It's All About Street Corner Music

MUSIC IS FLUID AND CHANGES OVER TIME, AND SO DOES ITS MEDIUM. FROM WALKMANS TO IPODS AND BEYOND, THE OPTIONS ARE PLENTIFUL.

Some music connoisseurs, however, prefer LPs and CDs and it's those customers keeping Street Corner Music alive and pumping. The record store was founded in 1993 by Chris Flanagan and Michael Rome. “We both worked at another store going out of business so it was more of a matter of survival. We needed a job so we started our own business.” Rome said. They opened their first location in 1993 on 13 Mile and Southfield Road. They moved to the Oak Park location in 2009 due to the struggling economy.

When customers enter Street Corner Music, they are greeted with a warm welcome while music plays over the store’s speaker. Three listening stations are available for customers to listen to music. If there’s an album a customer cannot find at the store, associates will try to order it for the customer.

“IT’S A VERY SERVICE-ORIENTED STAFF WHO’S TRAINED TO TRY AND HELP SOMEONE find what they want. No matter how far out the way the request is, it’s treated seriously. I found that's a great way to grow your inventory if you’re paying close attention.” Flanagan explained. “We pay very close attention, and write down requests they make because we figure if one person’s asking for it then there’s probably going to be be someone else coming along to ask for it too.”

Associates keep a list of customers’ names to contact them for music they’ve requested or for new music they may enjoy. Additionally, the store buys, sells, and trades LPs or CDs from the public; which are hand-selected and must meet particular criteria. The owners advise to call before coming to sell items.

STREET CORNER MUSIC BEGAN AS A JAZZ AND R&B STORE, and it is still very heavily that. However, rock music has brought in a lot of business to the store. “We stock music based on how well it does, how well it sells. We constantly rely on input from customers as to what they’re looking for.” Flanagan said. Street Corner also sells blues, international music and a host of other genres.

THE RECORD STORE SELLS NEW LPS AND CDS FROM DISTRIBUTORS THAT ARE REPLACEABLE STOCK. Customers can also purchase vintage LPs, CDs, and even cassettes. Flanagan and Rome have remained open for 30 years thanks to loyal music lovers who visit daily. “Believe it or not, people still buy CDs.” Flanagan said. The store sends customers weekly new music release sheets via email blasts, Facebook, and Instagram. According to the owners, about 60% of customers buy second-hand merchandise and the other 40% buy new music. “If you came here you would find inexpensive, used records and maybe some expensive ones also.” Flanagan said. The store hosts a few events a year, but their biggest events are Record Store Days in April and November.

The owners’ responsibilities are divided in order to keep Street Corner Music thriving. Rome handles the finances and Flanagan takes care of everything else. At the heart of the company is their shared love for music, which includes artists such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, and many more. Later down the line they’d like to pass the baton and retire. “We’ll probably see if our manager here wants to take over.” Rome said.

Visit Street Corner Music at 26020 Greenfield Road in Oak Park. Business hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Call the store at (248) 967-0777.