ABOUT FAZIO'S FRETS AND FRIENDS

Comments from an article by Jonathan Forstot, published in a recent music industry magazine.

"Friend" isn't a word that typically finds its way into the name of most retail establishments. But then, Fazio's Frets and Friends is far from your typical music store. Since 1978, Fazio's has been selling instruments teaching music, and building a music community. Today it is a veritable 'town hall', a popular for gatherings of students, musician hobbyists, and, well, friends. Mike Fazio has worked in the music industry since age 16, moving from salesman to teacher to general manager, founder, and, finally, owner. Along the way, he learned a thing or two about running a music store. Add to that a degree in retailing, and it becomes clear why Fazio continues to be so successful.

Ask anyone at the store what matters most to them, and they'll likely tell you all comes down to service. The extremely extended family that Mike and staff have created is the result of never-ending dedication to customers, and a commitment to providing a complete music experience. 'Were not typically a self-service kind of store," Fazio notes. "If customers are interested in talking guitars and dealing with a knowledgeable staff, this is the place."

Customer-turned-employee Bryan Rankins is one of seven staffers who represent a unique background from which to offer their customers advice. 'Fazio's is a great place to work," Rankins says; "but coming from the standpoint of a former customer, I also know that it has always been a great place to shop."

Rounding out the team are sound engineering expert James Gast and marketing specialist Dan Fazio. The two spend a great deal of time with product purchasing, sales, customer relations, and technical work, and both have worked to incorporate their strengths and backgrounds into Fazio's everyday operations. A typical week, for example, might find James doing everything from installing an on-location professional sound system to working with guitar manufacturers to supply the store with needed stock.

At the same time, it is not uncommon to find Dan (the store's longest-running part-time employee turned fulltime staff member meeting with professionals to provide a new, creative approach to advertising or using his product knowledge in assisting customers. Showing a genuine interest in customers needs is the norm for Fazio and the rest of his crew. We're very fortunate in the fact that we have wonderful customers, too," Rankins explains. "They bring us gifts at Christmas. If they're professional musicians, we go out and watch them play, or we go to things they do at their church. It really is a cool relationship."

Many dealers establish teaching programs help anchor the retail business and to encourage the growth of music. True to the stores spirit, however, the concept of music education has taken on a whole new meaning at Fazio's. Director of education Brian Vaccaro manages one of the best developed music programs in the industry. In addition to accommodating about 750 guitar students each week, Vaccaro offers clinics and seminars, forming a music curriculum that would rival many collegiate music programs. Fazio's draws on local artists and experts to conduct many of these clinics, on topics ranging from classical guitar to professional audio to playing in a rock band.

Vaccaro envisions Fazio's as a college precursor for Having gone through music study and master's degree programs himself, Vaccaro knows how difficult it can be to succeed at the college level. "I always felt sympathy for high school students planning to major in music." There are an abundance of high schools in the area - many with strong music programs and Fazio's provides a bridge to ease the difficult transition for many young students. 'We can target high school students who want to take music more seriously and offer them a headstart in terms of music theory or improvisation," Vaccaro explains. "I was missing that my first year and could have grown a lot more, rather than just trying to catch up'' The sense of "community" that Mike Fazio and his staff have created became more apparent than ever after the events of September 11. He opened the store that day with the same sense of shock felt by the rest of the world, along with fears that this would be the year that .someone's going to cancel Christmas."

Fazio remembers a customer who had planned to bring his guitar in for a free service adjustment that day. He entered the store wondering if he should come in for something so trivial, given the circumstances. Fazio welcomed him in, and the two proceeded to the acoustic room where they spent time simply playing guitars. "I realized," Fazio explains, "that he just wanted to come to the store. He wanted a place to get away from it all, a place to relax. Once I realized that we are that kind of place, I wasn't so worried about Christmas anymore."

Fazio's recorded its best Holiday season ever last year.