Forging the Fore Street Music Quarter: New music store and flagship Yamaha dealer, the Music Depot, opens in Exeter

The Music Depot, an exciting venture from the dedicated team behind Sidwell Street’s beloved Musicroom, is set to strike a chord with musicians from across the region with the opening of their new store on Saturday December 2.

Selected by international instrument manufacturer Yamaha as their flagship dealer for the South West of England, the Music Depot is poised to make a resounding impact on the local music scene, and add to Fore Street’s growing community of independent businesses.

To celebrate their opening and partnership with Yamaha, the Music Depot will be hosting a special product launch event at their new store on their opening day to unveil the latest flagship Genos 2 workstation. The workstation will be presented and demonstrated by world-renowned pianist and keyboard specialist Peter Baartmans, and members of the public will also have the chance to try out the new product in-store.

The team behind the Music Depot bring a wealth of experience and a shared history from their previous music shop located on Sidwell Street, the Musicroom, which closed earlier this year, after serving the community for over 60 years. With a renewed focus on higher-end, high-quality instrument ranges from Yamaha and Casio, and guitar brands such as Sigma, Kremona and Tanglewood, the Music Depot offers a luxurious, independent shopping experience for music enthusiasts. The store also specialises in sheet music, catering to a niche that is often underserved in the local market.

The retailer has also unveiled grand plans to partner with and complement neighbouring businesses, such as Project Music, Life Guitars, Devon Strings and Rooster Records, to turn Fore Street into a thriving musical quarter, much like London’s famous Denmark Street. The Music Depot also plans to invest in the local area through their upcoming community initiative, Music Matters.

Simon Tremlett, manager of the Music Depot said, "In all my years in the industry, I've witnessed first-hand the power of music to bring communities together. I am truly proud to be part of the new Music Depot store and help deliver our goals to boost the vibrant music scene here in Fore Street and invest in the local community through our Music Matters initiative, launching soon.”

The Music Matters initiative aims to spread the joy of music by creating local opportunities for instrument learning, connecting aspiring musicians with experienced teachers, and organising fundraising events and live performances. The scheme is set to bring people from beyond the region into Exeter’s independent shopping district to create a vibrant music quarter within Fore Street.

Mr Tremlett continues: “It’s not been an easy couple of years for retailers, particularly after the pandemic and the cost of living challenges, and many music shops have faced significant hurdles as a result of these economic challenges. Our new opening marks a change and a step in the right direction as people are coming back to their high streets to shop locally and support independent businesses and retailers.”

The shop opens for business on Saturday December 2, and will operate 10:00 - 17:00 Monday to Saturday, closed on Sundays.

Free tickets are available to book for the Yamaha Genos 2 workstation product launch at The Music Depot on Saturday December 2, by emailing: info@themusicdepot.co.uk

To find out more about the Music Depot, please visit: www.themusicdepot.co.uk/the-music-depot