Live music drifted through Things with Strings and More on Saturday, as shoppers browsed guitars and violins the new music store at College Mall.
Co-owners Curtis Porter and Richard Gulick welcomed residents to their store during the grand opening Saturday after seven weeks of successful operation. Attendees had a chance to win a guitar and watch a performance by singer and guitarist Lloyd Wood, a Sagamore of the Wabash award winner.
The store fills a gap left by the closure of Melody Music in February, offering Bloomington a locally-owned destination for musical instruments and repairs. Porter, who also pastors Union Church in Greene County, said music transformed his life two years ago when he began taking piano lessons.
“It was a kind of therapy for me,” Porter said. “It was something that I could turn to when I was down or out or having a struggle.”
What started as piano lessons grew to other instruments and became a source of comfort for Porter. He said he hopes the store can offer that same sense of joy to everyone.
The store originally opened four months ago in downtown Spencer, Indiana, before relocating to College Mall on Aug. 1. Porter said the move was necessary for the business to thrive, as foot traffic in Spencer didn’t meet his expectations. The past seven weeks at the mall have proved successful, prompting the decision to host a grand opening event.
The store allows shoppers to try instruments off the shelves and hosts the Rhythm Ramblers, a free community jam session at 6:30 p.m. every other Thursday. Porter said the sessions are built to be a time where musicians of all levels are invited to bring their instruments and play together.
Saturday’s grand opening featured several promotions. Customers who purchased a guitar received a free guitar strap and string set, and attendees could enter a raffle to win a guitar. Musicians, including members of the Rhythm Ramblers, played music throughout the store during the event. Lloyd Wood closed out the celebration with a musical performance that included vocal impressions.
“He does some great impressions,” Porter said. Wood is a celebrated Indiana musician and recipient of the Sagamore of the Wabash, Indiana’s highest civilian honor. As a singer, guitarist and vocal impressionist, Wood began his career in the Little Nashville Express, a house band at the Little Nashville Opry.
Indiana University students Angelo Anders and Anthony Elgin browsed the store during the grand opening. Elgin, a public policy major, said he was pleasantly surprised by what he found.
“I think it's interesting that they have a broad variety of both acoustic and electric guitars as well as other instruments,” Elgin said. “I did not expect to see an electric violin at a mall store.”
Anders, a chemistry major, said the live music stood out to him.
“It makes a nice atmosphere for it,” Anders said. “It’s not the type of music store where you’re scared to touch anything.”
Among the store’s regular visitors is 80-year-old Walter Bedford Blakely, a Tennessee native who has been playing music and the rhythm guitar for 70 years.
“It’s better than it was, and it’s doing a lot more business than it had done in the past,” Blakely said, referring to the store’s previous location in Spencer. “I love the new store.”
In addition to selling instruments, the store offers rentals, repair services and expert advice. Blakely, who has known Wood for years, volunteers his time to the store, helping customers with questions.
“I work with a lot of younger kids that (are) not able to do this or not able to pay other people,” Blakely said. “I do it for the love of the Lord and his music that he has given me.”
Blakely said his work at the store goes beyond helping customers with instruments; it’s also a way to share his faith.
“I know music can touch people,” Blakely said. “You start doing gospel music, and the first thing you know, you see these people showing up again and again, and the next thing you know, they’re giving their heart to the lord.”
The store owners hope to begin helping IU students through rentals and sales. Porter said he wants to continue building relationships with musicians, local bands and venues.
Operating on a temporary lease, which ends in July 2026, at College Mall, the store’s long-term future depends on its success in the coming months.
“We would like to be a rooted and grounded music store for years to come, hopefully,” Porter said.
