SHILOH MUSIC HONORS 50TH ANNIVERSARY N estled in the heart of Mt. Juliet, Ten- nessee, Shiloh Music stands as a testa-
also taught music lessons throughout the 1960s. “When we hit the 50-year mark, I stopped and looked back,” George said. “I’m amazed and proud of the way it’s grown from two tiny teaching rooms and 30 students to 500 students a week and nine rooms that are full all the time.” For sons James and Paul, Shiloh Music has been more than just a music store. “We’ve seen the ups and downs with the store and the economy — it’s our life,” James said. “We owe the last 50 years to our cus- tomers and resilience and determination.” To celebrate Shiloh’s 50 years, the Hedges’ held a birthday party on April 1 that was open to the community and included a visit from the mayor of Mt. Juliet, who presented them with the proclamation that April 1 is now to be known as Shiloh Music Day. “What we’re going to do in the future is what we’re doing now, because we love the music business and our customers,” George said. “We treat customers as friends and staff as family.” MI — By Kimberly Kapela
F or years, people have brought used instru- ments into Mike Risko Music, a retail store and music school in Ossining, New York, that only deals in new gear. But owners Mike and Miriam Risko said they hated the idea of playable guitars and keyboards ending up in a landfill. So, they suggested people donate their gear instead and when they did, the couple refurbished each item to give away to a worthy recipient. The initiative started as a holiday drive, but has since turned into a year-round program that saves amps, guitars, banjos, keyboards, mandolins, speakers and P.A. systems. “We’re trying to get the right instrument to the right person,” Miriam said. “Great matches can change lives and the donors really appreciate it.” Nikita, a young refugee living in Ossining, found solace in music after enduring loss in Ukraine. He received an electric guitar, an amp and lessons, all free of charge. Another young immigrant, Elizabeth, from Colombia “expressed a deep longing to develop her musi- ment to the Hedges family’s passion and dedication to music retail and education. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in April, Shiloh Music is owned and operated by the original owners, George and Karen Hedges, alongside their two sons Paul and James Hedges, who have embodied the spirit of familial commitment to make their store a cornerstone in its community. Alongside its diverse retail selection, Shiloh offers guitar and amplifier servic- ing and repair facilities. Yet, perhaps the true heartbeat of Shiloh lies in its dedica- tion to music education. Welcoming more than 500 students to its lesson program each week, Shiloh Music teaches musicians of all ages to learn, grow and master their craft in one of its nine teaching studios, which are overseen by Karen. “We have 13 teachers and we teach guitar, piano, banjo, bass, violin, fiddle and drums,” Karen said. “I really think that one of the
Karen Hedges, bottom center, with some of the store’s teachers.
great things with our store is our customer service. We want everybody to feel comfort- able, and we take pride in our teaching and sales staff. Having Paul and James running the store is absolutely amazing to me to see the third generation of the store and that doesn’t happen a lot.” As exciting as it is to look ahead, George explained why it’s important to reflect as he attributes his father, Fred Hedges, as an instru- mental impact to the business’ inception. Fred not only crafted signature guitars models, but
Mike Risko Music Donates Used Instruments to Local Community Members in Need
cal abilities and communicate her emotions through music,” according to the agency that helped her adjust to life in the U.S. A few days later, someone brought in a keyboard and since then, she’s been tinkling away. Mike Risko Music has also donated a guitar to a nursing home patient with dementia, along with a full band’s worth of gear to the Taconic Correctional Facility for women in Bedford, New York, and the Sing Sing Fam- ily Collective, named for the historic prison located only miles from the store. Fostering the next generation of musi- cians, the Risko’s said they’ve given around 10 guitars to the Ossining Children’s Center, a daycare and after-school facility. “They let the kids just keep them and experience their own musical journey, which is so different from the school band,” said Claudia Berk, the center’s assistant executive director, adding that Mike Risko himself has stopped in to show the kids how to play and support them during their gig. “We had a little recital at [public plaza] Market Square.
Children benefitting from the Mike Risko Music-donated instruments.
[The kids] practiced and took it seriously.” Some day the program might become a non-profit, but for now, the Risko’s said they mostly deal with the random instruments that come into the store. “The other day a woman brought in one of her husband’s electric guitars, which he bought here,” Mike said. “He was a regular customer who passed away a few years ago. She wants it to go to a girl who needs to rock out, and we will find the person who was made for this instrument.” MI — By Marc Ferris
20 I MUSIC INC. I JUNE 2024
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