Performers Music

WOW! AMAZING SERVICE!!!
My daughter lost the sheet music for a piece she’ll be performing this weekend. I called Performers Music to look for it. Not only did the incredibly friendly woman who handled my call find that it was available at their storage location, she said she would have it brought to the downtown store, and would even fax it to me if it was urgent.
I told her that I could pick it up in the evening, on my way home, but that I wasn’t sure where to park (they are located on Michigan Avenue). She said that as long as I called 5 minutes before getting to the store, someone would come out and hand it to me!!!
That’s exactly what happened. I called, and a young man met me on the sidewalk as I pulled up to the store.

I loved coming here in between orchestra rehearsals back in the day. Thanks for letting all of us annoying little pre-​teens and teenagers hang out here; I’m sure we were far from endearing.
They have all sorts of goodies: obscure sheet music, etc; if you can’t find it they’ll order it.

I love this music store. The owner, Lee, is very kind and so are his music clerks. I’ve been a repeat customer each and every time I visit the city. If you cannot find something they will help

Great store! Found music I couldn’t find anywhere else!

Performers Music is THE go-​to place for professional musicians in Chicago. I often go here just to browse new editions of old favorites. The staff is knowledgable, helpful, and supportive. They have everything, or will order it for you. They also have a big selection of Dover scores, helpful for the economical musician. Performers Music is fantastic!

I had a really unpleasant experience here. When I entered no one offered to help me find anything or even greeted me. Ok, that’s not so strange I’ve been in stores like that before. Then, another young woman, entered the store, and the owner (worker?) almost immediately asked her if she needed help finding anything. He then proceeded to walk past me silently, not even bothering to offer me assistance. I proceeded to walk out of the store, not buying anything.
By the way, I’m a minority.
Take that as you will, but I will never go back.

The only good sheet music store I know of in Chicago. It’s worth going just to experience the Fine Arts building, with the original man-​operated elevators! Perfect place for music students in Chicago to buy music. Save money on shipping and get an amazing cultural experience by going!

Once a year I get the urge to give a gift of rare, foreign and hard-​to-​find composers’ sheet music to a friend. Regular music stores usually do not carry what I look for, and the last few years have been endless searching online, once a year.
Well, the search is over. This place carries it all. You name it, they probably have it. I was surprised that they had complete collection of Ravel’s piano pieces in Durand edition, because no one else does, especially B&Ms.
Staff is friendly, selection is unbelievable, pricing regular. Little hard to find, but the elevator operator is a plus… This place should meet any musician’s needs.

Located in the Fine Arts Building, this is probably the best sheet-​music store between the coasts (a guess, having done very little music shopping on said coasts). If they don’t have it, they know they don’t so ask and they’ll order it for you. They keep Vandoren blue box Alto and Clarinet reeds (not Tenor, sadly) in stock and have tuners, metronomes and a small collection of other music supplies. My friends Andrew turned us on to the place 4 years ago and I always make it in to see whats new.

Performers is located in the historic fine arts building on Michigan Ave. As a piano and voice teacher I appreciate their excellent collection of classical books and sheet music. This is one of the very last places in Chicago where you can go to purchase sheet music in person. Most things you have to get off the internet these days, which is convenient, but there’s something to be said about being able to go find a book of music you like and take it home and play that day. It’s a nice way to spend an afternoon.

This place is well-​hidden! In fact, I had to ask a Chicago Symphony Orchestra musician where to buy music Manuscript Paper and he gave me the tip and the secret password! Just kidding, there is no secret password… but this place seems like it should have one. First off, you ride one of those old timey elevators with the metal gate, and it’s got it’s own Operator! Fun, secret, old timey! Watch your hands! The building itself is adorned with beautiful iron work, old paintings, and the dust of perhaps Beethoven himself. Opera singers in the distance practice their Carmen, a violinist struggles with a Bach Partita…
Upon crossing Performers’ threshold I was asked if I needed help finding anything. Wow, that’s service! This place is THE place in the City for classical sheet music, étude books, metronomes, piano music. I found my Manuscript paper (that’s blank paper with the staves for writing, this will be important later) and I perused the String Bass music section. For those who don’t know, I used to play classical music, not just rock, jazz and African. My name is Kyle H., and I used to play Classical Music… I’ve been free and clear for 5 years (clap, clap, claps)! Perusing the bass music I noticed I had played or owned almost every piece of music there. Bass, light of my life, fire of my loins… I had a primal urge to rosin up the old horsehair and have at a couple of new pieces. I opened a few old faves to remember what they sounded like, to remember the countless hours stuck in a practice room, the audition where I announced my Concerto and the British judge said «Okay, play a few lines, then we’ll get on to some REAL music». (True story).
My back story aside, Performer’s Music can do that to you. It’s a place that really is set in a time warp. They even had vocal warm ups on cassette! The kindly man who rang up my order asked me if I was a composer, as he wrote out my order by hand, no computers here!
Me: «No, I just write string parts for Rock bands. Glam bands.»
He said «well, it doesn’t matter what you’re writing for, you’re still a composer.»
Me: «I used to play in the Civic Orchestra and Rockford Symphony. I’m really missing the Classical being in here.»
He: «I’m sure you’re doing other things. Things that are important to you now.»
I came in for sheet music, I left feeling like I had been to the mountaintop and was given a Zen lesson on my musical life. Now that, my friends, is Service.

This is definitely the best place to get classical sheet music in the city! They have an excellent vocal department, and they also carry solo, chamber, and orchestral scores. You can also find some musical theatre repertoire, as well, although you will do better at Coulson’s for Broadway music. Also, they have a nice selection of books on pedagogy, music history, technique, etc… They will order anything for you, as long as it is in print, and they are willing to order from small & international presses, as well. Things don’t always come in in a timely manner though, as some publishers are slow to respond, however, they usually call you to let you know if something is going to take a while. They also have some music periodicals, as well as metronomes, recorders, reeds, strings, etc… This place is kind of stuck in a time warp; No computers, handwritten receipts, etc…, and you have to ride a manually operated elevator up to the ninth floor of the Fine Arts Building to get there, but the selection is excellent. The organizational system can be a little weird, so if you don’t see what you are looking for, just ask! The staff is pretty knowledgeable.