Music 1st is a Texas-based full line music instrument dealer with repair capabilities in-store. We stock all of the requested band and orchestra instruments for our school partners including Conn-Selmer, Yamaha, Eastman, Jupiter, Pearl, Getzan and many others, and we have a combo shop stocked numerous brands, including Ibanez, Epiphone, Yamaha and Taylor guitars, Sabian and Zildjan cymbals, and Pearl, Yamaha and Tama drumsets.
We have complete repair capabilities at both our Frisco and Southlake/Keller locations. Our repair staff is accomplished and highly respected with an average of 20 years of experience working on student to professional instruments. We hold multi-year contracts as a qualified school vendor in hundreds of school districts in multiple states through the Educational Purchasing Cooperative of North Texas (EPCNT at www.epcnt.com) and The Interlocal Purchasing System (TIPS/TAPS at www.tips-usa.com).
Music 1st partners with local music educators and professionals to provide innovative music education opportunities with our Jazz Concert Series, Jazz Camps, and Zimma Rimba African Marimba Program. We started our Jazz Concert Series in 2009 to provide local high school jazz programs the ability to develop and perform with nationally recognized jazz musicians, such as Wycliffe Gordon (Yamaha artist), Mike Vax (Getzen artist) and Mike Williams. The jazz concert series has helped set new standards in local communities for jazz while raising much needed funding for the jazz programs. These jazz concerts are made available exclusively to our customers.
Music 1st Jazz Camps are designed and managed by our Artistic Director, nationally acclaimed jazz musician Stockton Helbing (www.StocktonHelbing.com). Each camp is typically 4-5 days in length during the summer with a goal of teaching a love and appreciation for music, which typically results in self-motivation and improvement. Camps can be tailored to a specific school needs in a mini-camp of 2-3 days.
Music 1st partners with Zimma-Rimba (www.Zimmarimba.com) of Keller, Texas to provide an exciting and upbeat marimba choir program based on Zimbabwean folk music. The Zimma-Rimba program can be enjoyed by all ages, but is designed for immediate success for participants so they can feel the joy of being a part of a music group. Classes are typically 5-8 students at a time learning by rote rather than reading music. Zimma-Rimba groups are highly acclaimed, having performed at the TMEA state music convention and the Meyerson Symphony Center in conjunction with the Lone Star Wind Orchestra (www.lonestarwindorchestra.com)
Music 1st is owned jointly by the Tarpley and Gore families, both which have a long and highly respected history in Texas music education. Tarpley’s Music (www.TarpleyMusic.com) is run by fourth generation owners, David and John Tarpley, with locations in west and central Texas and New Mexico. The Tarpleys are highly respected within the music instrument industry having held elected and appointed positions with the National Association of Music Merchants trade organization and with other national trade groups.
The Gore family started Pender’s Music (www.Penders.com) in 1967 and has stores located in Texas and Oklahoma. Pender’s is recognized as one of the leading retail sheet music dealers in the country with family members holding elected positions with the industry trade group, RPSMDA.
