Raleigh, N.C.-based Progressive Music Center celebrated its 25th anniversary with the retailer’s first-annual Rocktoberfest celebration, a daylong parking lot party to thank the business’ customers and music students for the many years of support. The celebration continued the following weekend at the company’s Wake Forest, N.C., location. Both events featured several student and faculty bands with some of the area’s best local food trucks and breweries serving up food and beverages.

“This event wasn’t about trying to sign up a hundred new music students or a big sales event. This was to say ‘thank you’ for your business and supporting us for all these years. This was really a customer appreciation event that we want do every year now,” said Progressive Music Center founder and owner Billy Cuthrell.

Progressive Music Center opened in 1992, operating out of the back of Cuthrell’s car as he drove house to house offering drum lessons eventually opening in a small room in the back of a local music store. Soon, Cuthrell began hiring more teachers to offer lessons for guitar, piano, voice and bass guitar lessons, growing the business into a four-location music lesson destination during the next 10 years.

“When I started the business I wasn’t thinking long-term, I was just trying to survive and make it through the second year,” said Cuthrell. “Now, I look back and realize I have five teachers that have been with me for over 17 years, and I think that says a lot. The old saying is true, find something you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life. My staff and I still love the industry and our jobs just as much today as we did in the beginning.”

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