JULY 2022 Volume 3. Issue No. 7 Ernie November | Haggerty's Music | Jason Garland CHORDSECRET RAPID CITY MUSIC SCENE THE COMMUNITYTO
2 ELEVATE • 2022JULY Sports physicals are available FREE OF CHARGE in all of our clinics and urgent care locations Monument Health wants to keep all of our area athletes going higher, faster and farther To prep our athletes and provide the best care to our communities, we’re offering free sports physicals. Call your local clinic to schedule an appointment or stop into one of our Urgent Care locations throughout the hills. Keep going with Monument Health as your partner. www.monument.health
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Before humans developed language, fire, or smartphones, they had music — beating their hands on makeshift drums or tapping their fingers to the beat of a thought in their minds. That’s because music is a part of who we are. It’s in ourMusicDNA.is therapy. Music is connection. Music is life. Without music, things would be much more boring on our lonely little planet, somewhere in the Milky Way. Whether it’s watching Jimi Hendrix play guitar with his teeth (and you can’t even do it with your hands) or a perfectly harmonized tune from the Beach Boys, we transcend our mundane experiences of mortgage payments and utility bills.
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PRESIDENT & CEO Tom Johnson ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Matt Brunner MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Shiloh Francis PUBLIC POLICY DIRECTOR Anna Hays WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT & TALENT ATTRACTION DIRECTOR Samantha McGrath INNOVATION ENTREPRENEURSHIPANDDIRECTOR Mitch Nachtigall EVENTS & TRAINING MANAGER Rachel Nelson BUSINESS RETENTION & EXPANSION MANAGER Larissa Hespen ECOSYSTEM SUPPORT & PROPERTY MANAGER Loni Reichert PUBLIC POLICY MANAGER Garth Wadsworth OFFICE MANAGER & HR COORDINATOR Liz Highland HOUSING COORDINATOR Laura Jones INVESTOR ENGAGEMENT MANAGER Becky Knox EXECUTIVEASSISTANTADMINISTRATIVE Ashley Simonson Elevate is a monthly publication produced by Elevate Rapid City. It is the premier business magazine for the Black Hills region telling the stories that make our area unique and vibrant. PO Box 747, Rapid City, SD 57709 elevaterapidcity.com605.343.1744 DESIGN AND LAYOUT Bailey Sadowsky, Shadow Sky Creative Co. PUBLISHED BY THE RAPID CITY JOURNAL Ben Rogers, ben.rogers@lee.netPresident ADVERTISING Eddie Hebron, 605.394.8356 ehebron@amplifieddigitalagency.com PRINTED BY SIMPSONS PRINTING MUSIC LIVES IN THE DNA OF RAPID CITY
Tom PresidentJohnson,&CEO
Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we explore some of the things that make Rapid City the place to explore your musical whims. We’ll take you into the world of local lyricist Jason Garland, who’s been turning words into songs for several decades. Then there are the stories of two of the hippest places in the Hills: Ernie November and Black Hills Vinyl. And finally, we bring you the tale of Haggerty’s, where shredding isn’t just reserved for guitarists, it’s the dailyTurnspecial.upthe volume, close your eyes, and let yourself go, Rapid City. Stay safe and God-speed.
