History of Pedersen's Band & Orchestra

Founded in 1971, Pedersen's Band & Orchestra is a family owned business operated as a partnership by John & Nedra Pedersen. I (John) began the business as a wind instrument repairman. I started by soliciting professional & student musicians through the musicians union and by contacting school band directors. By 1973, I had established many school and private accounts and was doing contract repair services for local music stores as well. Around 1980, I was doing a lot of rental return repair services for stores that had instrument rental programs. Instrument rentals seemed like a natural business for me to move into since I could service my own inventory. I was able to take over a 75 unit rental stock from a local business that was shutting down for retirement. Since that time, we have become franchised dealers for Yamaha wind Instruments and Meisel string instruments. Due to hard times from my divorce from my first wife, I took a job in 1985 as a woodwind repairman for the Los Angeles Unified School District. I continued to run the business with the aid of a helper and would work the store in the late afternoons & Saturdays.

Nedra & I were married in 1989 and from the beginning she expressed an interest in the business. Her background as a music major and her experience in music publishing has accelerated our expansion into retail music. In the summer of 1999, we were able to purchase the business property and remodel the shop into a full service Band & Orchestra music store. The business now has a retail showroom & lesson studio as well as the Woodwind & Brass instrument repair shop. In the fall of 2000, Nedra left her job at the Walt Disney company to come to work full time at the business. This has allowed us to keep the store open longer hours and Nedra is able to promote the business in ways I never had the time to do. Around this same time, we joined the Burbank Chamber of Commerce and our now working with the Chamber's partnership program helping to support music programs in the Burbank Schools. In the fall of 2002, I retired from my job with the Los Angeles Schools and am now working full time at the store. This has allowed our business to expand it's services and provide more support to school music programs. Support of music and music education is the focus of our business.

With this as our goal, we looking forward to many more years of service to the community.