PeteDuBaldo
Well-known member
Today is a very important day for us, so I thought I would share our celebration – it is our 55th Anniversary!
Dubaldo Music Center was opened February 11th of 1953, by Bruno Dubaldo, after graduating from the Hartford Conservatory the previous year with a degree in violin. His dream was to provide a comfortable environment for people to come learn and experience music.
Bruno built the music store from the ground up, literally brick by brick. Both of Bruno’s parents, along with his three brothers and his wife Clara, helped mix the mortar and lay the bricks.
Once the building was finished, Bruno, along with his wife Clara, and his younger brother Victor, began offering lessons for violin, guitar, accordion, piano and organ. Bruno also sold instruments of many types, ranging from stringed instruments like violin and guitar to organs and accordions.
Now, over 50 years later, Bruno’s dream is still alive and well, and the business is thriving.
In August of 2002 Bruno sold DuBaldo Music Center to his nephew Ed DuBaldo so he could retire while still having the store run by the family. DuBaldo Music Center now is now proud to offer lessons for virtually every instrument, from piano, guitar/bass, brass, woodwind, accordion, percussion, and many more.
On September 1, 2004, DuBaldo Music Center joined forces with another local music store, Beller's Music. This second location (Beller's) has been located in downtown Manchester for the past 54 years. It specializes in student lessons, instrument rentals and also has a diverse sales floor.
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One of the best things about the stores for me personally is the history of all the many faces that have come through the door. Whether it was Gene Pitney buying his first guitar from Uncle Bruno and getting his start on the instrument at our store, or one of the touring guitarists for Def Leppard taking lessons from Uncle Vic on how to read music so he could pass the audition, or if it is the student that comes in every week with a gleam in their eyes just craving to learn and play more, there is a certain magic about the place.
I had the opportunity to perform on guitar along with Bruno on mandolin, Vic on accordion, and Marshal (Vic’s son) on guitar and mandolin at my grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary two years ago, and it just helped to solidify the role that music has played in my family’s history and will continue to play in my life.
My brother Nick and I are honored to be running the two stores and keeping our family’s musical heritage alive. While there is always a certain amount of stress involved with running any business, let alone a family business, the amount of enjoyment we get out of watching musicians both young and old grow while at the store is what drives us to keeping Bruno’s dream alive. For me, seeing what Scott and Brian Ball are doing with Ernie Ball as the 3rd generation of Ball family businessmen makes me want to push even harder. I look forward to seeing where we can take DuBaldo Music Center in the coming years.
We have some great sales planned throughout the year, along with some very special events. Our first big 55th Anniversary Sale starts on Tuesday (we are closed on Monday).
We even have another Ernie Ball / MusicMan artist clinic in the works for late spring or early summer!
To those of you who have been there for us, both as customers, clinicians, or staff at Ernie Ball, especially Sterling, the DuBaldo family extends a wholehearted THANK YOU for what you have done for us, and we look forward to serving you throughout the next 55 years.
EDIT - just saw this at the store and snapped a shot
Dubaldo Music Center was opened February 11th of 1953, by Bruno Dubaldo, after graduating from the Hartford Conservatory the previous year with a degree in violin. His dream was to provide a comfortable environment for people to come learn and experience music.
Bruno built the music store from the ground up, literally brick by brick. Both of Bruno’s parents, along with his three brothers and his wife Clara, helped mix the mortar and lay the bricks.
Once the building was finished, Bruno, along with his wife Clara, and his younger brother Victor, began offering lessons for violin, guitar, accordion, piano and organ. Bruno also sold instruments of many types, ranging from stringed instruments like violin and guitar to organs and accordions.
Now, over 50 years later, Bruno’s dream is still alive and well, and the business is thriving.
In August of 2002 Bruno sold DuBaldo Music Center to his nephew Ed DuBaldo so he could retire while still having the store run by the family. DuBaldo Music Center now is now proud to offer lessons for virtually every instrument, from piano, guitar/bass, brass, woodwind, accordion, percussion, and many more.
On September 1, 2004, DuBaldo Music Center joined forces with another local music store, Beller's Music. This second location (Beller's) has been located in downtown Manchester for the past 54 years. It specializes in student lessons, instrument rentals and also has a diverse sales floor.
________________________________________________
One of the best things about the stores for me personally is the history of all the many faces that have come through the door. Whether it was Gene Pitney buying his first guitar from Uncle Bruno and getting his start on the instrument at our store, or one of the touring guitarists for Def Leppard taking lessons from Uncle Vic on how to read music so he could pass the audition, or if it is the student that comes in every week with a gleam in their eyes just craving to learn and play more, there is a certain magic about the place.
I had the opportunity to perform on guitar along with Bruno on mandolin, Vic on accordion, and Marshal (Vic’s son) on guitar and mandolin at my grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary two years ago, and it just helped to solidify the role that music has played in my family’s history and will continue to play in my life.
My brother Nick and I are honored to be running the two stores and keeping our family’s musical heritage alive. While there is always a certain amount of stress involved with running any business, let alone a family business, the amount of enjoyment we get out of watching musicians both young and old grow while at the store is what drives us to keeping Bruno’s dream alive. For me, seeing what Scott and Brian Ball are doing with Ernie Ball as the 3rd generation of Ball family businessmen makes me want to push even harder. I look forward to seeing where we can take DuBaldo Music Center in the coming years.
We have some great sales planned throughout the year, along with some very special events. Our first big 55th Anniversary Sale starts on Tuesday (we are closed on Monday).
We even have another Ernie Ball / MusicMan artist clinic in the works for late spring or early summer!
To those of you who have been there for us, both as customers, clinicians, or staff at Ernie Ball, especially Sterling, the DuBaldo family extends a wholehearted THANK YOU for what you have done for us, and we look forward to serving you throughout the next 55 years.
EDIT - just saw this at the store and snapped a shot
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