Myrna Sislen with the children of the Landfill Harmonic in Cateura, Paraguay.
In the 12 years since Myrna Sislen took over as Owner of Washington DC’s Middle C Music, she has become known as a tireless advocate for the independent music retailer. Whether she is giving a seminar at the NAMM show, lobbying for music education on Capitol Hill or hand-delivering instruments to needy children in South America, Sislen can always be seen preserving the art—and spreading the influence—of making music. Even the story of how she became an independent music store owner is a testament to her desire to preserve the industry she loves so much.
“Twelve years ago, I was at the health club and I ran into another local musician who told me that the Owner of Middle C Music was selling the store. So, I left and I went to the store to inquire about it,” Sislen recalled. “Back then, a lot of stores were turning into mattress or cell phone stores, and I didn’t want that to happen. After talking to the former Owner, I left the store, took one step and, on the second step, something came over me and I decided that I had to do something to keep the store from closing.”
At that time, Sislen did not have a business background. Instead, she was a classical guitarist who toured, recorded, wrote books and taught at George Washington University. What she did have was a great understanding of people. With that, she was able to turn Middle C Music from a business that was losing $4,000 to $5,000 each month to a beloved neighborhood institution.
“I wanted to create a place where people felt safe and nurtured,” said Sislen. To achieve this goal, she spiced up her product offerings with gifts and accessories. She also decorated the store in a way that makes you feel like you’re at home. “There are very few filing cabinets,” she added. “We keep our print music on wood shelves, rather than having flat walls, and there is a nice-sized waiting area in the center of the store with an area rug and chairs all around.”
She continued, “The wood and carpeting make it feel warm, like home. Mozart, our store dog, is also very important in making the store feel comfortable. People say that they feel good and relaxed here, and that’s what I want.”
Sislen also works hard to ensure that her staff is warm and friendly. “One of the hardest things is picking the right staff,” said Sislen, who likes every staff member to have some sort of musical background and expertise. “You need to have a passion for the business and for working with people. You need to have a spark. We’re a real soft sell here. It’s more about helping the customers and letting them fall in love with the instruments.”
This is especially important when dealing with Middle C Music’s more mature clientele, as approximately 45 percent of the store’s 450 students are adults. “Over the last four years, more and more Baby Boomers have come in and said, ‘I wanted to do this all my life.’ They have a dream, and you have to be careful about that,” Sislen remarked.
What she’s doing is clearly working. On the store’s 10th anniversary, the Washington DC City Council proclaimed it Middle C Music Day. “I went to City Hall and watched them pass a resolution honoring Middle C. The Mayor also issued a proclamation honoring us and members of the City Council actually spoke to say how important Middle C is to the city. I was overwhelmed and thrilled,” Sislen enthused.
Despite being the only full-service music store in Washington DC, Sislen isn’t interested in hoarding all the accolades—or all the business—for herself. Ever the ally of independent retailers, Sislen is more
Sislen with DC Council member Jack Evans and DC Council member Mary Cheh in the store for Middle C Music Day.
than happy to refer customers, when necessary, to other local, independent stores in nearby Maryland and Virginia.
“This area is big enough to support all the music stores out there. Our main competition is Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center, but I will refer someone there if they have something that I don’t have,” said Sislen. “One independent store should support the other. I want there to be small independent stores. What I am not in favor of are stores like Best Buy that undercut us.”
Sislen’s customers are not in favor of such big-box stores, either. When the Best Buy located just 100 feet from Middle C Music first wanted to add an MI department, the community spoke up to protect their favorite local music store.
“I only mentioned it to one parent and it exploded. I was very surprised,” Sislen said, showing equal parts pride and humility. “The neighborhood coalesced behind the movement and Best Buy backed off and didn’t put it in.”
Sislen’s popularity at home has only helped to bolster her efforts to grow the music business across the country and abroad. Last year, Sislen was introduced to The Landfill Harmonic, an orchestra of children in Cateura, Paraguay who play instruments made from trash found in the landfill near where they live. “They needed traditional instruments and, although offers of help had come from all over the world, no one had followed through,” said Sislen. “So, I teamed up with The Music Link and bought the instruments for them. I donated 39 orchestral instruments and 12 guitars, and I presented them in person at the landfill in Cateura, Paraguay.”
The story got a lot of press, including an appearance on “60 Minutes Overtime.” Amazingly, the orchestra traveled to Washington last August for an appearance at the Kennedy Center, and Sislen invited them to visit Middle C Music. Sislen also invited the community to come meet them. “It created a feeling of unity that really cemented us as a community music store and, as an unintended consequence, our business increased by more than 25 percent last year,” said Sislen.
It was much more than a customer-generating and headline-grabbing enterprise. According to Sislen, “I did it because it was the right thing to do. The work I do in the industry is very important to me. We are absolutely local, but we do things outside the store, as well. It’s important to give back.”