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When I think about my 43 years in the music retail industry, it feels like I’ve lived through several lifetimes.
From the early days of working at Glenn Derges Musical Instrument Shop in the 1980s, learning the ropes of reeds, guitar strings, and the complexities of various instruments, to now — owning ePianos and being recognised as one of the top keyboard and digital piano dealers in the UK — it’s been quite the journey.
I quickly realised that selling musical instruments wasn’t just about having the right stock. It was about knowing the ins and outs of everything from guitar strings to reeds.
I remember being thrown into the deep end, with Glenn himself often butting in during my demonstrations to make sure I didn’t miss a detail. It was tough at first, but I learned fast, and soon I was fully immersed in the world of music retail.
By late 1988, I was working in car sales — a job that, while practical, didn’t give me the same spark that working with music did. I’d often find myself thinking about opening my own music shop, especially when I realised that Banbury didn’t have one.
So, in 1995, I took the leap and opened One Man Band on Church Walk. My dad helped me get started with a £5,000 loan, which I paid back quickly, and it was just me and my mum working Saturdays to get things off the ground.
The early period was about figuring things out. We moved a couple of times within 100 meters to larger premises, each time because we were growing and needed more space for stock and storage. I wanted to make sure that we were building something solid, with a focus on offering personal service — something I felt the larger stores were lacking.
The biggest turning point came when we moved out of the town centre to a much larger premise on the edge of town. The world was changing, and so were our customers. People were beginning to shop online, and I knew that we needed to adapt. The new location gave us the space for nationwide deliveries, better storage, and office space, and we also had easier access for our customers to visit.
At the same time, we made the decision to focus exclusively on digital pianos, keyboards, and organs. We moved away from being a general music shop with guitars, amps, drums, and woodwind instruments. This was a bold move, but it paid off. The Yamaha arranger keyboards, particularly the Tyros series, became a massive success for us. They were user-friendly, had amazing sounds, and were affordable, which helped build customer loyalty and trust. With each new iteration, we became known as experts in the field, and our reputation grew.
We made another huge leap when we acquired Whitley Bay Home Organs after the sad passing of Edna Halliday. This not only added a significant range of products to our stock but also brought in a large database of new customers. Many of them had the most beautiful Geordie accents, and I’ve enjoyed serving them ever since. It was a lovely new chapter for the business.
As you can see. Sometimes, not everything goes to plan!
The biggest shift in the industry came with the arrival of the internet. In the early days, customers would come into the shop with printouts of prices from mail-order companies. At first, it seemed like a tough challenge — but we saw it as an opportunity. We focused on the value of in-person service, aftercare, and the fact that our customers didn’t need to worry about their instruments being shipped across the globe or handled by baggage handlers.
We were also early adopters of YouTube, creating video demonstrations and comparisons of our products. Chris Hammond, our Manager, and I became known as the ‘Tyros Tipsters’ — a nickname we proudly earned by making videos that grew a large and loyal following across the UK. It showed me how the tools of the internet, when used right, could help grow the business in ways we never imagined.
Over the years, one thing has remained constant: my dedication to giving customers not just a sale, but a full experience. I’ve always believed that it’s not just about making a sale — it’s about finding the right solution for someone. Our focus has always been on offering excellent customer service and building relationships that go beyond the initial transaction. We still spend hours on the phone with customers, helping them get the most out of their instruments, and making sure they know they have our support long after the sale.
I think that’s one of the things I’m most proud of. The business has evolved, and I’ve had the pleasure of adapting with it, but that personal touch and commitment to service is something we’ve always kept at the heart of what we do.
After my triple heart bypass, I’ve cut down to working four days a week. But my passion for the business hasn’t waned. I love coming in, connecting with customers, and still finding new ways to help them. Every day and every customer brings something different, and that’s what keeps it exciting. It doesn’t always feel like it’s my business — in a funny way, I feel like I’m employed by the business and it looks after me. But I’m proud to be part of building it, and I’ve learned to trust my incredible staff, like Chris Hammond, David Brandon, our Operations Manager, and Melanie Leplumey (Front Desk aka – keeping me in line and making sure I get back to people!) who’ve been with me for 20 years, and 8 years respectively.
