Acme House of Music is a small, independent music shop located in the Laurel District of Oakland, CA owned by Wife/Husband team of Annette and John who are also home owners in the neighborhood. Jay Rose started "Acme Music" 43 years ago and John would visit the store. He saw that Jay had no family and that he clearly needed help, so for 2 years he volunteered and he and Annette adopted Jay--helping him at the store and at home.
At age 86, Jay simply had to retire and shut his business down, but John and Annette stepped in and opened up "Acme House of Music" at the end of 2009. Annette's orchestra leader and teacher ran a music store in NJ called "Cordas House of of Music" which inspired her and the store name.
Just before his 89th birthday, Jay passed away. In his time at ACME Jay had a remarkable influence on the community in which he made his home. Several generations of musicians had their start with ACME MUSIC under his benevolent management. Jay was a self made man who was born into a poor farming family in the Central Valley. His incredible love for jazz music became the means through which he transformed himself.
He became a respected jazz drummer and upright bass player in his own right. He was a veteran too who served in Korea. More than anything he was a gentle and open minded individual who had many friends and few enemies. He will be forever in my heart. We imagine most everyone knew him would say the same thing upon hearing this unfortunate news. We love you Jay and will miss you. You were the best friend anyone could ask for and an inspiration. Your legacy lives on through us and through Acme. John and Annette
We beleive in having a positive impact on the community around us and in doing business with integrity.
It is our mission to make music (and creative expression) ACCESSIBLE. We strive to be a family-friendly, welcoming place where music making of all sorts is appreciated.
We are dedicated to providing VALUE, which is why we carry used gear. New and quality are not always synonomous. We believe in value rather than brands.
We are COMMUNITY minded. We live, work and shop in our neighborhood. Most of our customers live, work and shop here too. We strive to carry the stuff and offer the classes and services they need at a price they can afford. We are working on a scholarship program. We host local artists in our gallery. We sell and are seeking locals craftpeople who make instruments or accessories. We work with local suppliers whenever possible. Our staff is local. We host local events. We are working with local programs and hiring and training interns. We are creating an Oakland Music Hall of Fame. We provide free labor on sound consulting for local churches.
ACME MUSIC is a sponsor and creative force behind several events in the East Bay each year. These include GIRLSTOCK, the DIMOND OKTOBERFEST, the LAUREL SOLSTICE MUSIC FESTIVAL and the LAUREL STREET FAIR.
We are GREEN, another reason we like to carry used gear, as well as do repairs. We use recycled products, no VOC paint, our ISP uses wind power to maintain our website, our furniture and fixtures came from other stores that were getting rid of them, we're working on an organic garden and outside classroom in our yard, our insulation is made from cotton blue jean thread which is created when cutting the fabric at the factory and which otherwise would go into the dump...
We have private lessons for children and adults--beginners through advanced. Our teachers have performed and recorded with the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Santana, Bobbi McFerrin and many more...
Our products include hand-crafted and customized instruments from local artisans (guitars, amps and drums and more).
We carry new and used instruments (more than 50 new, vintage and collectable guitars, Ukelele’s etc), recording gear (mixers, mics etc), PA gear, home stereo components and much much more.
Our repair department can handle most anything music related from guitars to amps to stereo gear.
We also offer sound consulting services for anyone looking to economically and effectively install, maintain or idealize professional sound installations, (Churches, Night Clubs and so on).
Acme also features a custom built recording studio and band rehearsal space.
ACME PHILANTHROPY - 2012
(partial list first draft)
Hosted/provided/recruited talent/promoted/organized and provided the sound equipment necessary to put on 7 First Friday events. The first three were hosted at ACME HOUSE OF MUSIC. We moved the event to our neighbors business MILIKI for the final four. We did not receive any financial consideration for putting these events together. We invested thousands of dollars in
to these events by way of time/equipment and promotion. Our motivation altruistic. We simply wanted to put on an event that could be a focus for community interaction, pride and creativity.
