'I needed to keep the music in Amherstburg': 21-year-old musician turns into entrepreneur
Bethany D’Alimonte didn’t want the music to end.
“He was going to close up shop and I couldn't let that happen,” said the 21-year-old who was an employee of Musicland in Amherstburg.
She had also been a student at the store when she was young.
“I started playing music when I was seven right in this very building right in that back room was my first piano lesson,” she said.
The owner was planning on closing the business which has been there since 1986 but D’Alimonte wasn't about to let that happen.
“I needed to do it to keep the music in Amherstburg,” she said.
Bethany grew up around music. Her dad, at one point, was a partner of Musicland.
“Taught music here in the store. Had many students and we were playing in the band five-six nights a week,” said John D’Alimonte.
In February, Bethany, a business and marketing student at St. Clair College, made her pitch and took over the music store.
It was a full circle moment for her dad.
“It makes you feel proud. She's now got students. She's teaching. She has teachers here,” he said.
One of the teachers, Mrs. Farmer, is a lady who taught piano to Bethany when she first started.
“She's taught me all of the things I needed to know about music and applying my knowledge from school into the real business world. She’s awesome,” D’Alimonte said.
The young new boss is part of a revitalization that continues in and around Richmond Street and this business will now become a hub for music and creativity.
“Giving the community a space to learn and create is something special just because I had that when I was a kid,” she said.
Anne Creery, general manager of the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce, is hopeful the growth in the area continues.
“There's a number of other things that I'm sure will come because when you have this kind of business it tends to attract more business,” Creery said.
Also on the horizon for the district are a boutique hotel and the re-development of the old Duffy site.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.