Root Notes

06/12/2022

Hey everybody! It's been quite a while and I hope everyone is doing alright. I just dropped in to let you know that there's a new record store opening soon in Calumet. After Root Notes closed I met a guy named Chris and he ended up buying a huge chunk of my inventory. A few days ago I found out that he is about to open his own store right in downtown Calumet. If you want to stay informed on what they have going on go and like Kitschy Spirit. Don't forget to tell him I sent you and I'll see you soon at the bins!

05/21/2020

Just so you know: Root Notes will not be reopening tomorrow. Although the state says it is okay, there are some “behind-the-scenes” things going on at the store. It is going to be closed for a while longer. Check back here for an update in a couple of weeks. Stay safe everybody!

04/24/2020

04/19/2020

Anybody in the market for a set of studio monitors? $200 and they are yours. Great sounding monitors with room compensation adjustments. They weigh quite a bit, so I don’t really want to ship them.

04/12/2020

The store won't be reopening this coming week due to Whitmer's newest decree. I will keep you posted!

03/24/2020

Apparently Root Notes is not considered an essential business in the eyes of the government. I completely disagree and feel that we need music now more than ever. That being said, I have chosen not to risk getting a fine and/or jail time by breaking Whitmer’s order. Root Notes will be closed until April 13th or whenever the powers that be say that it can reopen.
If you have a musical emergency feel free to call me at 369-4533 and I will do what I can to help.
Don’t worry about a thing, every little thing is gonna be alright.

Thanks,
Josh

03/06/2020

A long time ago, in what seemed like another lifetime, I worked in a factory. The pay was good, but it was the most soul numbing job I have ever held. It made me take a look at my life and decide there must be something better. I dreamed of being my own boss, answering to no one, and doing things my way. It started slow and I took small steps towards my goal. In 2008, I bought an apartment building and started working on renovations. There were so many things that needed to be done to get a business off the ground and so many things that I did not know and had to learn. In 2010 I was able to quit my factory job and Root Notes opened the doors. I was splitting time between doing recordings for a local label, recording demos for local bands, and putting on all ages shows. Eventually things grew to include the store which started with only guitar strings, a few random instruments, and some cables. I have a little experience in the retail world, but soon discovered there were so many things that took more work than I realized to keep going. Facing burnout, I quit doing recordings and slowly started to have fewer and fewer shows. In early 2015, I decided to branch into records and compact discs. This opened up a huge customer base that has kept the place going since then. For the past three years or so, I have had a new dream, and have been quietly taking steps to achieve that dream. One of the major pieces fell into place in 2019 and now there is no turning back. I’m ready to move forward and hope you can understand. What this means is that Root Notes will be closing in early May 2020. That is, unless someone reading this is interested in buying the building/business and taking things over. If there are no takers, I will begin liquidating stock in late April and the building will be listed for sale. I invite anyone who is seriously interested in such an endeavor to stop in and talk with me. It has been a very rewarding and fulfilling time here and I have forged some great friendships along the way, but it is time for the next chapter. Thank you to all the friends, family, and customers that have helped me make Root Notes the place it is today. There is absolutely no way I could have done it without you and I am grateful beyond words. Thank you. Keep on rocking in the free world.

12/31/2019

Root Notes is shoveled out and open today until 6PM. We will be closed Wednesday and Thursday this week. Regular hours will resume on Friday. Thank you everyone for a great year! Whatever your plans are for celebrating tonight, please be careful and responsible. See you soon!

12/24/2019

Root Notes will be open today from noon until 5pm. We will not be open tomorrow or Thursday, but will resume regular hours on Friday.

11/28/2019

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Hopefully you get to spend it with those who matter most to you. The store will be closed today but will reopen tomorrow at noon. The bins are all freshly restocked with great music and there’s a bunch of limited edition Record Store Day Black Friday titles too!