Pete Van Alstyne, owner
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 past 40 years. Those early years in the early 1980's giving accordion lessons in the garage allowed me to not only study catalogs and discriminate between necessary and ancillary music equipment, but I also learned to listen to my clients and mentors, most notably John Molinari, Jack Hyde, Richard Morrissey, John Jordan and Michael Lewis.
I've also learned that hobby musicians as a rule are curiously without patience, even though every good musician by definition has discipline and focus. One would believe that patience would accompany discipline, but I've found it only true with conservatory-trained, classical instrumentalists and vocalists. I wish I had a dime for every Heavy Metal, R & R or Blues player that wanted their item to be delivered "yesterday!"
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" (un-fretted and fretted) and bow re-hair technician for the hundreds of focused string players in Northern California. I receive bow re-hair projects from Modesto in the South up to Chico in the North. Also, I have designed and installed many PA systems for churches and institutions in this general area, from Marysville to Oroville to Colusa.
Professionally, 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 Northern California who are obviously in the teaching profession for the social contributions and not just for a pay check.
I've also learned that hobby musicians as a rule are curiously without patience, even though every good musician by definition has discipline and focus. One would believe that patience would accompany discipline, but I've found it only true with conservatory-trained, classical instrumentalists and vocalists. I wish I had a dime for every Heavy Metal, R & R or Blues player that wanted their item to be delivered "yesterday!"
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" (un-fretted and fretted) and bow re-hair technician for the hundreds of focused string players in Northern California. I receive bow re-hair projects from Modesto in the South up to Chico in the North. Also, I have designed and installed many PA systems for churches and institutions in this general area, from Marysville to Oroville to Colusa.
Professionally, 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 Northern California who are obviously in the teaching profession for the social contributions and not just for a pay check.
