Woodstock Music Shop opens at the Mall

A staple of Woodstock’s musical community is expanding. The Woodstock Music Shop will be opening a new branch at the Hudson Valley Mall on March 5, and its Grand Opening Celebration that day, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. will feature performances by Ratboy Jr., the Paul Green Rock Academy, and Reginald Earls. There will also be a prize wheel, the grand prize being a Fender guitar and amp.

The Woodstock Music Shop, located on Rock City Road, opened in 2003. Since then, owners Jenn and Jeff Harrigfeld have stocked Woodstockers with guitars, ukuleles, and amps, while also boasting a vast vinyl collection, located in an old bank vault in the back of the store. The Shop is also a yearly participant in National Record Store Day, which occurs the third Saturday of April. As one of the busiest days of the year for the store, it is the most hectic and crowded. Often, there are lines outside the door before the store even opens, and once inside, the limited space becomes chaotic. It was this that sparked the Harrigfeld’s idea to open an additional location.

What began as a vision has now developed into a 4,500 square foot, fully functional new store. The Shop’s Kingston branch has not only provided much needed storage space for an accumulation of vinyl numbering over one thousand; it has also created further merchandise possibilities. “We’ll be able to offer band and orchestra rentals,” said Jenn. These rentals will be kept at the Kingston location, but can be ordered from the Woodstock branch — the instruments will travel between. “It’ll be a nice relationship between the two spaces,” she added.

The Harrigfelds hope this new offering will be especially appealing to families in the Onteora Central School District. Previously, the most accessible instrument rental stores were Barcones in Kingston and MusicWorks in Saugerties. Now, with options in both the town of Woodstock and the mall, families can buy beginning instrumental books and rent out clarinets, violins, and more at their own convenience. “We’re going to try to carry what the schools are using,” said Jeff.

In store performances

And the new offerings don’t end there. “We’ll be able to do in-store performances here, which we’ve always wanted to do in Woodstock,” said Jenn, indicating the newly constructed stage at the back of the shop. They also plan to host a variety of clinics, workshops, and group lessons, for which they’ve hired a staff. “A lot of them already teach,” she continued. “We have a huge pool of amazingly talented people in the Hudson Valley, and so we’re going to offer it to them as well.”

The shop will provide repairs. “Electronics are our specialty,” said Jeff. Instrument repairs can also be diagnosed in the store, and, if need be, sent away for more extensive work. “We have luthiers we’re affiliated with,” Jenn added.

Another recent addition is what they call a “lifestyle” department. This includes music-related gifts and items, which appeal to musicians and music-lovers alike.

Overall, the Harrigfelds are excited to showcase these new capabilities to an even larger customer base. “There are lots of people who live in Kingston who never go to Woodstock, so we know we’re going to see some new faces,” said Jeff. All that’s left is putting the finishing touches on the space. “It’s kind of scary,” concluded Jenn, “but anything in life that’s worth doing should be a little scary.”

The new Woodstock Music Shop, located in the Hudson Valley Mall near Macy’s, will have its Grand Opening Celebration, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, March 5 with prizes, food, and live music. Grand Prize: A Fender guitar and amplifier. Other prizes include, t-shirts, ukuleles, vinyl, WMS $100 gift card, WMS discount coupons. For more information, call (845)383-1734, or see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/woodstockmusicshop/.