store in 1976. “Back in the 1970s, most music stores were a mess,” Sue remembered. “We’d go into one because Russ and Gayle were taking music lessons at the time, and it would just be in shambles.” Determined to create a better space for their community, Sue and Dale changed that, passing those same standards down to Gayle and Russ who now run the day- to-day operations of the store. FROM PART-TIMERS TO PRESIDENTS Gayle and Russ both grew up in and around the family business, teaching lessons part- time while in college. “Hitting the 50-year milestone really makes you stop and think about how far everything has come,” Gayle said. “I think back to our junior high years, coming up after school to sweep the floor and talk- ing about the store at dinner every night. Mom has always said that this music store is a lifestyle — it’s what everything else we’ve done has revolved around. In those early days, Russ and I went to the com- munity college where our dad was the head of the music department, and we’d come back to the store to teach lessons. Russ taught drums, and I taught flute. We’d go to school and then come to the music store and teach until 8 or 9 p.m. at night, and then go back to school.” When it came time to graduate, Russ said he never expected he’d go to work in the dealership. “Coming out of college, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do, but I knew 100% it wasn’t going to be in the music business,” Russ said. “The one thing I did know was that I’d be selling some- thing. So, I got a job with Hilton hotels and ironically ended up working at the Anaheim Hilton — the same hotel where The NAMM Show is held — for a couple of years. During that time, I started think- ing about the business. After a couple of years at the Hilton, I started talking to my dad, and we began discussing what could happen. There was zero pressure. Nobody was saying I should come back, but I decided to do it.” Since joining, Gayle and Russ said they’ve maintained a constant focus on growing the business. “We ask, ‘What are we going to grow today? How are we going to do something different? How are we going to keep the store fresh, relevant and interesting?’” Russ
explained. “That’s the exciting part. It’s a long game, and it’s definitely a lifestyle, and we love it.” DRIVING GROWTH It’s been that growth mindset that has helped the Beacocks expand to three loca- tions, reach the 600-lesson-student mark, service some 250 school districts and em- ployed 40 full-time staffers. “We’ve never stopped trying to grow and get even better,” Gayle said. “We’ve had really heavy owner involvement.
We’re definitely not absentee owners in any sense. At the same time, we have a really good leadership team that we’re con- fident can outline and execute our vision. And we have really good people in place who understand what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to grow and understand where we would like to go.” For Russ, sustainable growth has al- ways been key and started with one thing: knowing your numbers. “I wanted a business that would thrive, one where we could be successful financially and
JUNE 2026 I MUSIC INC. I 37
Powered by FlippingBook