BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) – Bandland and Percussion Center has been providing music to the local community for over 60 years. In that time, they have managed to connect with many young musical talents throughout North Central West Virginia. Although it is one of the oldest art forms in the world, music continues to play a large role in the development of younger generations. By partnering with local schools, Bandland and owner Evan Jones have pursued the same goal.

“We serve all the band and orchestra programs in the area, that’s ninety percent of our work. Fred Ross opened the place in 1964, a few buildings down the street, I came here in 1971 and started here in 1978. I was a band student too and that pretty much kept me in school. I think it got me on the honor roll because I got A’s in a couple of band classes.”

Music can play an important role in a child’s development, which is why the folks at Bandland want to make sure the next generation has all the tools they need to hit the right notes in life.

“Most schools still have music programs, but they’re being scaled back and smaller. They don’t get quite the support they used to, including financial support, but we’ve always been there, along with the band directors. We do school visits once a week during the school year to all of these schools in the area, actually in this whole part of the state. So we do a lot of that just to support music education, which we strongly believe in.”

Over the past six decades, the store has been a place where musicians have grown and improved, not only in their musical skills but also in their lives.

“Music stays in a person’s life forever. All the evidence shows that students who take music and orchestra classes, which also include art and theater, tend to be better students in school. They develop higher self-confidence, learn responsibility, similar to athletes; and these people are very successful in life in general.”

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