Miller Place, NY – Steve Subject began teaching guitar lessons at a small music store in Sound Beach, NY called Tony Sanns Music in 1979. Before long he was working behind the counter and in 1985 he purchased the store.

He and wife Sally Miller, who he met when she was an employee at the store, now co-own Sound Beach Music, located in Miller Place, NY. They rent and sell instruments, as well as offer instruction. The store has moved a few times in its history but has remained on Long Island throughout the years. Their current facility boasts two levels. The first floor is a showroom and the basement level has ten rooms for private lessons.

“I love it a lot,” said Mr. Miller. “I love being able to provide music for people.”

When Mr. Subject first purchased the store there were about 75 students and 60 rental instruments, now the store has 1500 rental instruments and 400 students.

Mr. Pat Portela is an adult student who began taking guitar lessons at the store about one year ago. He was familiar with the store because his children rented instruments there and he decided to give it a try.

“To come in here with kids being here it’s a little difficult,” he said. “You get a little embarrassed but better late than never to learn.

Mr. Subject and Ms. Miller say that working together is easy, and that they don’t get in one another’s way at the store.

“We get to spend a lot more time with one another than a lot of other couples do,” said Mr. Subject. “If you’re not driving each other nuts, that’s a good thing.”

Eddie Compagnone, a longtime customer who began taking cello and bass guitar lessons at Sound Beach Music over 6 years ago, still shops at the store for his musical equipment, though he no longer takes lessons there.

“I can’t say enough good things about Sound Beach Music,” he said. “The instrument quality, the lessons, the people who teach the lessons, everything here is great.

The couple hopes to eventually sell the store to one of their current employees in order to retire, but Mr. Subject expresses sentimental feelings about being a part of the store for so long.

“Some of my students that I used to have back in the old store when they were 10 or 11 years old are still in the area and the come here now with their kids that are like that age,” he said. “Their kids are taking lessons here, so it’s kind of nice to have been around that long.