A Musician in Mourning...

As a vocalist and piano player, it is hard sometimes to find places that sell music. There are music stores, yes, but most of these are contained to the Twin Cities and even then, a lot are geared more toward guitars, band equipment, etc.. There used to be a Schmitt Music in St. Cloud, but it closed in 2005, I think. So when I read this, I was deeply saddened...

Al's Music debt forces it to close

By Britt Johnsen • bljohnsen@stcloudtimes.com • October 27, 2009

Longtime local business Al's Music is closing, its' owner said Monday.

Jeff Jaye, who has owned the business since 2004, appeared in Benton County court Monday morning, acknowledging that Bremer Bank has taken over ownership of Al’s Music, according to court records.

Jaye said the store will stay open until the end of the year to sell all its inventory.

People who are renting instruments can continue to do so, but the business won’t write new contracts, he said.

The more than 30-year-old East St. Cloud music retailer had been struggling since 2006, Jaye said. The combination of the recession and Minnesota Highway 23 construction hurt its sales.

“It’s just been a litany of things,” he said.

Jaye wouldn’t discuss the details of the financial collapse, but said the business had too much debt and too little income.

“We’re obviously very sad,” he said. “But ... it got to the point where it just wasn’t workable anymore.”

Al Hams, who owned the store for 28 years and recently came out of retirement to open another music store, said he couldn’t speak freely because Jaye owes him money. Hams Music’s niche is printed music and acoustic instruments, but it also sells accessories such as strings.

“I’m sad that it’s happened,” Hams said of the Al’s Music closing.'


Al's was the one place where my dad, mom, Travis, and I could go and find everything we needed-clarinet reeds, bass guitars, drumsticks, and wedding music-all in the same place. Over the past few years, they've changed their focus from pianos to low-end keyboards, from music to tablatures, but it still remained a place that was special to me. It just reminded me of my childhood and beyond. From going there as a family for dad's strings, to buying my electric keyboard there in college, it will be missed. Now, I will have to drive to Schmitt in Brooklyn Center or Minnetonka for any music needs (or order online). All I can say is Godspeed Al's...