5 elevaterapidcity.com Volume 3 // Issue No. 7 JU LY 2022 Longtime store focuses on creating music experience. BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI VITA SANA FrancisShilohbyphotoCover32 MUSICWORKSHAGGERTY'S ART10ALLEYBUSKING Garland inspired by bagels, love, & life experience. BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI BLACK16HILLSVINYL Calabreses keep the record store cool. BY DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY NOVEMBERERNIE26 Coombes crafts niche music experience. BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI w w w.bankwestinsurance.com 605-399-4200 • 333 Omaha St. Ste. 5 in Rapid City PROTECTING WHAT MATTERS MOST INSURANCE BUSINESS • HOME • AUTO • HEALTH • LIFE Insurance products are not deposits, not FDIC insured, not insured by any federal agency, not guaranteed by any bank, and may lose value This institution is an equal oppor tunity provider As independent agents, we work with dozens of companies to find you personalized insurance coverage at a fair price. Ask for our free polic y review and risk analysis. BRYAN BALOUN JEFF BAUM JOSH SCHULDT
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7 elevaterapidcity.com YOUR FOURTH OF JULY RESOURCE 4th-july-black-hillsblackhillsbadlands.com/ EVENTS July 6, 13, 20, 27 CONCERT IN THE PARK The Rapid City Municipal Band presents free concerts in the Memorial Park Wed. rapidcitymunicipalband.orgevenings. July 7, 14, 21, 28 SUMMER NIGHTS Summer Nights is a weekly concert series that runs Thurs. evenings from Memorial Day to Labor Day. FREE event for all ages. rapidcitysummernights.com July 8-9 SHINEDOWN AT DEADWOOD LIVE deadwoodlive.com July 9 NEUTRINO DAY - SURF'S FREE SCIENCE FESTIVAL neutrinoday.com July 16-17 HILLS ALIVE FESTIVAL Hills Alive is a free summer music festival held the third weekend in July in Memorial hillsalive.comPark. CONCERT IN THE PARK HILLS ALIVE CONNECT WITH US @ELEVATERAPIDCITY @velvacreativeco “We had an incredible time at Elevate Rapid City’s Business Awards night. Honored to be a top 3 finalist for Emerging Business of the Year. How great is loving what you do??" #elevaterapidcity Tag your social media posts with #elevaterapidcity for your chance to be featured in the next magazine! DESIGN-BUILD | CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SD | 605-342-3787 | RCSCONST.COM GENERAL CONTRA 1314 FOUNTAIN PLAZA DRIVE, RAPID CITY, 605-342-378 Pennington County Crisis Stabilization Unit Solid foundations for a brighter future.
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9 elevaterapidcity.com Visit Us Online 312 Main St., Rapid City, SD 57701 605.389.3838 • w w w.imageall.com Clothing And Fashion Corporate Apparel And Embroidery Corporate apparel is our business Strengthening your image is our passion ready to grow. Behind every business and bold move were those who believed it was possible to do more. We’re proud to support and energize our community’s dreams. Visit blackhillsenergy.com/growing to learn more. ©389203_22 July
art Alley 10
art Love, Life experiences and bagels inspire Jason Garland's Lyrics STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI // PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS Alley Busking
A third-generation Rapid Citian, Jason has spent his life writing songs inspired by anything from his full-time job managing Black Hills Bagel’s Haines Street kiosk to his childhood to his father’s death. His childhood parodies turned into songs about his personal life and at the age of 12, he started writing his own music. At 14, Jason taught himself how to play the guitar. “I picked up the guitar to try and write songs. That is at the heart of what I want to do is write songs. Playing the guitar and singing is just a medium to accomplish that.”
It’s been 10 years since his father, Bill, died. The lung cancer a result of exposure to Agent Orange during Vietnam. But Jason can still remember how his father captured a room with his words. “All my musical interest came from watching him,” Jason said. “It was his way of bringing people together. He would sing these fun songs, and we would all gather around and sing.”
“My dad wrote a lot of songs to the people in his life – personal songs. It is like there are just some things you can’t express except through a song. There are some emotions hard to convey without music. That’s the kind of songs he wrote. As far back as I can remember he was playing songs for us. Whenever we get together, I try to play the old songs he used to play to let his spirit continue to live.”Atage 8, Jason Garland became Rapid City’s own “Weird Al” Yankovic. After hearing a song on the radio, Jason used his cassette player to record the song changing the lyrics to create his own parody. It is a talent he still uses nearly 30 years later. “Whatever imagination you use as a kid turns into creativity when you are an adult.”
