Empire Music, 719 Washington Road, which prides itself for being known as one of the most hands-on and knowledgeable guitar stores in the country, is expanding.
The office space next door is being transformed into Empire School of Music, to allow Empire to increase its current lesson offerings and get back into teaching piano and voice, in addition to guitar and bass, while also branching out into band instruments.
Joe Ravita, Empire owner, grabbed the former primary care physician’s office as soon as it became available. “The space is always a concern because Uptown doesn’t have a ton of vacancies, so when something pops open, if you don’t take advantage of it, then it’s gone,” he said.
Group guitar lessons are on the agenda to let students learn an instrument without feeling they’re committing long term. “Getting the opportunity to make music with other people is ultimately the gap we’re trying to fill,” he said.
Strum Together, offering lessons for kids and their parents, is also expanding. “We want to give people the opportunity in a fun format that they can do with their kids,” Ravita said.
Sometime in January, you should be able to book classes through an Empire School of Music website that’s currently under development. In the meantime, check Empire Music’s website [1] for updates.