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Ted Brown
Music Tacoma

Ted Brown Music is a full-line music retailer with products and expertise in band and orchestra, guitars, drums, live sound and recording, and everything in between. Need an instrument fixed? We cover that too, along with rentals and private lessons. Stop by and see for yourself — Your Music is Our Passion!

6228 Tacoma Mall Blvd, Tacoma, WA 98409

(253) 272-3211

Ted Brown Music's Tacoma location storefront.

Coming Up in Tacoma

Yamaha Guitars 60th anniversary clinic tour featuring Yvette Young. Friday, November 13th at 4 PM in Tacoma and Saturday, November 14th at 2 PM in Yakima. Yvette Young sits on a staircase holding an acoustic guitar and looking upward.

Yamaha Guitars Turns 60!

Celebrate Yamaha Guitars' 60th anniversary with a FREE clinic with international superstar Yvette Young, live on our stage.

Event Details
Ali Jackson and Kareem Kandi Jazz masterclass, Wednesday, November 18th at 4 PM in Tacoma, presented by Yamaha. Ali Jackson smiles while playing drums, and Kareem Kandi plays tenor saxophone.

Ali Jackson and Kareem Kandi

World-class musicians Ali Jackson and Kareem Kandi are coming to our Tacoma store for a FREE concert and masterclass, presented by Yamaha Music.

Event Details

Fiddle Fair

Our biggest orchestral strings sale of the year is back with limited-edition, and exotic instruments on hand.

Event Details

Our Flagship Store

With over 25,000 square feet of display space, we offer a comprehensive selection of band and orchestra instruments, guitars, drums, and much more. Our live sound and recording area alone rivals the size of entire stores, ensuring that whatever you need, we have you covered.

Our product specialists are here to guide you in your next purchase, while our highly skilled repair technicians keep your instruments in top condition for your next performance. Additionally, our private lessons instructors are available to help you hone your skills.

We have an amazing team, so come in and say hello. You might even catch an impromptu performance from a customer or employee while you're here! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Ted Brown Music Services

Meet the Tacoma Team

  • Ellie Stevens

    Store Manager

  • Matt Stevens

    Repair Shop Supervisor

    Ask Me About

    • Brass Instruments
    • Woodwind Instruments
    • Percussion Instrument

    Matt Stevens

    In 2000, Matt began learning instrument repair with a four-year apprenticeship at a family music store in Reno, NV. In 2008, he joined Ted Brown Music, where he refined and expanded his skills under the mentorship of Chris Arent. From 2008 to 2024, he ran the repair shop at the Puyallup location, serving students, schools, hobbyists, and professionals. His experience ranges across woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments.

    Matt has been a NAPBIRT member for most of his career and attends their annual conference and regional training events as often as possible, as well as actively participating in forums online in an effort to stay on top of new tools and techniques and to remain grounded in the traditions of the craft. Our company’s repair mantra is to do the best work we can with the instrument in front of us. Matt takes this to heart, striving to do the same quality of work whether it’s on a student’s first trumpet or a pro’s vintage saxophone.

    Outside of work, he can most often be found spending time with his family, or paddling his kayak on Puget Sound and our area's many lakes.

  • Kristen Williams

    Strings Repair Manager

    Ask Me About

    • Orchestral Strings

    Kristen Williams

    Kristen comes to us from Detroit , Michigan with over 30 years of string repair experience. Her pursuit of a career in music was not made on a whim. At the University of New Hampshire, she discovered her affinity for violin repair, a craft she compares to falling in love. It's this love that has sustained her through the years of service in school music programs and instrument repair.

    Kristen stands out in her field with a philosophy of equal attention to detail, whether tuning a student's instrument or restoring a master's violin. Her education at University Massachusetts, New Hampshire and her apprenticeship with the Ralph Wunderlich in Detroit, gave her the opportunities to work with some of the best orchestral Luthiers in the country. Her 30 years of experience as a luthier ensures that every customer feels valued, reflecting Ted Brown Music's commitment to quality and customer care.

  • Scott Earhart

    Repair Technician

    Ask Me About

    • Brass Instruments
    • Woodwind Instruments

    Scott Earhart

    Scott has been repairing instruments at Ted Brown Music since 1992 and is a graduate of Renton Technical College. Being a guitar player, Scott originally wanted to build and repair guitars but soon found out he really enjoyed fixing woodwinds and brass. Away from work Scott likes to collect Beatles memorabilia, play jazz and blues on his guitars, and spend time with his wife and two daughters.

  • Caitlynn Akehurst

    Repair Technician

    Ask Me About

    • Brass Instruments
    • Woodwind Instruments

    Caitlynn Akehurst

    Caitlynn Akehurst graduated from Tacoma School of the Arts with an emphasis on piano performance and songwriting in 2011. She had joined Ted Brown Music as a sales associate in 2010, and when there was an opening in the shop to help out, she started doing simple string repairs and decided that instrument repair was for her. She has been a full-time apprentice in the shop since the fall of 2013 and has so far worked successfully with strings, brass, and small woodwinds.

    In her free time, Caitlynn creates textile crafts and natural skin care products and she enjoys exploring Tacoma’s Point Defiance Park.

  • Derek Nelson

    Repair Technician

    Ask Me About

    • Brass Instruments
    • Woodwind Instruments

  • Roy Dilley

    Repair Technician

    Ask Me About

    • Brass Instruments
    • Woodwind Instruments

    Roy Dilley

    Roy Dilley has been repairing brass and woodwinds since 1999. He is a graduate of Renton Technical College and has worked in shops in Chicago and Davenport, Iowa, as well as the Seattle area. Roy is a graduate of PLU’s music department with a BMA. He is a saxophonist and woodwind player, and has been active as a performer and private instructor. He has studied with many area musicians, notably Greg Sinibaldi and Don Lanphere.

    When Roy is not at the bench or behind the stand, he is an artist and collector of mid-century modern objects and furniture.

  • Nicolas Ambrosio

    Repair Technician

    Ask Me About

    • Fretted Instruments

    Nicolas Ambrosio

    In 2019, Nicolas studied woodwind and brasswind repair at Renton Technical College under instructor Jessica Ganska. After completing the program, he joined the Ted Brown Music Repair Shop under the mentorship of Lead Technician Chris Arent. In 2020, Nicolas began studying guitar repair under the mentorship of luthier Steve Mueller.

    Nicolas' ties with Ted Brown Music run deeper than just repair. In adolescence, he was involved with Live It Outloud, Ted Brown Music's 8-week summer music program. After aging out of the program, he continued as a performing guitarist for several years before pursuing his passion for instrument repair.

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