Filling A Void
Our Story
Here we are!
Bringing Reno it’s first and only Traditional American Music house dedicated to teaching, presenting and preserving the treasured heritage music of this country’s past and planting it smack dab right into the heart of the city. Bluegrass, Oldtime, Blues, Celtic, Gospel, traditional Cowboy, even Native American music pours out for all to experience, hear and learn.
These faces here, Donald and Renee Lauderback, (myself a violinist and Mr. Fuzzy a radio player) are Mountain Music Parlor’s founders, hosts and tour guides to all the happnin’s. And there’s always something going on; lessons, workshops, concerts, jams, pickers out on the front porch making a joyful noise,,, Good times. You’re going to love it!
We pride ourselves on being ‘something different’, not your same old music store….MMP is a music House where everyone is welcome, inspired, encouraged and appreciated. Where you come hang out, have a coffee or brew, discuss the latest new gizmo, reminisce about music legends, old guitars, joke around, pick up a mandolin and start playing. …Not just be sold something off a shelf and Adios. Nope Mountain Music Parlor is much more than that. You become part of the family.
The Why
Great Question.
Long ago we noticed that “Out west” can be somewhat of a cultural desert, especially when it came to heritage roots music. Nuthin’ grows out here. On the other side of the country, east of the Mississippi, you’ll easily find Blues, Jazz, Bluegrass and Old-time with little trouble. The good stuff. Back East is pretty much where all the uber great players have come from. What’s that tell ya? So when the divine knocked on our hearts with this great idea, we thought….Yes, this is exactly what Reno needs!
Let’s fill the void!
As the vision grew stronger, (banjo’s plinking in the distance), we started asking for guidance from the Big guy…we knew we were headed for brand new experiences unlike any we’ve ever had.
The big confirmation came when we visited Swallow Hill. A wonderful music institution in Denver, Colorado that was revealed as the golden inspiration solidifying it all. Totally in awe there was no turning back now. We were ALL IN!
From out of the Denver Folklore Center, a very tiny music store like ours, (warm fuzzy feeling here) Swallowhill emerged for teaching music lessons and it quicky grew. Incredibly large in fact. Today Swallowhill has this fantastic Church property with a 20 room rectory building for teaching, a music cafe (so cool) and a huge sanctuary for their concert hall plus they have 2 Satellite locations!
Love this! PLUS they have a BUS! AAAAAAAaaaaaaa!!!
See what we have to aspire to!
The “job”
…If you can call it that, didn’t come so easy. We had zero clue what or how we were going to do it…but we knew the Why.
The “why” is – Humanity thirsts for connection. Music is water to the soul springing from the well from which we can all drink to be nurtured naturally. We need our roots to be healthy to thrive. Or we’ll shrivel up.
The Where came from my father retiring after 50 years of being a General Contractor with a wonderful building he’d let us rent and renovate. Thank you Poppa! (Que excitement!) Little did we know….diving into renovating this lovely drafty old house required more than anticipated. A healthy dose of energy, adrenaline and faith as dust, filth, splinters and really long days sucked up 1.4 years of our lives. With the help of a few believing excited friends, some miracles and maxed out credit cards the music started flowing. Opening up the concert hall in 2015, then the Folk Shoppe a year later, Mountain Music Parlor has quickly become a welcome and refreshing addition to the local community. A beacon of wholesome music and the ways it helps celebrate life.
*WoW Fact*
This old house, built in 1906, actually had a music store in it back in the late 40’s called Modern Music. (how’s that for predecessor deja vue) In the early 50’s two brothers, the Maytans, bought it and turned it into the most awesome iconic music store in all of Northern Nevada. It was THE place where musicians came from all around, the who’s who, the celebs, the up and comings and was bursting with instruments and music blaring out of every window… always buzzing. Those still around, the musicians and former Maytan customers remember Steve and his brother and Iris (Steve’s wife) quite fondly. So many “Maytan” stories of their first guitar or horn, music lessons, the piano repairs, etc., have been warmly expressed here. We love it, and relish the fact that Maytan’s was a very instrumental (no pun) inspiration for the birth of Mountain Music Parlor. Funny how God works… Part of this amazing journey.
** Marianne Maytan, daughter from the Maytan family, is working on a bio of Maytan Music that will be published here on our website…can’t wait!
Donald and I are quite honored being put in this position to resurrect this old house, bring it back to it’s former glory but most of all to be sharing God’s beautiful gift of music to the community I grew up in. We’re being led to do the right thing. Trust and Believe we always say.
Wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.
Let’s DO THIS!
MISSION
Our collective mission here at MMP is two fold:
To assist those of you yearning to engage with music individually as well as communally and to facilitate joy in your life.
And on the deeper spectrum to be preservationists of America’s awesome heritage roots music that we love.
Some call it Traditional, some Americana or Roots music but either way, it’s those time honored music genre’s that carry America’s humble storied beginnings so genuine and unpretentious that we’re so fixated on helping preserve. We’ve all got the job of honoring America’s legacy with pride in some way and respecting those wholesome roots that will keep our hearts entwined.
THANK YOU
Because music literally is a whole world unto itself our job is a continuously evolving journey of multiple categories intertwining and nurturing each other. Our collective efforts are all aimed at supporting the exposure, appreciation, the depth and the preservation of American roots music. From the music lessons and workshops graciously given by our wondrously dedicated teachers, the American craftsmen, to the heritage steeped artists who come in for our concerts, the fabulous folks like Zeke Griffin, Mike Madan, Don Timmer, Tex Weir, Ryan Sharrer who give their time with advice and running jams, to each and every customer, we THANK you all sincerely.
Here’s a big Love filled Thank you to those who got down and dirty with us at the messy onset of renovation. Our hearts are full of appreciation – Charlie Edsall who came up from Dayton tool-belt ready and a soft shoulder to cry on…(love this guy), Kirk Peterson, Jim Buehler, Kenny Scott and Cindy Gray amongst other gracious souls who really helped make it all come to life.
We also are so appreciative to those who have donated and continue to support us with awesome instruments, fixtures and valuable connections that have been so truly helpful.
XO Thank you friends!
“It takes a village” is no joke. Without you wonderful helping Hero’s, flowing thru and within, seeing the vision and understanding what it really takes, there’s no way we could be doing this, just us two old faces by ourselves.
We’re all gardeners aren’t we, in so many ways tenders of the heritage wealth we’re blessed to know for generations to come.
It’s the spirit we carry on.
We welcome all and everyone on this marvelous musical journey of heart, soul and home!
Now let’s pick!!