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Jason has written over 200 songs, performed at local open mic nights including a concert at the Dahl titled “Roasted Songwriters”, and had a song featured in a short, independent film. Like his dad, Jason’s goal is that his music brings people together. That is exactly why he spends Thursday nights during the summer busking
ThenAndthewingscomeoutofmyfeet,andIbreatheouttheystarttocarrymeasifIhaddoubtEverythingitturnsoutiseverythingyouwanttobeEverythingitturnsoutiswhatyouplannedforme.
Jason Garland thought he had written a song about his own personal journey. But as he played it for his dad, nearing the end of his battle with lung cancer, the words took on a new meaning.
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“There is something a little mystical about songwriting,” he explained. “But if you overthink it the magic goes away.”
in Art Alley. “That is by far the most fun thing for me – when you see people walk by and have a smile across their face or if they know the song and start singing along. I love it. I feel so lucky to be able to do that. Every time I do, I think there is no place I’d rather be.”
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Jason’s plan is to inspire others as well. He is developing an online songwriting course called “Inspired Songwriting.”
Jason hopes to have it launched by this fall. “I think a lot of people see songwriting as this daunting, impossible task, and I want these courses to break it down.”While the courses will have the basic details on songwriting, the focus will be more on finding inspiration. “The longer I have written songs, the more I think
Jason recalls one Art Alley night. He was playing the Matchbox Twenty song “3AM” when a couple came up to him. The wife was crying because her daughter was sick and that was their song. “It’s just moments like that that are incredible. Something I can be a part of.”
Jason starts off with songs people are familiar with and then moves into his originals. One of the most popular is called “Skyline Drive,” a song about driving to the windy road to clear his head and go back to simpler times. Jason grew up at the top of Tower Road. On this year’s first Rapid City Summer Nights, Jason was in Art Alley singing with his fiancé Taylor Shepard, the inspiration behind his song Shepard Girl. The two also spend at least one night a week singing karaoke at Sally O’Malley’s which is where Jason proposed to Taylor in May. When the two met, Taylor did not sing or perform, Jason said. Now the couple is singing and writing songs together. “It has been really cool seeing her come out of her shell,” he said. “It is like a dream. I never thought I would meet a girl that I would write songs with.”
“when you see people walk by and have a smile across their face or if they know the song and start singing along. I love it. I feel so lucky to be able to do that. Every time I do, I think there is no place I’d rather be.”
Jason says inspiration can come from anything and at any time. “Songs kind of write themselves. You just have to be there to capture it.”
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For the past five years, Jason has been using his creativity to write jingles for Black Hills Bagels. “Debra (Jensen) and I used to work a lot in the coffee hut by ourselves, and we used to come up with videos that would get people to come in and we would just do funny things.”
- JASON GARLAND inspiration is the most important aspect. You can sit down and spend hours writing a song and it is not going to be great, but if you are inspired you can write the song in 20 minutes and it’s better than anything else you have written.”
One morning, Jason woke up inspired to write a little ditty about pumpkin season. It’s pumpkin season at Black Hills Bagels So, pull up a chair at one of our tables… “Everything just started off really simple, but I enjoyed it so much that I kept exploring more and trying new things.”
Along with writing the jingles, Jason started creating videos to accompany them as well as his own songs – all filmed with his smart phone. “I really love making videos as much as I love writing songs,” he said. He hopes to continue writing jingles for Black Hills Bagels and expand to other local businesses. He also plans to help others find their creativity and continue searching for inspiration in the everyday. “A lot has to do with being in the mind space of writing songs. If you are always thinking about writing songs, you will see things you would not ordinarily see and be inspired by things you wouldn’t ordinarily think of.”
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KEEPINGKEEPING the 16
RAPIDDOWNTOWNCITY in RAPIDDOWNTOWNCITY STORY BY DOWNTOWN RAPID CITY // PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
the owners wanted to keep the store in Rapid City but wanted to make sure that the record store remained cool,” Michael recalled.Thatlisting changed Jennifer and Michael’s life, and downtown Rapid City, forever.
