January 31, 2024 I Anniversary
Loser’s Music Celebrates 100th Anniversary
From left: Loser's Janice and Bruce Marquette with their daughter Lisa Vannoy.
Loser’s Music located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, recently celebrated its 100-year anniversary. Owners Bruce and Janice Marquette purchased the business from Bruce’s parents, Bob and Grace Marquette, some 20 years ago.
Today, Loser’s showroom features rows of music books on the main floor of the business, as well as typewriters that are reminiscent of the original store pre-1970s.
“Everything’s all on one level, so anybody with a disability can easily come into our store and browse,” Bruce said. “We want to have the newest products so customers can come in and feel comfortable to look around. We also have a repair shop that can turn around orders quickly, and it’s a hands-on experience for the customer.”
Recalling the store’s milestone of 100 years, Bruce said the anniversary is owed in large part to his parents who put their lives into the business. He said he also believes that its music students have been central to the business achieving the 100-year mark.
“I really thought about the people who came before us, especially my parents Bob and Grace Marquette. They really were pioneers along with a lot of other people within the industry, and the framework that they secured and the relationships that they set up, we really wanted to honor that,” Bruce said. “We’ve tried to continue on with our daughter Lisa who has been with us for 15 years. I always want to look back and see what’s been done before and acknowledge that and remember it’s still that one-on-one service which my dad started many years ago.”
The Marquettes commemorated the anniversary by putting new signage throughout the store celebrating 100 days of specials in the store.
Bruce said he’s proud of the fact that Loser’s is one of the few remaining family-owned music stores in the area, and he hopes to pass the business down to his daughter Lisa Vannoy, who has been working at the store for the last 15 years.
“We’re working with kids, giving them a skill for a lifetime,” Bruce said. “I think that’s always been very rewarding, that we’re a small part of getting kids started on instruments. I have two grandkids who just started this year as fourth graders playing instruments, so to me, our goal for the future is that the kids continue to be a part of that along with their peers who are playing. It’s the tight-knit community that makes our industry just a little bit different.” — Kimberly Kapela
