Many believe if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. The Spicer family, owners of Spicer's Music, have turned their passion and talents into a thriving business built on community and love for the arts.
Their passion and dedication to music and community was rewarded with the 2016 Alabama Small Business of the Year award in the Emerging Small Business category.
Tim Spicer, co-owner of Spicer's Music, along with his father and younger brother fulfilled a dream when the doors opened for the first time. Spicer was born and raised in Auburn city, attended Auburn High School and graduated with a degree in special education from Auburn University.
His experience and love for people has made the business more than beneficial for the entire team. Spicer said working with people and music go hand-in-hand, there's no fun in playing by yourself. Once people join together, something truly beautiful happens.
Spicer's Music just celebrated their fourth year in business. The store has grown exponentially in sales and lessons over the past four years. The team started with four main instructors and the family. The team currently consists of 12 employees, 18 instructors and a store full. Spicer's is currently teaching over 350 students a week.
"We started with a strong emphasis on lessons, summer camps and music programs in the school systems, which we still do heavily, but our retail was very slim because we started family-owned and operated on the money we could scrounge out of our pockets," Spicer said. "It really just exploded with us."
Josh McKenzie, manager, has been working for the company for just over three years. McKenzie and Spicer grew up together, working and playing in the music industry for many years.
McKenzie says it's Christmas every day with merchandise always coming in. He has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Spicer's and plans to stick around to see what else is in store for the company.
"What I do at work is what I would be doing at home, looking up gear and that's the best thing I could ask for," McKenzie said.
The Spicer family has been involved and interested in music for a long while, but a separate passion held by the parents was in helping families and those in their community. Combining the two passions, community and music, was a no-brainer for the bunch.
"Community, to me, is what makes the world go 'round," Spicer said. "Auburn is such an amazing community, so we started from day one trying to get as involved in the community and trying to reach as many lives as possible. I've really been blown away with how open and loving our community has been."
Spicer said every decision made in the store is based upon two criteria. "How are we putting our customers first and how are we positively affecting the world through music?"
Spicer's Music hosts Open-Mic Nights at the shop monthly, youth jams, events for the elderly community and any other community oriented events they can get involved in. Music makes the world a happier place to live in, Spicer's wants to help in spreading the love wherever, Spicer said.
"Customer service and helping others is who we are at the core and music is our avenue to do that," Spicer said.
The store's slogan, "Not your average music store," stands as a motto and mission for the company. Spicer said from the beginning, the team wanted to be more than sales and lessons. They hoped to make a difference in the community, reach lives, touch children positively through music.
Spicer's favorite element of his work is watching growth in each of his students, from those that are three years old to those that are 93. He watches as each student grows musically and in self-confidence as they meet other musicians, start bands and grow together; that's what it's all about, Spicer said.
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