Don’t miss this unique sales event at Lindale Mall next to Von Maur. You can own a new piano for as low as $50 a month! Thursday and Friday, September 23–24, Private Appointments Only. Saturday, September 25, Open to the Public 10am–9pm. Sunday, September 26, Open to the Public Noon–6pm.

How do you start the school year? This past August, we asked thousands of you what activities do you use to start the school year? Thank you for all of the terrific responses, but unfortunately, we had to choose just one response for the $50 West Music Gift Certificate. That winner ...is Lorrie Davis from Conroe ISD in Conroe, Texas! See her response below:

I think everyone has experienced at some point the awkward silence in conversation. It is probably the thing that I dread most while in a hospice session. I am always trying to avoid those awkward moments, filling the holes with wordage or saying “how about another song.” It can be easy to avoid sometimes, but just recently, I attended a meeting with some of my fellow music therapists, and we talked about counseling skills in a music therapy setting. One of the topics brought up was about silence. We all joked about how we try to avoid awkward silences in our sessions, but then talked about how therapeutic silence can be.

This makes me very happy, and not just from the standpoint of my being a Music Retailer. It’s great to see this because the ukulele is now responsible for making more new music makers…regardless of their age group. It has also brought a ton of people back to being music makers. I have talked to many people that had given up the recreational pastime of playing music for one reason or another, and now they are back experiencing the joy of making music. Many are taking part in ukulele clubs like the Johnson County Ukulele Social Club in Iowa City, Iowa.

You are cordially invited to attend a free seminar where you will learn: The different styles and types of pianos, vertical and grands, How the key mechanism or "Action" works in different types of pianos and benefits, The function of the soundboard, The structure of the piano... rim, bracing, pinblock and plate, The importance and benefits of the different woods that make up a piano. This seminar will be very informative and fun for anyone who has an interest in how a piano really works.