PROFILE
Graham Collins
By Samantha Corbett
Graham Collins has worked in music retail long
enough to have accumulated more than his share of funny , High Fidelity-type customer interaction stories . In fact , he says he treasures these experiences more than anything he ’ s done as a musician or performer , and has documented enough of them at this point that he ’ s even considered sharing them in a book someday .
Collins is currently the store manager at Long & McQuade Pro , the national chain ’ s specialized Toronto location that caters to recording studios , post-production houses , and broadcasters . The high-profile post marks the culmination of over two decades in Canada ’ s MI retail landscape .
Like many , the Toronto native ’ s journey in music began with piano lessons as a youngster , but his passion for the art has progressed on a unique path since then . Diving deeper into the world of synthesizers and tonal manipulation through his teens and beyond , Collins developed into a full-on , self-described “ synth nerd .”
After studying music at Ottawa ’ s Carleton University , Collins ’ first formal job in music retail was as the keyboard specialist at the city ’ s iconic Song Bird Music ( now Spaceman Music ).
During that initial stint , he was also performing with some local artists , including Slo ’ Tom Stewart from venerable punk outfit Furnaceface and even a short stint with celebrated indie folk artist Kathleen Edwards . Interestingly , Dave Dudley – a fellow Song Bird Music veteran and now the owner of Dave ’ s Drum Shop in Ottawa – played in Furnaceface and joined Collins supporting Stewart for his solo gigs as a member of The Horseshit Heroes .
All the while , Collins took on some composition work in collaboration with local filmmakers .
In 2006 , Collins returned to Toronto and jumped right back into music retail as a purchaser with studio-focused specialty shop Saved by Technology , working his way up to a management position .
Hoping to get back into film work within the booming Toronto scene , Collins found his way into a role as the musical director with a well-established sketch comedy troupe .
In 2017 , Saved by Technology was acquired by Long & McQuade , and Collins was appointed to lead the charge as store manager for the newly-launched Long & McQuade Pro . The shop serves the same niche as its predecessor , with a focus on software and hardware recording solutions , as well as a wide selection of keyboards , modular synthesizers , and other specialty items .
Needless to say , Collins feels right at home surrounded by the products and technologies that have long driven his passions as a creator , and enjoys keeping pace and getting hands-on with the latest and greatest tools . That said , his favourite part about the job – and his career in MI retail in general – is the people he serves within their shared community .
“ I guess I ’ ve been doing this for about 25 years now ,” Collins says in reflection . “ It ’ s really interesting to see career paths of people that were starting around the same time as I was , and where their paths
have taken them . Many people eventually switch companies or move from retail to distribution , but you still wind up bumping into them at trade shows or events . And on the other side , we have lots of amazing customers that I love finding solutions for .”
Although the music industry and those that make their living in it are facing some hardships amidst the coronavirus pandemic , Collins wants to use the power of music to connect and comfort people . He has been trying to come up with some ideas in the world of audio-over-IP solutions to help people collaborate on music , and also wants to connect artists with studios to find solutions for remote recording .
“ Out of most bad things come new opportunities to make things better for someone ,” he muses . “ I like to be that guy .”
When he isn ’ t helping his customers – either directly on the floor at Long & McQuade Pro , or indirectly in his experiments during spare time – Collins is likely hanging out in or near his Toronto home with his girlfriend , Denise . It ’ s not a total change of scenery , though , as there are plenty of instruments and gadgets conducive to creativity surrounding him there .
He ’ s also a big movie lover and has recently found himself scouring YouTube for videos from fellow synth enthusiasts . That gives him plenty of fodder to push further down his rabbit hole of music-making and sonic manipulation . He currently has two projects underway in that regard , and is looking forward to wrapping them up in the near future .
Mostly , though , Collins is excited to be back to business at the store . Considering his love for the products he sells and the people he serves , there ’ s really nowhere he ’ d rather be – and he could still use a few more good stories to round out that book …
Samantha Corbett is a writer based in Ontario ’ s Niagara Region and a former editorial assistant with Professional Sound .
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