Columbus Music
2514 13th St.
Columbus NE 68601
Phone: (402) 564-9431
www.columbusmusic.net
Mon – Wed: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Thurs: 9:30am – 7pm
Fri: 9:30am – 5:30pm
Sat: 9:30am – 4pm
Mike and Jan Moser, Owners
For close to 40 years, Mike and Jan Moser have been at the helm of Columbus NE’s Columbus Music, which serves not only as the go-to place for the town’s music community, but also as a beacon for commonsense musical instrument purchases.
“We try to talk the customer through the sale—finding their goals and what we have to meet them. If we think they are unrealistic, we try to talk to them about the real world and what might make them successful in their musical quest,” said Mike Moser, who takes pride in his store’s “commonsense philosophy.”
“A local player told me one day that he has shopped at lots of stores, real and virtual, chasing the ‘what’s popular now’ gear,” Moser recalled. “What he bought from us, he still plays years later; the other stuff he has dumped for pennies on the dollar.”
That commonsense approach serves Columbus Music’s customers well today. But, for the Mosers, taking control of the business in 1977 was a bit of a leap of faith. The store had been in business since 1945, when an attorney, a businessman and a high school band director founded it. “They chipped in $6,000 between them,” Moser began, “and, when the fixture bill arrived, it was $4,600 by itself. So, we started out a little under-capitalized!” Eventually, the band director bought out his partners, and he ran the store until it was time for him to retire.
“The idea of owning my own business intrigued me…especially a music store,” Moser said. “How cool is that?!” At the time, he had 10 years’ retail experience. He and his wife, who was working as an executive assistant in local government, both were musicians, playing guitar and keyboard, respectively. “We sold our house and moved into an apartment for a while to finance the business,” he elaborated. “Little did I know how much work and stress was involved! Luckily, I like to work!”
The first order of business was to modernize the store, which had a lot of what Moser said was “dated merchandise” when he and his wife purchased the store.
“We had a dozen Harmony guitars, a dozen Conn cornets, a few pianos and organs, console stereos, TVs, sheet music and records,” Moser remarked. “We dropped the records and tapes and added more heet music. We emphasized combo and band departments, and we added more accessories.”
Columbus Music focuses mainly on sales to generate revenue, having hired two full-time and two part-time employees. To supplement that, the store offers PA installs and repairs. It offers a rental program that is managed by Jan Moser, who also handles the store’s tax records and banking. Moser also employs four independent contractors to teach lessons at the store. “We hope that it helps to keep people playing their instruments,” he noted, adding, “Sales are still the main goal.”
Those sales take place in a 3,000-square-foot store that has some striking features; among them are a balcony and some of the initially purchased fixtures from 1945. It also features a Wall of Fame, where the Mosers put up posters of all the local bands and more established artists who have played at the store over the years. Names like Glenn Miller, Jo Anne Castle and Johnny Cash grace that wall; however, Moser noted, “The Wall of Fame is 95 percent local bands and musicians. They like to be remembered. It documents the music history here.”
When the Mosers first purchased Columbus Music, they moved the store to a shopping center location for six years. The store has been in the same downtown location since 1983, when the Mosers purchased the building in which the store is located.
“I think that, if a dealer has to pay market-rate rent, it is pretty hard to stay in business,” Moser explained. “In 38 years, we have had some years with sales up 25 percent, some down 25 percent. I refinanced my building several times to bridge bad times. One year, during the farm crisis of the early 1980s, I worked for free and we still lost $11,000.” He added, “But, in the end, we have made it work out by working hard and keeping the overhead as low as possible.”
Having ownership of the building is not the only benefit of Columbus Music’s current location. It also sits across the parking lot from City Hall, where Moser holds a second job: Mayor of Columbus NE. “Sometimes, the two jobs overlap,” noted Moser, who recently represented his city in Normandy, France, when some of Columbus’ citizens donated a replica Higgins Boat to the Utah Beach Museum. “Some city business—for example: e-mails, phone calls and visits with citizens—gets done while at the music store. There are some daytime city obligations that I have to work around. Some evenings, I am doing deliveries or PA installs; some evenings, I have city meetings. It only takes a couple minutes to get back and forth.”
Having a dedicated civil servant run the local music store ensures that Columbus Music retains a strong community focus. Moser’s band plays at some local benefits, whereas Jan Moser plays at many weddings and funerals in the town. The store helps to organize the community band, as well as a Music in the Park series and a Christmas Downtown Stroll open house in November; it features carriage rides, live music and food.
“We have concerts in the store that night, and it’s elbow to elbow with people,” Moser stated. “They aren’t always buyers that night, but they’ve been in our store and they had a pleasant experience while they were here. That’s worth a lot!”