Canadian Music Trade - December / January 2020 | Page 20

PROFITABLE
PERIPHERALS
Augmenting Sales with Recording Services,
Live Stages & More
By Andrew King
With the help of their parents, Dennis and Dorothy, he and his
brother Jeff had opened The Music Shop in the small town of Rocky
Mountain House in 2007. With the large neon guitar protruding
from its façade acting as a beacon to musicians far and wide, the store
enjoyed several successful years serving residents of and visitors to the
picturesque community.
In 2014, Gerry took over the business himself just months before
the provincial economy accelerated its downturn – ultimately one of
the worst it has ever endured. And since, as the saying goes, “when it
rains, it pours,” the recession happened to coincide with a two-year
period of construction on The Music Shop’s street that significantly
hindered its accessibility at times.
Rather than getting bogged down, though, Bradshaw got busy.
JoLynn McGillivray & Gerry Bradshaw, The Music Shop Concert Theatre and
SOUP House, Rocky Mountain House, AB
In 2015, Gerry Bradshaw –
like many business owners
throughout Alberta – was
facing some tough times.
20 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE
Working closely with his partner (and now wife), JoLynn McGillivray,
Bradshaw came up with a plan to boost revenue without giving up on
the business they were both so passionate about.
“We had to get creative,” he recalls for Canadian Music Trade.
“That’s when we brought in light lunches and became a live music
venue that brings in entertainers who perform around the world.”
Now, The Music Shop Concert Theatre and SOUP House
welcomes musicians, live music fans, and anyone with an appetite
through its doors, casting a wider net for potential customers and
strengthening its position as a community hub in the process.
“You’d be surprised how many people come in these days for some
soup, strings, and a Caesar,” Bradshaw attests, recalling an example
from just the day before his conversation with CMT: “There were
some folks just wanting some soup but didn’t know where to go. They
saw the big guitar outside, came in to ask for some ideas, and noticed
we had lunches, so they sat down to eat and, next thing we know,
we’d sold a guitar and amp!”
Bradshaw makes it clear that “it’s still a guitar shop at heart,”
and the peripheral services they’ve added are meant to continue the
store’s initial mission. “It’s about trying to spread and share music;
that’s our love,” Bradshaw enthuses. “We’ve got a lot of local folks
coming in that don’t even play an instrument; they just want a good
place to go for lunch and they’re starting to get used to our small
but pretty awesome menu. While they’re here, they’re surrounded by
instruments and good music; that keeps music on their mind, so if