[0:00] (groovy bass music) [0:04] - There's probably not too many leaves unturned [0:07] here at Groth Music when it comes [0:08] to what you're looking for in music. [0:10] We're talking 85 years of the three generation legacy [0:13] family run business. [0:14] - 15,000 square feet of pretty much anything [0:18] you can think of in music. [0:19] - Over the years, we've become a destination. [0:21] It all started with Chester E. Groth in 1939 downtown. [0:26] - He started as a teacher. He taught sax and clarinet. [0:30] He started in a little bitty studio downtown Minneapolis, [0:33] and then he expanded into selling a few reeds [0:36] and maybe one sax and trumpet and clarinet, [0:39] and it just grew from there. [0:42] He used to play in the big bands around town. [0:45] In that era, they would have fabulous supper clubs [0:48] and people would get up and dance after having dinner. [0:51] We would have the Metropolitan Opera [0:54] when they would come to town to do their shows. [0:56] It was really a fun time. [0:58] - And then in '87, Nancy Groth, [1:00] the daughter of Chester took over. [1:02] - My stepmother worked with him all the times, [1:05] and she was really not a very good businesswoman, [1:08] so when he passed away, the CPAs and attorneys [1:12] suggested that she sell it to my brother and me, [1:17] and my brother said he didn't want the responsibility, [1:21] and I said, "I'll do it!" [1:24] And never really thinking about [1:27] what a big task I was taking on. [1:30] So that's how that started. [1:31] It was not given to me, I paid for it, [1:34] and I really didn't know that much about running a business, [1:36] but I had a lot of great people. [1:39] My dad was sort of a hands-on type of person [1:42] that had to do all the ordering. [1:44] He had to do everything himself. [1:46] My part of the business was delegating, [1:48] because I felt that other people [1:51] had a lot more expertise than I did. [1:53] And that's really how the business [1:56] really survived and thrived. [1:58] - [Todd] Up until about six years ago, [1:59] she handed the reins to her daughter Mel. [2:01] - I'd never run a business. [2:03] I was a part-time mom forever, [2:05] and then came back here full-time. [2:08] And then within two years of being full-time, [2:10] I was president of a company. [2:12] So when we interview people, [2:14] I just say straight up, we're a family business. [2:16] It's not corporate. [2:17] - I've been blessed to be here for 25 years. [2:20] I'm also from here. I grew up here, [2:21] graduated from Kennedy in '84. [2:23] So it's kind of a fun thing [2:25] that I'm able to serve the community that I grew up in. [2:28] - We've been in Bloomington since around 1990. [2:31] - My stepmother, bless her heart, [2:34] sold the building out from under me. [2:36] He told me we had to move. [2:38] We ended up over where the home furniture place is now, [2:42] 494 in DuPont, quite small compared to what we were used to, [2:46] but that's all we could afford at the time. [2:48] And then we found this space, [2:50] and it was a old Red Owl grocery store [2:52] and it was up for lease and we love it here. [2:55] And we eventually ended up buying the building too. [2:58] (fast drum music) [3:00] - [Todd] I think the uniqueness of all of our employees [3:03] and their base of knowledge in their areas is fascinating, [3:06] and people enjoy that. [3:07] That's what makes us unique is the people. [3:10] - Why when things get tough, [3:11] you always say, I can't quit, [3:13] I got these people that are so special. [3:15] They're family to us. [3:16] Most of them have been here over 20 years. [3:18] It's been tough. We never give up. [3:20] - Go women. - Go women! [3:22] - [Todd] Every day, I'm inspired [3:23] that we're creating new musicians [3:25] and serving the ones that have been around for years. [3:27] - A couple months ago I had a grandfather, [3:29] a father and his daughter. [3:31] All of them had a part of Groth music. [3:34] - [Todd] We're honored to serve you. [3:36] If you're looking for a music store with some unique items, [3:39] and you're just wanting to bang in some drums [3:41] and strum some guitars, come and visit us. [3:44] - [Nancy] Please come check out Groth Music. [3:45] You'll be treated like family, [3:48] and we've got an incredible store here, [3:51] a long legacy and fantastic people. [3:55] (sultry big band music)