'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
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Man convicted of involuntary manslaughter in father's drowning, told police he was baptizing him
A Massachusetts man who told police he was exorcising a demon and performing a baptism when he shoved his father's head under water multiple times has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter in his death.
New Norad commander calls Canada's defence policy update 'very encouraging'
American troops will be spending more time training in the Far North, the new commander of Norad says, a strategy that fits 'hand-in-glove' with Canada's renewed focus on Arctic defence.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.