Hosted a fundraiser along with Valerie Troutt for Brett Harte Elementary. Four hundred dollars plus was raised for their jazz ensemble.
Provided art and sound equipment at no chargeby way of supporting GIRLSTOCK an annual event that primarily features female artists and musicians in the Bay Area. We have supported this event since it's inception several years ago. GIRLSTOCK operates as a benefit for various charitable causes. It raises several thousand dollars each year in this capacity.
Along with Mary Shields we found housing, proper medical care, meals on wheels and additional support resources for J Rose the former owner of ACME HOUSE OF MUSIC. We coordinated to get him into the ALTENHEIM a local and well respected sr housing facility. The program we were able to qualify him for allows for minimal payment of rent while providing him with a comfortable one bedroom apartment of his own. Beyond this we take care of Jay in terms of the holidays, special appt's and so on. Our interns as part of their internship program are required to visit with Jay.
We provided sound for MILLS COLLEGE for their Freshman welcome event.
We subsidized lessons for 12 yr old local resident Gabriel Angelo who we felt was a promising musician. Ultimately he was featured on ELLEN playing the trumpet this year.
We subsidized lessons for 3 other young and promising musicians who otherwise would have not been able to afford private lessons.
Through our internship program we have given 14 students from schools such as SKYLINE, EXPRESSIONS FOR NEW MEDIA and MILLS COLLEGE the opportunity to develop their skills in the workplace and to propogate their musical ambitions.
We contributed a guitar to the MILL's college end of year senior fundraiser.
We contributed a piece of original art to COVA (local school) for their silent auction fundraiser.
We provided financial support and resources to THE METRO our local newspaper. John also contributed an article to THE METRO in which he extolled the virtues of Oakland by way of referencing the talent specifically residing in the Laurel District.
We provided the instruments and sound equipment at no charge for the POP UP FESTIVALS from their inception to the present day.
We supported the music programs overseen by Vince Tolliver at SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL in several ways. We provided them with discounted instruments. We allowed our equipment to be used at no charge for some of their special events. ACME helped to promote their gigs locally. Finally we accepted several SKYLINE students into our internship program.
We donated 40 plus hours to local churches including Tower of Faith Ministry, Faith Baptist, Laurel United Methodist Church and Foothill Missionary Baptist. The time was invested into helping these houses of worship rationalize and improve their sound systems.
We provided at no charge pre-school music classes (Kindermusik) for kids in the Laurel District who otherwise would have gone with out.
During its tenure, ACME actively supported by way of donation and consignment, the indoor market place that ultimately closed.
We helped Lounge 3411 our neighboring business with their sound set up and with the production of several events. We donated a subwoofer worth several hundred dollars to them as part of this engagement.
ACME provided the sound gear, music and personnel for the lighting of the xmas lights in the Laurel District for a fraction of the usual cost.
We donated toys to the Dominion church toy drive.
We supported the LAUREL ART WORKS. Initially we provided sound equipment and music for the events. John actively provided art for one of their openings. Ultimately we installed a soundsystem at a highly discounted rate into the facility.
John gave free DJ lessons to a couple of ACME students for several months.
We are currently in the process of re-vamping the sound at Kid'n'Dance. ACME provided them with special pricing for this engagment. We were able to save them a couple of thousand dollars over LEOS PRO AUDIO while providing them with far more personalized service.
We in collaboration with the Laurel Village Association organized the Summer Solstice Festival.
ACME specifically contributed all of the sound gear necessary for the event which involved four separate stages.
ACME also secured the majority of the acts that participated. Sourcing them exclusively from the LAUREL DISTRICT. Ultimately we hosted 25 plus bands.
ACME helped promote and market the event.
We paid out of our own pockets for gear specific to the event and for the hours put in by necessary personell.
Approx 600 folks came out to the event, primarily from the immediate neighborhood.
The event was put on by volunteers with an extremely small budget. None of the funding for the event came from the Public coffers (City, Feds tax money).
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