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18 ELEVATE • 2022JULY
"WE SAW THE 'DO BIG THINGS' BANNERS AND FELT THAT CALL TO ACTION.” - MICHAEL CALABRESE
It was 2014. Michael Calabrese was sitting in his home in Boulder browsing Craigslist. This was not uncommon, as he and his wife, Jennifer, had recently started a recordcollecting hobby. “I would find steals in local thrift shops.” The listing he stumbled upon, however, was quite uncommon: a record store in Rapid City, South Dakota. “There was a posting on the Denver and Minneapolis Criagslist for anyone that was interested in buying a record store…
Jennifer and Michael Calabrese grew up in suburban Pittsburgh. Michael’s job took him to Boulder but the couple knew that the expensive Colorado lifestyle was not
19 elevaterapidcity.com 1919 Get your raffle tickets today! 1 ticket for $10 or 3 tickets for $25 Disclaimer: *Excludes midsize and 15passenger vans. Must be 24 or older with a valid driver's license and proof of full coverage insurance for a rental. Credit card required for incidentals. If renting a motorcycle, a valid motorcycle endorsement is required by South Dakota law and the renter must demonstrate the ability to safely operate a motorcycle. Blackout dates for lodging include July 15-August 20 and holiday weekends. Other exclusions may apply. UTV/Motorcycle rental is available May 15 October 15. Vacation package must be used by December 31, 2023. Helpline Center employees, members of the Board of Directors, and their spouses and children living in the same household are excluded from participating and are not eligible to win. The raffle drawing will take place at the Helpline Open Golf Tournament on July 18, 2022. All funds raised from the raffle will support the important work at the Helpline Center. You do not need to be present to win. Thank you to our sponsors! Raffle Purchase your raffle tickets online at: helplinecenter.org/raffle L a unching a new product. e xpanding your foo tprint. Growing your busine ss. When you’re We’re the Bank for all you’re doing. 805 5th Street | Rapid City, SD 605-399-2740 security1stbank.com Security First Bank knows your business is constantly changing. With a commitment that’s constant and competitive, flexible rates, we’ll help make all you’re doing a whole lot easier
20 ELEVATE • 2022JULY 20 Black Hills Vinyl started in the Creamery next to Hay Camp Brewery in 2012. The business will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this September. did know?you Jennifer’s favorite album (though impossible to actually choose) would have to be American Beauty by the Grateful Dead. “It has gotten me through a lot in my life and our first dance of our wedding is on that album also.” Black Hills Vinyl also carries Disc Golf discs. Michael realized they were hard to find so the store began carrying them to help fill a void in the frompurchasedcommunity.In2021thecouplethebuildingthelongtimeownertohelpensuretheshopstayshereinRapidCity. 20
Michel and Jennifer came to Rapid City to not only buy Black Hills Vinyl but also wanted to leave their mark on their community. In their short time the two have already gotten involved in different areas of the community, Michael ran for State Senate in 2020 and in 2021 Jennifer sat on the Vision Fund Committee. “We see how much potential there is here in our community, and we want to help it see its potential,” Michael explained.
BLACK HILLS VINYL // 622 ST. JOSEPH ST. RAPID CITY // 605.791.4040
22 ELEVATE • 2022JULY going to be their final destination. “We came to Rapid City to visit before making the move and it just felt right here,” Michael explained. “We knew this was a small community but we knew the potential of the city as soon as we got here. We knew we could make our mark here.”“Wesaw the ‘Do Big Things’ banners and felt that call to action,” Jennifer added. Owning a small business is not easy, especially to start. “We didn’t have much money when we started but we knew we needed some merchandise,” Michael recalled. “So we would go to thrift stores and buy comfortable t-shirts and our friend would print our logo on them and we would sell them.”“Wewanted to keep our style. That was the same hustle as when I was selling albums online as a hobby, I think that’s what made us successful over time,” Jennifer added. That same hustle allowed the owners to continue to thrive during the pandemic as well. “We had a great online presence, and my wife has a great eye for finding the diamonds in the rough in the $2.00 bins at other record stores,” Michael described. During the pandemic, while people were staying home and reconnecting with their families the idea of vinyl has seen a resurgence in popularity. “In the past two years Vinyl has blown up, and as we continue to find great items, we try them in the store and bring them to the community. If they don’t sell, we put them online for others outside of the community to buy. Our town is a lot cooler than people know right now,” added Jennifer.
