PLAYFORD MUSIC & SOUND ANNOUNCES
Sales floor closed-
Sound/Video installation continues
I have personally been privileged to serve the musical community for all these years. I started selling musical instruments in 1970 at Grinnell’s (Jackson Paka Plaza store), a large music chain consisting of more than sixty stores at the time. I loved my work, often working fifty or more hours per week for forty hours of pay (they wouldn’t pay overtime). I became the youngest store manager they had ever had at 21 years old, and continued to work for them until I opened Playford Music in Jonesville in August of 1976. I have been in music retail now for over fifty years. This business has given me lots of valued friends, and a great number of wonderful musicians whose interest and enthusiasm Playford Music helped to generate. We have had a great number of excellent people serve as staff both on the sales floor and in our teaching studios. We made the move to Jackson (where I had worked at Grinnell’s) around 1982 when the organ and piano business was diminishing.
The installation side (church and school sound systems) is expected to continue for some time. For several decades now, we have been designing and supervising installation of sound systems in chapels, gymnasiums, athletic fields, funeral homes, restaurants etc. Over that time, I have had several very good people work with me. I hope to see this area of our business continue for a period of time with my oversight, and then, hopefully, someone will be there to continue this valuable service.
I have been blessed to have been able to live my life doing what I love. That doesn’t mean it has been easy. Most of the time it has been challenging. Many times in the store’s 46 years, wiser men would have probably closed the store and gone on to other careers. I never really considered doing this. My love for both music and business set my course from the time I was in middle school. What I love the most about my career is the people. I have been so fortunate to have great people around me. For instance, my band instrument repairman Craig Easterday has been with me since the late 1970’s. Not only a great asset, but a great friend. We played little league baseball together. Then there are my boys. These are guys that helped out at the store when they were young men, and have been there for me for whenever they could help-up to this day. Paul Arntz-Nashville musician, Bryan Croad-Boston musician, Mitch Kahle-Michigan musician, Aaron Riddle-Jackson musician, Anthony Riske-Jackson’s Michigan Theatre, Joel Randolph-Jackson musician, Aaron Piggotte-Jackson entrepreneur, Dan Bickel-chair of the music dept at Jackson College, and Larry Roy Sumner Jr-the only one of my kids that didn’t work for me inside the store, and probably doesn’t realize I consider him this way. All of these men have made me proud for the musicianship and character they exhibit, and I consider them part of my legacy. I am proud of them all, plus many other of my longtime customers.
My teachers. I have had many teachers in the store during the course of 46 years. Notable are the ones that were part of my staff for over 30 years including Lee Piper, Larry Williams, and Randy Saunders. I was also fortunate to have Bruce Fisk, Perry Clemons, and the late Jerry Glassel, as well as several others serve our customers.
Then there are my customers. You do the best you can to make sure you are doing the best by your customers. It can be frustrating, because some customers are just naturally skeptical of somebody selling something to them, expecting they are taking advantage of them. Fortunately, a great rapport is often established, and that makes up for the difficult ones. The last few months have brought me to tears many times with people coming in, sending emails, posting on our Facebook page, expressing their gratitude for what I have tried to accomplish. I can’t imagine a more charmed lifetime of work that wasn’t work and am extremely grateful to those who have been part of my journey along the way. My thanks to all of you.
Craig Playford-
Thank you for all the years of support for a local music business and for all the good wishes we have already received on our facebook page.
