More people are taking up music as a hobby during the pandemic
Music stores in the Peterborough region have seen significant sale increases during the pandemic.
“Obviously, in the early days, in March and April, we had a pretty significant drop off. Come June, July, August, we were actually up quite a bit in those months versus last year,” said Daryl Guy, manager of Long & McQuade.
Mark us Ma ar, owner of Maar’s Music, and Nick Angelo, owner of The Guitar Boutique in Bethany, said they similarly experienced a significant increase in sales during those summer months.
During March and April, Guy said his Aylmer Street store was selling more accessories than instruments.
“Nobody wanted to spend money on a $3,000 guitar sight unseen, but in June, July, August, we were selling a lot of instruments,” he said.
In particular, a lot of guitars, Guy said.
Both Guy and Maar said they’ve had a lot of people buying a new instrument for the first time, people upgrading from their old instruments and people having old instruments that have been stored away repaired.
Maar said some who had old instruments repaired have since upgraded.
“Especially in June and July. Way more than you would ever have,” Maar said.
According to Guy, recording equipment sales were up 70 per cent this year from last.
However, their PA, rental and band departments have seen a pretty significant drop in sales, he said.
“Our rental department’s taken a massive, massive hit because no one’s have weddings, and parties, and shows,” he said.
As a result of shows, for example, being cancelled, most of Maar’s customers have been local casuals, he said.
“The one thing that’s very sort of sad to see, is that what I would call our working professional customers, you know, the arts community, they were really hard hit, because, of course,
all of the gigs that they had were instantly cancelled,” he said.
Music has been important to people during the pandemic for a variety of reasons according to Guy and Maar.
“In this time, I think mental health is a pretty big concern for lots of people, so music can help with that,” Guy said.
Music has been unifying people across Canada and across the entire globe, Maar said.
Virtual concerts and remote music collaborations are prime examples, he said.
Videos from March of Italians singing from their balconies during their nationwide lockdown illustrated how music brings people together, Maar said.
“We’ve also had customers locally where one person set up a drum kit outside and a person across the street took their guitar amp out and they had a neighbourhood jam,” he said.
“I think the importance and the power of music has been magnified by this pandemic.” Marissa Lentz is a staff reporter at the Examiner, based in Peterborough. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach her via email: mlentz@peterboroughdaily.com