The Calabreses will continue to build their brand in Rapid City at Black Hills Vinyl and through community involvement. “Everyone has helped prop us up in the community and we want to do the same for others. All of the businesses here look out for one another, it’s pretty cool to be a part of it. We feel like we grew up with the owners of Hay Camp and it’s been fun to watch the transformation downtown,” added Michael Calabrese.
23 elevaterapidcity.com Rick Owen 381-0208
When Rachel Schultz star ted at Ainswor thBenning Construction, a Journey Group Company, as a receptionist in 2013, she thought it would only last a year. That year would give her just enough time to finish her Business Management degree at Black Hills State University and begin her Tcareer.enyears later, she still calls Ainswor thBenning Construction home “I didn’t plan on staying in construction at all. I was just there to have a job during college But I star ted using my management sk ills and the rest is histor y,” said Rachel.
With her superb management sk ills in tow, her responsibilities grew and, after two years as a receptionist, Ainswor thBenning Construction promoted her to a Project Coordinator Two years later, she was promoted again to a Project Manager ’s Assistant, where she stayed for three years Now, she’s an Assistant Project Manager who manages, bids, runs, and closes out entire projects. “ There are so many management elements within the construction industr y Track ing and documenting those elements is something I enjoy, in addition to building relationships and friendships,” she said. But the path paved to her position hasn’t always been easy especially since women are considered a minority in construction, which is a predominantly male field. In fact, only 10 percent of construction employees are women. However, that number is no match for those who dream of pursuing a construction Fcareer.romequipment operators to safety managers or marketing professionals to business development, construction offers just as many oppor tunities for women as it does for men.
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Women have a lot to offer the construction industr y. We tend to be ver y detail- oriented, Adver torial
Building a Way for Women in Construction
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“I’ve always felt encouraged here, even in personal endeavors. They propel you forward and empower you to try new things. It’s a great place to be.”
For more information or to apply, please visit ainsworth-benning.com. CMAR • General Contractor • Design-Build Construction Manager Agent • Self Performed Work
This is especially evident at Ainsworth-Benning Construction, which continues to support Rachel by providing her with professional development opportunities like conferences, trainings, and selfTheyeducation.alsoshow appreciation by recognizing her success and applauding her accomplishments.
Advertorial environmentally aware, and highly skilled at building relationships. Those all play as a strength to the field,” said PlayingRachel. on those strengths comes in handy as being a woman in construction can inadvertently create unprecedented obstacles and challenges to overcome. For Rachel specifically, obstacles included demonstrating her right to “sit at the table,” especially when it came to walking around job sites, meeting subcontractors, running meetings, and distributing tasks; because some people didn’t take her “It’sseriously.going to take more work to prove yourself but stay bold and confident. Know your boundaries and take charge. We women have the strength, skills, and place at the table. You must be willing to learn, maintain professionalism and respect, and stay humble. You can overcome obstacles, if any, through self-discovery and selfgrowth,” she said. She also encourages women to find something that inspires them to keep going like faith, family, and individuals who persevere and overcome when faced with adversity. Though that adversity can make itself known, Rachel has observed the approach to women in construction become more accepted throughout time. According to her, women are being appreciated for their skills and what they bring to the table now more than ever before.
ainsworthbenning.com •
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Ernie November provides lifestyle store for niche audience
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BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI // PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
Keith Coombes was 15 years old when he decided Cheyenne, Wyoming needed to expand its music profile.
