With a vision to create a community of musicians with substantial knowledge in music education, Tim Spicer, co-owner of Spicer’s Music, made this vision a reality when he opened Spicer’s Music ten years ago.
Dec. 1 marked the ten-year anniversary of the opening of one of Auburn’s most notable music stores. Spicer said that the store’s founding in 2012 was marked by his childhood love of music and his desire to share that love with others.
“We have always been a musical family. We grew up around music. We grew up playing music,” Spicer said. “I was teaching music lessons and working at another music store at the time and had a vision to create a music store that would be a positive impact and influence on the musical community.”
He said that the goal of Spicer’s from its onset was to be a family-friendly store that made those who walked through their doors feel welcome. Spicer said that he wanted customers to feel like “an extension of the Spicer family regardless of their age or skill level.”
Despite Spicer’s original focus on music camps and lessons with a hand in retail, the store quickly grew into a retail-hotspot and even earned a spot on the National Association of Music Merchants’ Top 100 Dealers’ list.
Spicer said that their time in business has been special because they have had the opportunity to help tens-of-thousands of customers and thousands of their students. Because of the work done by those at Spicer’s people have been able to truly fall in love with music and with making it.
“All the lives that we’ve been able to be a part of is pretty special,” Spicer said. “And at this point, we’ve employed over 40 retail staff and over 100 lesson instructors throughout the years, and watching our team grow and develop new skills and be able to provide for their families here is very special to me.”
After a decade in business, Spicer said he never thought it would have grown into what is had become today. He credited the team at Spicer’s to its success, noting their dedication to ensuring that they provide quality customer service and musical expertise.
“I never would have imagined this business would have grown to the size that it is today, and it is still growing,” Spicer said. “It means that we’ve got the right people working behind the counter and in the lesson rooms to help provide for the musical community.”
With the company’s rapid and unexpected growth, Spicer said going forward, they would be looking to expand and find more space. He said that they need more space to provide more lessons and to stock more retail.
“Beyond the expansion, I think it’s just important to focus on continuing to provide opportunities for our staff to grow and our team to continue to grow,” Spicer said. “But it’s also important that the music community continues to grow and be a staple in the musical environment here.”
Spicer felt indebted to their customer base. He said Spicer’s customer base was extremely loyal and supportive of small, local businesses, and, in effect, supportive of local families.
Spicer returned to his employees, noting that their work was truly the most vital piece in the business’ success.
“I just want to give a huge shout out and thank you to all of the employees who have been by our side and have taken part in this business over the past decade,” Spicer said. “It is 100% because of the full team’s work that we have made it ten years and plan to make it many more.”
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Tucker Massey, junior in journalism, is the content editor for The Auburn Plainsman.
