Our Terms & Conditions | Our Privacy Policy
Run by husband-and-wife duo Robert and Samantha Weaver, the Magic Music is not just a business — it’s a labour of love.
“Interestingly, I’ve been here about three and a half years, but the shop has been in this part of town for about 13 years,” says Robert, 41.
“Before that, it was down on the High Street. It’s all torn down now — such a shame. But this June, it’ll be 50 years since this musical instruments business started in Clacton. It was founded by Jack Jacobs in 1974.”
Robert, a lifelong musician, has been playing in bands since he was 16, gigging and touring across the world.
When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, combined with the impact of Brexit, he saw an opportunity to take over the shop and keep it going.
“Covid shut down live music, and Brexit made it even harder for bands to tour,” he says.
“So, when I got the chance to take over the shop, I took it.”
Running an independent music shop in a seaside town presents challenges.
“Business-wise, it’s up and down,” says Robert.
“Clacton isn’t the most affluent area, and a lot of businesses shut down in the colder months.
“We do a lot of sales online, but Brexit has made it harder to sell to Europe. It’s now easier to send a guitar to America or Japan than to Ireland or France.”
Samantha, 41, highlights the importance of second-hand instruments in their business model.
“We can’t compete with Amazon on new stock, but second-hand instruments appeal to a lot of people here,” she says.
“We’re making the best of the cards we’ve been handed.”
With the 50th anniversary of the business approaching, the couple plan to celebrate with an event and launch their own website to reach more customers beyond platforms such as eBay and Reverb.
Despite the obstacles, Robert and Samantha remain passionate about what they do.
“There aren’t a lot of grassroots music venues in Clacton, so it’s not the most musical town,” Robert admits.
“But we still have loyal customers. A lot of people just pop in to chat, learn something, or book a lesson. We welcome everyone with a love for music.”
For Robert, the reward isn’t financial — it’s personal.
“You’d have to be a bit insane to run a music shop when you could make more money doing something else,” he laughs.
“But I love music, I love working with my partner, and I feel a sense of pride knowing that if we weren’t here, the shop wouldn’t be either.”
[ad_1]
Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.
Aggregated From –
[ad_2]
Comments are closed.