Let's Keep the Magic Alive
This door changes lives.....
It is remarkably easy in this technological age to order almost anything online and have it delivered right to your door. And there’s nothing wrong with that. (Well, certain workers in a certain company named after a certain rainforest might disagree, but that’s not what this is about.)
This is about magic. It’s about dreams.
It’s about the aspirations we feel when confronted with the colours, smells, and sounds of that most precious thing. A thing that, in recent years, has become more of a rarity—a narwhal thrashing in the icy waters of cyberspace surrounded by the whaling ships of giant internet corporations.
It is, of course: the music shop.
The Magic of the Music Shop Experience
Depending on when you grew up, music shops might mean different things. For me as a young man, they were places of awe. Vast, cathedral-like spaces (probably because I was smaller then), filled with guitars and drum kits I never imagined I could afford.
And behind the counter? Cool, swaggering rock and roll figures who looked like they had secrets. Not bad secrets—the kind a wizard might keep from the uninitiated.
Slowly, time passed. I discovered I could afford some of those instruments. The wizards shared their secrets with me. I’d spend afternoons poking through shelves, “ting-a-linging” now and again, trying to find the balance between wanting to welly absolutely everything and not being a total nuisance.
It’s a delicate thing.
Eventually I saved enough to buy something truly special. And to whom did I turn? The wizards, of course. They guided me, sold me glorious things, and with every visit the magic grew stronger. I went for instruments, for advice, for ideas—and in time, I even became an apprentice wizard myself.
Which is the long way around to say that music shops changed my life.
Why Buy from Local Music Shops Instead of Online Giants
Music shops in Ireland shaped me, and I’ll wager they’ve shaped you too. They inspire your aspirations, then make them real.
Yes, online giants are often cheaper. Small retailers can’t always compete with the terrifying volumes of the big players. But local Irish music shops offer something the internet never can:
- Human connection — real advice from real people who care.
- Hands-on experience — the chance to pick up a guitar, strike a chord, feel the resonance. This is priceless.
- Aftercare and service — if something goes wrong, you can walk back in, hand it to someone you know, and they’ll help. No dreaded post office queues.
- Atmosphere — the sights, sounds, and smells that make music shops part of our cultural fabric.
That’s worth more than saving a tenner.
Music Shops in Dublin, Bray and Beyond: A Community Lifeline
When you step into a music shop in Dublin, Bray, Cork, or any of Ireland’s towns, you’re stepping into a space that exists for musicians, by musicians. These aren’t faceless corporations—they’re lifelines to local communities.
- Try a guitar, a drum kit, or a digital piano before you buy.
- Get repairs and setups from technicians who know their craft.
- Meet other musicians, swap stories, feel like a regular.
Online you can scroll forever, but it will never replace that moment of holding an instrument for the first time, hearing its voice, and knowing it’s yours.
The Human Connection Behind Every Instrument
And oh my—can I try things? Can I touch the instrument? Hear it? Slowly grow to love its clear tones, maybe its muddy tones, maybe its delicious wash. This aspect is vital. If you’re spending serious money, there should be a connection.
And beyond the instruments: repairs, after-care, workshops, sales, smiles, laughter. Music shops are about people as much as they are about gear.
Why not buzz in and say hi, maybe test out a sweet, sweet guitar.
Cherish the Magic
Maybe this is the half-deaf, cane-waving part of me, but I believe we should cherish the shops we have left. There’s an arcane air about them that inspires. There’s an energy and atmosphere you simply can’t get from home.
Sure, we all shop online sometimes—it’s convenient. But the corporations are getting bigger, squeezing out the small, the unique, the untidy, until everything becomes a giant, homogenous blob of tedium.
And there is nothing magic about the blob.
So let’s make a collective effort to keep the magic alive. Support your local music shop in Ireland, whether that’s Musicmaker in Dublin, Custy’s in Ennis, or a tiny trad shop in Kerry. These places keep music alive, one player at a time.