full of banjos, mandolins and fiddles, and Seal will offer some basic instrument set up and referrals for repairs.
"Musicians all over the area will tell you that there's no stores, there's nowhere they can go," Seal said. "You can buy stuff online, but you want a sense of community and a place you can walk in."
That's what Seal hopes to offer.
What you need to know:
What: Waynesboro Music
Where: 520 W. Broad St., Ste. E, Waynesboro
When: Grand Opening, Saturday, Aug 5, 10 a.m.
More Info: waynesboromusic.com or email rob@waynesboromusic.com
— Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Contact Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and follow him on Twitter @Patrick_Hite. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Guitars, jam sessions and more: Waynesboro Music set for grand opening Saturday
