Today we’d like to introduce you to Trey Shoaf.
Hi Trey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Mitchell Foil founded this business in 2002. He had been in the piano business for about 20 years prior to that. Him and his wife Mary built this store up and dealt many brands including Young Chang, Schimmel, Yamaha, Baldwin, and Kawai.
Mary Foil, Mitchell’s wife,l was my first guitar teacher. I took lessons with her for about 3 months when I was a teenager. I ended up quitting because at the time I wasn’t really listening to much music. Two years later I picked it back up and was self taught for several years using what she had taught me. Quickly I became obsessed with guitar and sought private lessons from many teachers including Daniel Seriff.
After college, I was looking for a job and interviewed at a car dealership. In the interview he could sense my passion for music and sent me over to be interviewed by Mitchell who had purchased many cars from him over the years. When I went to the store I reconnected with Mary. We were both startled at the coincidence as I was just a shy kid the last time she had seen me.
I have been here ever since. I started in the Greensboro store before moving over to the Winston location, which was the main store. Mitch and I got along really well and we quickly became friends as well as boss and employee. I rose up the ranks and became a general manager. Today I am a co-owner of the store.
I love the music business. Being able to help out people to play music and chase their dreams and enjoy life more is such a blessing. I have been able to take my experience as a customer of many music store to figure out exactly what I look for in a retail experience.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In 2023, our Founder Mitchell foil died. While he was semi-retired and I was slated to take the reigns eventually, he passed away suddenly and all of a sudden I was stepping up sooner than I expected. While I was already managing the day-to-day operations, Mitchell handled the finances. I have had to get a crash course in bookkeeping and accounting. While difficult, I have found it very rewarding to be able to now be able to have my hands on every aspect of the business. Mary has been incredible in the way that she has stepped up too. We put our heads together and rose to the occasion. She has an incredible way with customers and being a veteran of the music business for decades has been an invaluable part of our company’s success.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are an instrument store that specializes in Pianos, Guitars, Basses, PA, and more. We also move and store pianos for customers across the state and even cross-country. We repair, touch up, and set up guitars and pianos.
We sell Acoustic, Digital, Hybrid, and Player Pianos, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Amps, Pedals, Cables, Basses, Ukuleles, PA Equipment, and more.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Years ago we decided to start carrying guitars. There are a number of guitar stores in the area and we weren’t sure anyone would care for another store. WIth our commitment to prep our instruments to their potential, it has worked wonders for the guitars. It has been going great for us and we are doing even better than what we imagined. We now carry Taylor, ESP, Takamine, and Yamaha guitars. While guitar customers can be very different than a piano customer. They are very loyal clients who will return again and again if you earn their loyalty.
Pricing:
- Acoustic Pianos $1200 and up
- Digital Pianos $700
- Baby Grands $5000-$6000
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mitchellspianogallery.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mitchellspianogallery
