Pete Van Alstyne: owner, teacher, and skilled craftsman

Starting as Yuba-Sutter-Colusa's accordionist and accordion instructor in the middle 1970's, I have seen many changes in the music industry over the decades.  Those early years in the early 1980's of teaching accordion lessons in my garage enabled me to study music catalogs and gather information about the music industry.  I learned to listen to my clients and mentors, most notably the famous accordion player John Molinari, Jack Hyde of Jack's House of Music, Richard Morrissey of Yuba City,  John Jordan of Concord,  and Michael Lewis.  

The changes that I have seen most recently are musically-oriented consumers, including school districts, favoring internet or catalog instrument purchases-- often purchasing inferior “B Stock” items-- while not realizing the concept of “cost versus value.”  Do not be fooled by cheap prices you may find online.  When it comes to buying an instrument or musical equipment, I have learned that you get what you pay for.   Here at Pete's Music Center, we feature a group of highly-qualified service technicians!  

​In addition to my interest in the accordion, its practice, and its image as a viable musical instrument, I am also a string-instrument "doctor" for the un-fretted and fretted instruments.  I am a bow re-hair technician for the hundreds of focused string players in Northern California, receiving bow re-hair projects from Davis to Chico.  I also have designed and installed many PA systems for churches and institutions in this general area, from Marysville to Oroville and Colusa.  

“I think that I am most proud of the excellent reputation and legacy that my staff and I have created at Pete's Music Center and my "infamously" outspoken track record advocating the value of Music Education in the public schools. I salute all of the hard-working music instructors in America who are, obviously, in the teaching profession for the long-term social contributions-- and not just for a paycheck.

Pete Van Alstyne

Hours of Operation 

  • Monday
    • Closed
  • Tuesday
    • 10:00 am – 02:30 pm
  • Wednesday
    • Closed
  • Thursday
    • 10:00 am – 02:30 pm
  • Friday
    • Closed
  • Saturday
    • 10:00 am – 03:00 pm
  • Sunday
    • Closed

Designed by ZM © Zechariah Muzio 

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