As for the future, I know it’s going to be a challenging time for all businesses. The retail landscape is constantly changing, but maintaining our performance through all of this is an achievement in itself. The overheads, the taxes, the competition — it’s tough. But as long as we keep working hard and providing value to our customers, I’m confident we’ll continue to succeed.
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These items are sold on behalf of Yamaha, and are sent to us on a per-order basis, typically within 5-7 working days, unless an ETA is otherwise stated.
We'll contact you the moment your purchase arrives with us to organise delivery, based on your selected option.
Example products: Yamaha DGX670, Yamaha P-525, Yamaha YDP-S55, Yamaha Clavinova.
These items must be sent with a heavy-goods courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via Dachser.
Tracking will be provided by the haulier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
*If you have included the optional £180 "Yamaha Premium Service" home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will contact you regarding arrangements after purchase.
**The Yamaha CSP Series, Yamaha CVP905 & CVP909, Yamaha CLP875, 885 & 895GP, and Yamaha NU1Xa are all sold on behalf of Yamaha and arrive with us on a per-order basis. As soon as your piano has arrived, we will contact you to organise the appropriate dispatch method. ETA for stock is shown on the product page for those items.
***If you have included the optional £99 home delivery & setup option offered on selected products, we will send your details direct to the installation team, who will contact you within 48 hours to make arrangements.
Depending on which option is most appropriate, we will either contact you to discuss a bespoke ePianos delivery surcharge for goods we can’t package for a 3rd party courier, or otherwise dispatch goods via FedEx or APC.
If a courier is used, tracking will be provided by them directly, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Example products: Yamaha PSR-SX920, Yamaha P-225, Yamaha NP-15.
These items will be sent via courier (typically APC or FedEx). On occasion, depending on which is fastest, we will drop-ship directly from Yamaha to your address via UPS or Parcelforce.
Tracking will be provided by the courier, with a typical arrival time of 1-2 working days.
Smaller items, such as books, discs, etc, will be dispatched via Royal Mail second class.
After purchase, you can download the file either from the order confirmation page or the "Downloads" tab in "My Account".
If you have selected the option to receive a pre-loaded USB stick, then this will be dispatched via Royal Mail.
We will contact you regarding any pre-ordered items, and let you know when they arrive so as to arrange delivery with you at a convenient time.
Used items can also be purchased using either of the following options (minimum loan amount of £250 after deposit):
Total amount payable: £893.32
Available finance options are displayed at checkout. Alternatively, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to discuss the options, or email a finance application to you. Find out more by clicking here
Our seasonal opening hours are as follows:
We are closed on all bank holidays, therefore the processing of sales and deliveries will be delayed.
For orders of any stock displaying a 7-10 day lead time, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
This is a special order "agency" item, and comes to us directly from Yamaha on a per-order basis.
It typically takes 7-10 days for this item to arrive with us, whereupon we'll contact you to discuss the arrangement of delivery.
For any pre-orders, we will contact you as soon as the item arrives with us to schedule a delivery with you, and update you with an ETA.
Occasionally, there may be availability issues with our suppliers, in which case we'll get in touch with you to see if you're happy to wait, or if you'd like to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
*Cashback amount varies product to product, as indicated.
Comments:
I truly enjoyed reading this article. So interesting now knowing your history. You (your company) and I, have had just a few dealings together. When you’ve offered USB sticks of registrations, etc. I’ve sent in my emails requesting some of those offerings. When I’ve had a question as to operating the Yamaha keyboard (even though I bought mine here in the U.S) you kindly helped with a resolution. I even voted for you as best customer service company (or something like that a few years ago). Your DVD series on the Tyros is great! I just can’t say enough good things about you and your staff. I wish you all the very best, continued success going forward. I’ll always be a loyal customer from Florida, U.S.
Gene
Hi David, very interesting, you’ve come a long way, you should be very proud of yourself, didn’t know you were in the motor trade. But more important how are you health wise?I knew about your health issues, but you seem to be working with it very well…I’m still very happy with the Inspire, but at my age, you have to be happy, well I wish you and all your crew all the best…can’t believe how many organs and keyboards I’ve had from you and Whitley Bay
Dear David
I’ve read your 43 years in the music business with a lot of interest. I remember some of your early years and buying a number of tyros keyboards from you. As well as genos one and two. It was always a good experience but I was really taken aback by your triple bypass. I wish you all the best and I am currently enjoying my genos 2
Regards David Ivings