After 164 years of being in business, the Daynes Music Company in Midvale announced that the store will be closing. As a pianist and teacher in the Salt Lake Valley, I can express for myself and for hundreds of other teachers and musicians what this means for our community and the palpable loss we will feel in the coming months and years.
Daynes Music has held the license to sell Steinway Pianos since 1873, one of the premiere brands in the world, and the favorite of concert artists worldwide. From its original location on Main Street in Salt Lake City, to its current location in Midvale, Daynes Music has served the needs of the piano community. For decades, they have supplied a sheet music selection which is second to none. They have loaned their marvelous instruments to countless venues and concerts across Utah, from the globally recognized Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and Utah Symphony concerts to annual conferences of the Utah Music Teachers’ Association, and to more localized community festivals and competitions. Daynes’ own Steinway Recital Hall has hosted countless recitals, festivals and competitions for teachers and organizations from across the state. For over a century, these events have enriched the lives of thousands of young students, fostered the culture of our community and helped to launch the careers of concert artists, teachers and musicians.
Utah is nationally recognized as a hotbed of musical talent, and Daynes has had a monumental hand in this.
I speak for countless teachers, pianists and the community when I say, thank you. Thank you for your generosity, for your first-class quality and customer service, and for your genuine concern for every musician who walked through your doors. Daynes Music is not just a business, it is family. To Kerwin, Cindy, Allison, Natalie and countless other employees, and especially to the Skip and Susan Daynes family: I express my heartfelt gratitude for the countless ways you have enriched our lives. Utah is losing a significant part of the soul of its musical heritage.
Cassandra Broadhead, Sandy