“I wanted something different for my boring, lame, cowboy town.”
And the teen was determined to make it happen. Using the small earnings garnered from his paper route, Keith started to bring punk and metal shows to his western hometown creating a new music scene for those who wanted something different. The young entrepreneur would give his bands everything from sales at the door and use his paper route money to pay for whatever venue he could get.
“I went to an illegal show at a vacant building in Denver and talked to some bands and put it all together a month a music NOTstoreforthemasses
28 ELEVATE • 2022JULY • • C OLL ABORA T O R SPONSORS • • Black Hills Energy Fisher Beverage Global Fidelit y Corp Jenner Equipment Lynn Jackson At torneys Monument Health Rest Assured TruStage (CUNA Mutual) • • TRANSFORMA TIVE SPONSORS • • BMS Financial Climate Control Haugo Broadcasting Keller Williams Commercial Ketel Thorstenson, LLP Lloyd Companies Marco Technologies Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy Nor thwest Pipe Fit tings Pioneer Bank & Trust Upper Deck Architects • • SUPPOR TER SPONSORS • • WE w ouldn’ t be h e r e with out YO U ! HomeSlice Media Group Securit y First West River Elec tric Association • • SUST AINER SPONSORS • • YOUR SP ONSORSHIP CHANGES LIVES one S MILE at a time! Hillard Wealth Solutions Group B9Creations Badlands Broadcasting Fischer Furniture Karl ’s Furniture & Appliance KEVN/KOTA Midwest Marketing River front Broadcasting Scull Construc tion • • CHAMP ION SPONSORS • •
29 elevaterapidcity.com REACH YOUR GOALS, On campus • Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing • Standard Bachelor of Science in Nursing Online • Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing • RN to B.S.N. Online or hybrid • Master of Science in Nursing • Postgraduate certificate • Doctor of Nursing Practice WWW.SDSTATE.EDU/NURSING ABERDEEN BROOKINGS RAPID CITY SIOUX FALLS ONLINE We of fer flexible options to streamline your degree. YOUR WAY. d TE.EDU/NURSING ALLS “It’s exhilarating to see people half my age getting excited about their record purchases. It is more of an engagement than listening to music on your phone.” - KEITH COOMBES
- BUILT ON SERVICE605.342.5587 - northwestpipe.com Proudly serving the Black Hills for 67 years and counting! BUILT TO LAST
Aside from having a large selection of vinyl, CDS, and DVDs, the independent music store also carries T-shirts, tapestries, incense,
The draw of Ernie’s and what has sustained the music store in a time when online streaming is the norm is that it sells much more than media. “We realized back in the day basically the sky’s the limit. We can sell whatever we want. We are a lifestyle store and that’s what attracted me (to Ernie’s) in 1996. I wanted to be a buyer and use my own creativity to bring stuff in I wanted.”
30 ELEVATE • 2022JULY later. It was trial and error. It was nice to be that naïve,” said Keith who now manages the Rapid City Ernie November and has been with the eclectic retail and music store since 1996.Ernie’s, as it is lovingly referred to by locals, has been operating in Rapid City since 1987, the second store opened by a couple of music lovers who no one else would hire and who wanted a place for the community’s misfits. The first store opened in Sioux Falls in 1983 followed by Rapid City in 1987, Billings, Montana in 1993, and Cheyenne in 1996.
Keith is seeing a resurgence in the interest in purchasing vinyl and CDs. “It’s exhilarating to see people half my age getting excited about their record purchases. It is more of an engagement than listening to music on your phone.”
