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May 06 2020 
60 Seconds with… Erne Music Supplies
This month we caught up with marching band specialist Erne Music Supplies. Based in Northern Ireland, this family run business has long been associated with flutes and drums dating back to 1890 when the Mullan’s Great Grandfather learned to play the fife and drum. This tradition of playing marching band music has been passed down generation to generation and in 2005 William Mullan stet up Erne Music Supplies! We chatted to William to find out more…
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Marching Band Specialists
How did the business get started?
We started back in 2005 with the development of our own marching flute (right) which is popular here in Northern Ireland as these flutes weren’t being so widely made. After the success of that instrument we decided to expand into other musical instruments and accessories for Marching Bands. In 2020 we celebrate 15 years in business!
What does your shop specialise in?
We specialise in all musical instruments and accessories for marching bands.
We have supplied equipment to many marching bands in Northern Ireland and Scotland but we also work with bands throughout the World including Her Majesty’s Armed Forces such as the Corps of Drums of the Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guards and the Irish Guards. We work closely with various bands within the Army Cadet Force, Sea Cadets, Air Cadets and the Boys’ Brigade.
What additional services do you offer?
We have our own workshop and we also hold one of the largest music libraries for flute and drum music. My father started collecting old, historic flutes and drums ranging from the early 1900’s which we also have on display in our showroom.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?We sell a lot of different brands but one of the dealership is British Drum Co and we really love their new Regimental Series Drums which are used by Her Majesty’s Royal Marines.
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
Arromanches (Military Band March piece)
Do you get involved in your local community?
Yes, we support band competitions by providing a trade stands we also work closely with the Army Cadets, Serving and ex-service personnel.
Visit Erne Music Supplies at:
Tel: + 44 (0) 28 6632 4267
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Mar 09 2020 
60 Seconds with… Mark Goodwin Pianos
Mark Goodwin Pianos in Manchester + London is run and owned by Mark and Julie Goodwin. After selling a couple of his uncle’s pianos, Mark released his potential to become a leading national retailer of reconditioned Yamaha pianos and that’s exactly what he does today. They sell modern, upright pianos to people all over the world! We caught up with Mark to find out more.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Definitely the loveliest
How did the business get started?
My great Uncle Ronnie was brilliant at buying old Bechstein grand pianos but not so good at selling them! I made a piano sales website to help him clear some of the twelve grand pianos that were stored on their side in his little house in Rochdale.What does your shop specialise in?
Yamaha Yamaha YamahaWe try to keep around 40-50 Japanese-made Yamaha pianos in stock. We don’t stock Chinese pianos or small pianos or old pianos. We specialise in pianos that are suitable for playing all the way up to grade 8 and beyond. We also specialise in happy customers and refuse to have sad or disappointed customers!
What additional services do you offer?
We offer a “can do” attitude, we try to say “yes” to customers as often as possible and we go the extra mile as standard. We offer 0% finance, free nationwide delivery, a 100-day 100% money-back trial on all Yamaha pianos and we don’t ask for any payment until the piano has been safely delivered inside your home.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
I have to say that our Yamaha U3 pianos are our all-time favourite model. Customers love them, they never get returned, they rarely have problems and they go up and up in value.
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
In our house we’ve learned that Radiohead’s “Everything in its right place” really gets the kids in the mood for tidying up. So I’ll go with that! I apologise to Thom Yorke for lowering his song to a domestic cleaning trigger song.
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We try to give away as many part-ex pianos as possible. Any piano that we don’t want to put our name to, we give away locally for free including free delivery. We are also setting up a guided tour of our warehouse, workshop and showrooms to local children to help them see behind the scenes of a musical instrument shop to help inspire more kids into playing music and also to inspire more children into self-employment. Get in touch if you’d like to have a look around!
Visit Mark Goodwin Pianos at:
London: 020 7060 5889Manchester: 0161 213 9402
Tell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
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Feb 05 2020 
60 Seconds with… Mickleburgh
Mickleburgh Musical Instruments – a mammoth musical maze in the heart of Bristol! The local music shop has a wonderful range instruments, offers free advice and additional services from tuning to restoration and servicing. Get to know more about Mickleburgh below.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Mammoth Musical Maze!
How did the business get started?
When my great, great Grandfather started building pianos in Bristol! We’ve evolved with over 130 years of experience (since starting in 1870) and now our musical maze covers 10,000 sq/ft filled with acoustic and digital pianos, electronic keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, stringed orchestral, brass and woodwind, drums and percussion, folk and educational it’s a musician’s dream of a never-ending musical experience.
What does your shop specialise in?
We do all things piano related but have a huge array of other instruments, accessories and sheet music!
What additional services do you offer?
Tuning Servicing Repairs Rentals
Hires Removals Rooms for Hire
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
A lovely rebuilt Steinway Model K c1923
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
I always enjoy hearing Debussy’s ‘Clair De Lune‘ played on the the piano.
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
Yes, we have taken part in Learn to Play Days, Summer Piano Festivals and have rooms for hire for local teachers and musicians.
Visit Mickleburgh Musical Instruments at:
Mickleburgh Ltd.1-9 Stokes CroftBristolBS1 3PL0117 9241151 -
Jan 06 2020 
60 Seconds with… Bridgewood & Neitzert
Bridgewood & Neitzert have been serving London, the UK and the world with their expert repair and restoration of string instruments for almost 40 years. Their busy shop in Stoke Newington is full of beautiful instruments and extraordinary skilled luthiers!
