Northtown Music

08/07/2026

Today, Ben Kay stopped by NorthtownMusic. Ben is a former student of mine from the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts. He starred as Cornelius in our production of Hello, Dolly! and was also the guitarist in our award-winning jazz ensemble during one of the program’s most memorable years.

It was a pleasure catching up with him and reflecting on the many talented students who have come through our music program. Ben also comes from a distinguished musical family. His father was a member of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. It’s always rewarding to see former students continuing to share their passion for music.

07/07/2026

Meet the amazing summer staff at NorthtownMusic! 🎶

We’re having a great summer repairing instruments, helping musicians, and welcoming customers every day. Thanks to this talented, hardworking, and fun team, our store continues to grow, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

A big thank you to our incredible staff for making NorthtownMusic such a great place to work and visit!

07/04/2026

Back in the day, you could take your school band and perform right in front of the Statue of Liberty. All it took was writing to the National Park Service and obtaining a permit. Those were unforgettable experiences for our students!

Here’s a fun photo of me with the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts Jazz Band during our performance at the Statue of Liberty.

Wishing everyone a safe, happy, and patriotic Fourth of July! 🇺🇸🎷🎶

06/13/2026

A Message from NorthtownMusic

As we head into the summer season, everyone at NorthtownMusic is grateful for another exciting and successful year serving the Western New York music community.

Supporting Future Musicians

Recently, we were proud to award a NorthtownMusic Scholarship to a talented Cleveland Hill student who will be attending Fredonia this fall to study Piano Performance and Music Education. Supporting the next generation of musicians and educators remains one of our greatest joys.

We are also entering the second year of our NorthtownMusic Scholarship at Fredonia, which is available to qualifying Western New York music students pursuing their education at the School of Music.

Serving Schools and Students

Our staff continues to grow, and we are busy renting and servicing hundreds of instruments for school districts throughout Western New York. We take great pride in offering high-quality instrument rentals while maintaining what we call our “Music at a Fair Price” philosophy.

In addition, we continue to provide free music folders to schools in need, helping support music programs at no cost to the district.

Expert Instrument Repairs

Our repair department remains one of the busiest in the area, with most repairs completed in just one day. We are honored to provide repair services for numerous school districts, as well as individual musicians who trust us with their instruments.

Thank You for Your Support

We are truly grateful for the support of our customers, teachers, students, parents, and school music programs. As we enter our 11th year at NorthtownMusic, we look forward to continuing our mission of providing quality instruments, expert repairs, outstanding service, and opportunities for young musicians throughout Western New York.

Thank you for being part of our musical family.

06/09/2026

Congratulations to Phil Aguglia on his retirement!

Phil began his journey as a student in the Buffalo Public Schools before attending Ithaca College, and ultimately built a remarkable career at Kenmore East High School.

One of Phil’s early mentors was Floyd Fried at Hutch Tech. I had the opportunity to teach alongside Floyd, which is how I first came to know Phil as a student. It has been rewarding to watch him grow into an outstanding music educator who has positively influenced countless young musicians throughout his career.

Phil was never focused on competition. Instead, he concentrated on creating meaningful musical experiences and helping students reach their potential. His ensembles consistently reflected his dedication, musicianship, and commitment to excellence.

One of his most innovative accomplishments was developing a Music as Art program that welcomed students who might not have found a place in a traditional band setting. Whether they played guitar, percussion, or another instrument, Phil created opportunities for them to learn, perform, and be part of a musical community.

Congratulations, Phil, on an exceptional career. Your students, colleagues, and community have all benefited from your passion and dedication. You will be greatly missed, and we wish you all the best in retirement.

A wonderful career and a lasting legacy in music education

05/27/2026

Memories of Sonny Rollins

That welcoming spirit always brings back memories of the great Sonny Rollins.

Sonny Rollins has always been a guiding inspiration for saxophone players everywhere. One of my favorite memories was getting to hear him perform at University at Buffalo in the early 1980s.

Another memory goes back to the days of the Tralfamadore Cafe. I bought 20 tickets for one of his Saturday night performances and planned to bring all of my friends to the show. Then, at the last minute, I was called to play a gig that same evening.

I brought the tickets back to the box office, and they told me both performances were completely sold out. They immediately refunded all 20 tickets. I missed hearing Sonny that night, but the memory has stayed with me ever since.

Sometimes the missed concerts become part of the music too. 🎷✨

05/26/2026

05/23/2026

David Sullivan stopped by NorthtownMusic today. He’s the lead player in the Springville Jazz Ensemble. I also went to school with his two brothers. Together they were known as “the triplets,” and they were all fantastic musicians. His oldest brother went on to lead one of the biggest continental bands around. I always enjoy when David stops by the store. He has such a wonderful personality, and it’s always great catching up with him. 🎶

05/23/2026

Will Holton at NorthtownMusic

05/19/2026

Northtown Music visitor of the day: Mr. Miles Meiler!

Miles stopped by today, and it was great seeing him again. He was a fantastic guitar player back in the Hutch Tech days. I also have great memories of his parents traveling with us on trips. We always had such a good time together.

One of the best parts of teaching over the years is seeing former students all grown up and coming back to visit. Miles also happened to be my 500th visitor today from all the students I’ve taught over the years. Pretty special moment! 🎸🎶