31 elevaterapidcity.com posters, lava lamps, stickers, and a variety of other offbeat items. Ernie’s success is also attributed to the personalized guest service of their staff. If they don’t have something, they will find it. Keith had been working a professional job at the Musicland in Cheyenne but knew the corporate life was not for him. He knew one day he wanted to work at Ernie’s and move his way up in the company.Keithstarted working at the Cheyenne store in 1996 and has been with the company since. He didn’t veer far from promoting the unique music scene and started bringing shows into the back of the Wyoming Ernie’s. With the town lacking music venues, Keith was again not going to wait around for something to happen. He brought in dozens of brutal death metal and hardcore punk bands including some big names like Ringworm, Goatwhore, Negative Approach and MDC. Keith and his friends and coworkers did more than 200 shows. Live music at Ernie’s not only provided another means of entertainment for locals, it brought a sense of camaraderie, Keith said. Something he found many years earlier when visiting Rapid City. In 1991, Keith traveled to South Dakota with a band out of Laramie. “I was blown away at how cool Rapid City was in 1991.” While it was about the same size as Cheyenne, the music scene was energetic with a sense of fellowship he didn’t see in his hometown. “That really just stuck with me,” Keith said. So, in the beginning of 2019 when Keith and his wife were looking to move out of Wyoming, Rapid City provided a perfect opportunity. He now manages the Rapid City’s Ernie November’s and buys merchandise for three of the four stores.
“I think the biggest thing about Ernie’s is that it feels like a hometown store because it is. It has a heart and soul. It is a labor of love with the energy we put in to making itItsuccessful.”isalsonot a store for everyone.
“Ernie November was never for the masses. It was never our goal. We pride ourselves on being brash at times, being real, not placating.” "Ernie November was never for the masses. It was never our goal. We pride ourselves on being brash at times, being real, not placating." 605.348.0768
- KEITH COOMBES ERNIE NOVEMBER // 1319 W MAIN ST. RAPID CITY //
Keith believes every community should have an Ernie November.
LONGTIME STORE FOCUSES ON CREATING MUSIC EXPERIENCE STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI // PHOTOS BY SHILOH FRANCIS
Creative Solutions. Proven Ser vice.
34 ELEVATE • 2022JULY Floyd Fitzgerald Stadium Hall of Fame Plaza
With three kids and one on the way, Marcus decided to return to Aberdeen without the Taylor. That did not last long, however. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” He called up Dan Haggerty and asked to finance the guitar. “We struggled to pay it off but eventually did, and I still have that guitar.” Not only did he name his fourth child Taylor, that 2006 guitar purchase changed the course of his entire life. “That was my first purchase and when I moved out here in 2012, I continued to be a loyal customer,” Marcus said now sitting in his office at the top of the staircase of the West Main store. Not only did Marcus stay a loyal customer, but Dan, Tom and Adam Haggerty saw much more.Marcus now owns the longstanding music store, opened another in Aberdeen, and has big plans for the future of Haggerty’s. “That was just the catalyst,” Marcus said of that first guitar purchase. “There was just something special. When I moved to town, I instantly had that contact and relationship. It was this little drop of water that created this tidal wave in my life.”
SIOUX F A LLS RAPID CIT Y www.architectureinc.com 2006, Marcus LaVake walked into Haggerty’s Musicworks for the first time and asked the sales associate for a Taylor Grand Symphony guitar. His dad said it would “move him.” “He told me if I ever made it out to Haggerty’s Music, they had this amazing guitar I had to play,” said Marcus, who lived in Aberdeen at theMarcustime. played it and then listened while the sales associate played “Key to the Highway” on it. His dad was right. He fell in love. “I had to have that guitar. My dad always told me that if you find a guitar that moves you buy it, because you can’t recreate that.”
In
"Today there are 3 million more guitarists because of the pandemic. So many people wanted to learn an instrument." - MARCUS LAVAKE
He envisions one day having every product line and division an experience like the Taylor Guitar Room. He has recently added violin and keyboard rooms.