We spoke to founder Gary Bridgewood to find out more.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Leading Violin Dealers
How did the business get started?
We opened our first workshop with two other colleagues, Robert Louis Baille who now runs a prestigious shop in Seville, Spain and Craig Ryder, a very fine bow-maker who settled in Paris. Both Robert and Craig left for Paris in a black taxi whilst Tom Neitzert and I stayed here and started our partnership in 1982.What does your shop specialise in?
Expert repairs and restoration, sales of violins, violas, cellos, double basses, bows, cases, strings and accessories, both modern and baroque set up. We have a large selection to suit every taste and budget! We’re also here for advice, expertise and consultation.
What additional services do you offer?
We have two floors of workshops at our Stoke Newington shop and have some of the finest luthiers in Europe. We pride ourselves on making any repair no matter how small or how extensive. We’ve repaired double basses back to health that have fallen off the back of an aeroplane or violins that have been driven over and look impossible to put back together. Sounds impossible but that’s what we do! We offer the same for bows and cases.
We also specialise in baroque and classical period instruments and are known worldwide for this, we have a large selection of baroque instruments for sale, and for conversion work – putting instruments back into period set-up. We offer specialist string sales and have the widest possible selection, these are sent all over the world.
We have a dedicated team handling our hire scheme where students can hire good sounding, easy to play instruments.
We are conservators for the National Trust, recently we visited Buckingham Palace to repair their Basse de violon. We manage the hire scheme for the Viola da Gamba society, for those looking to hire viols and a similar scheme for the lute society.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?There are so many that I love! A wonderful baroque cello by Jacob Haynes made in London 1745, a fantastic violin by Johannes Cuypers, the Hague 1773 but my favourite is a violin by a rare maker called Marcell Pichler, Austria 1677 with a beautiful carved lions head.
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
Ginette Neveu Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor recorded in 1945
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We have been involved since its inception with the Stoke Newington Early Music festival, such great players as Monica Hugget, Catherine Mackintosh and Emma Kirby have performed. We support music at Sutton House possibly London’s oldest house. We have also supported a local radio station and sponsor many musicians in their concert activities.
Visit Bridgewood & Neitzert at:
146 Stoke Newington Church StreetStoke NewingtonLondon
N16 0JU+44 (0)207 2499398Tell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
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Nov 21 2019 
60 Seconds with… Clement Pianos
Clement Pianos in Nottingham is a third generation family business run and owned by Mick and Andy Wilson. They’re both piano technicians, trained up by some of the world’s finest, and have spent many years carefully selecting what they consider to be the ultimate instruments. We caught up with Andy Wilson to find out more.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Leading piano specialists.
How did the business get started?
The business was set up in 1919 to carry out repairs, servicing and reconditioning of pianos. Immediately after the first world war there was limited manufacturing and so the second hand market had grown considerably.
What does your shop specialise in?
Sales of new and quality second hand acoustic pianos and new digital pianos.
What additional services do you offer?
We offer tuning, repairs, valuations, stools and one hundred years on we still carry out reconditioning!
We also have several practice rooms that are suitable for individual practice or for teachers who wish to establish themselves in Nottingham.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
The Kawai Aures hybrid piano
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
Spiral by Red Bazar
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We have always been involved in promoting music and especially the piano. We ran the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition which had finalists from 14 countries. We have put pianos in to shopping centres and venues around the city. We have sponsored various local music organisations such as Nottingham Youth Jazz Orchestra, Nottingham Philharmonic and Nottingham Youth orchestra. We are involved with various events promoted by the City Council that encourage people to take up playing an instrument.
* Recently, Clement Pianos have also kindly donated an iPad to our First Full Access pilot in Nottingham allowing disabled primary school children to access and experience Whole Class Ensemble Tuition. You can find out more about this here: Inclusive Music-Making – Nottingham Pilot
Visit Clement Pianos at:
Clement Pianos
Clement House
221 Lenton Boulevard
Nottingham
NG7 2BYTell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
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Oct 14 2019 
60 Seconds with… Hobgoblin, Birmingham
Established by husband and wife Pete and Mannie McClelland, the Hobgoblin ethos is to give beginners a chance to take up a folk instrument, provide the best for those who already play and encourage more people to discover and enjoy traditional music from all over the UK! We spoke to Hobgoblin Birmingham Manager, Mark McCabe to find out about the Brum branch.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Acoustic Instrument Specialists
How did the business get started?
Hobgoblin Music started in 1976 in a barn in Crawley by husband and wife Pete and Mannie McClelland who still own the company now. Both folk musicians themselves, they struggled to find instruments to buy for themselves back then so decided to open a shop!What does your shop specialise in?
Acoustic instruments from all over the world.What additional services do you offer?
Sales, repairs, lessons and a fun experience! We also have lessons in more unusual instruments here like Banjo, Mandolin, Autoharp, Cittern and others.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
A 1940’s Gibson Mandolin (see image —>)
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
The Cow That Ate The Blanket!! (Traditional Irish Jig)Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We’re all gigging musicians so we’re involved in all sorts of genre’s of music between us! We sponsor local music community events so keep an eye on our pages for what’s coming up.Visit Hobgoblin Birmingham at:
8 Priory Queensway,Birmingham,West Midlands,B4 6BS0121 212 9010Tell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
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