The local community is at the heart of Joanie’s Music, with the retro-inspired guitar shop in Stirling encouraging people to get back into music during the recent Covid-19 lockdown.
“That the Stirling and Clackmannanshire musical community didn’t have somewhere to go and get their guitars fixed or trade their stuff in or buy a packet of strings seemed crazy to me,” says owner Jim Rintoul. “People who didn’t want to go on the internet had no real option but to drive to a big city.”
Jim launched initiatives such as encouraging the local community to share songs and chat, recognising the value of music in supporting mental health.
Setting up away from a sprawling capital city has underpinned the local focus of Joanie’s Music, says Jim.
“When I came back up to Scotland, my wife and I felt we had finished living in London, and we’d had our fill of that particular experience. I had the idea of a vintage guitar shop and opening that on a local level and bringing it to my hometown, where it might be a little better appreciated. You know, there was nobody doing this in the Central Belt.”
While lockdown caused Jim to rethink his plans such as more click-and-collect online orders, he remains upbeat about the future.
“There’s stuff that you’re going to have to accept and that you’ll learn by doing,” he advises. “I think if you’re prepared to do a little bit of learning by doing, that certainly is helpful. There’s always going to be something you don’t know the answer to, and you have to work out.”