SOUTH D A K O TA MINES
-MARCUS LAVAKE Haggerty’s started nearly 60 years ago as a department store in the Baken Park Shopping Center. In 1979, Tom Haggerty had moved back to Rapid City from Nashville and opened the music section in the back of the department store. The goals were to offer musicians what they wanted and to provide excellent guest service – two things Marcus continues today.
“If doesn’tsomeonehave an instrument that creates love.that.toplay,brainpathwaysnewintheirwhentheythenIwanthelpthemwithThatiswhatI”
Marcus said it is imperative to offer people something that is special, different, and a true experience. The Taylor Room offers each person just that. Each guitar has a different feel, different wood, and a unique sound. “Every time you hear a song and love it, there is a specific guitar, a sound, that moves you. I can give you that sound.”
Haggerty’s Department Store closed in 1997 with the music portion, Haggerty’s Musicworks, moving to its current West Main Street location.
unforgettable music experience for not just the local crowd, but nationwide,” Marcus said. Marcus partnered with Taylor Guitar in launching the first of the Taylor Guitar Experience Rooms. “We were one of the first in the nation to pilot that effort and really create an unbelievable guitar purchasing experience. That effort brought us from barely being a blip on the radar to being a top 10 Taylor Guitar dealer in the entire United States.”
The Taylor Guitar partnership allowed Marcus to greatly expand the Haggerty’s Musicworks
The music business boomed with the Haggertys offering a state-of-the-art music store for all levels and expanding to add instrument repair and an audio/visual section. After moving to the area, Marcus helped with sales training at the music store and in 2015 the Haggerty brothers asked him to be a partner. Marcus left his job at Titan Machinery and joined forces with Dan, Tom, and Adam. On March 7, 2019, 56 years to the day Haggerty’s was incorporated, Marcus and his wife Amanda took over board in 2015, I really had a lot of energy to drive this store forward as an 3rd Annual
“Whenownership.Icameon
36 ELEVATE • 2022JULY
And while the school music side has been back on the rise, Marcus said he has also seen a shift in the instruments that students are choosing– ones they can play individually and learn through online lessons. During the height of the pandemic, Marcus also expanded to open a second store in Aberdeen. This summer they held a grand opening of a new location in Aberdeen that tripled its previous square footage.Marcus says the success goes back to the two goals of the Haggerty family when they started in the music business decades ago: offer musicians what they want and provide excellent guest service. “When people walk into our store, especially locals, they may say they are not looking for something, but they are. They are looking for inspiration,” Marcus said. “It is our job to create some sort of inspiration whether that is a new playing technique, new sounds, maybe it is just a conversation or maybe it is jamming with someone.” Marcus never envisioned having a career in the music business. But, as his brother-inlaw once said, Marcus has found something that “makes his soul Heleap.”now just wants to share that with “Musicothers.isan experience and when you do it right it moves you. If someone doesn’t have an instrument that creates new pathways in their brain when they play, then I want to help them with that. That is what I love.” 605.348.6737
That partnership along with launching the online portion of Haggerty’s helped the local business not only survive, but grow, during a pandemic despite losing a backbone of their business – the sale of school band and orchestra instruments. “We did a lot of neat marketing and growth not knowing a pandemic was coming,” Marcus said. “We went from selling band and orchestra instruments to facing over $80,000 in a deficit that year. We had a mass exodus of school music.”Internet sales, however, boomed. Haggerty’s was prepared to have an online presence when many other stores in America had to shut down. “People were calling us because we were open and shipping stuff all over the country. We have been able to be a resource to help people stay at home and learn while still providing an experience that you wouldn’t get in Denver or Seattle,” Marcus said. “Today there are 3 million more guitarists because of the pandemic. So many people wanted to learn an instrument.”
HAGGERTY'S MUSICWORKS // 2520 W MAIN ST. RAPID CITY //
brand, business, and staff. He has added an entire internet division, a shipping and receiving manager, and staff photographers. He also recently hired an operations manager, and marketing and purchasing directors. “These are all new positions to this store because I can’t keep up with everything.”
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