By: Norafiqin Hairoman for The Dirt
Watermelon Music was supposed to be a thing of the past. Another casualty of the pandemic, despite an incredible $100,000 GoFundMe effort from the community. Instead, it found a way to survive—thanks to a mix of community support, creative restructuring, and a whole lot of determination.
“Customers kept coming in and saying, ‘I don’t know what we’re going to do without you guys,’” Eric Wellington, one of the longtime employees now helping to run the shop, said.
As it turned out, shutting down wasn’t the only option. Watermelon Music found a way to reinvent itself. The key was to divide and conquer—splitting the business into three separate pieces, each tackling a different part of what the store used to do.
Watermelon Music still operates as a retail store, buying and selling instruments, offering repairs, and stocking all the essentials.
The teaching staff formed the Watermelon Music Academy, which provides private instruction for instruments like piano, guitar, violin, and more. Teachers set their own rates and schedules, making it easy for students to connect with an instructor that fits their needs.
Then there’s Friends of Watermelon Music, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing the community together through events—including a space equipped for karaoke. They’re also in the process of launching an instrument rental program to make music more accessible.
But the heartbeat of the store might just be the Melon Ball, the in-house venue that hosts concerts, recitals, and private events.
“It’s a performance area, a venue for recitals and concerts. There are classes that are offered through the UC Davis OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute,” Brian Aguilar, manager of Watermelon Music said. “The Melon Ball is pivotal, we feel, towards bringing people in.”
Beyond instruments and performances, Watermelon Music prides itself on service—something you won’t find at big-box retailers and online stores. Need new guitar strings? They’ll restring your guitar for free. Looking for an obscure piece of sheet music? They’ll track it down. Unsure how to fix a minor instrument issue? They’re happy to help.
One of the biggest hurdles now isn’t running the store, it’s making sure people know it still exists.
“If you Google ‘Watermelon Music,’ the first thing you get is Watermelon Music closing and then it’s our website,” Wellington said, explaining how they’ve been trying to change that perception. “Social media blasts, talking to schools… we’ve had a couple of employees go downtown and pass out coupons.”
As if that weren’t enough, rising tariffs on instruments and increasing supplier costs present additional hurdles. Like everything else these days, instruments and accessories aren’t getting any cheaper.
“Since 2020, I don’t think I’ve ever lowered a price on anything,” Wellington said. “Suppliers keep increasing costs, and we have to adjust.”
But even with those challenges, Watermelon Music remains focused on their goal of growing the shop and being the place where musicians can find what they need.
“We are still very able to special order things we may not keep in stock,” Aguilar assured.
So, if you thought Watermelon Music was gone, consider this your official notice: It’s still here, and it remains the best place in town for anyone who loves to make music. Whether you need an instrument, a lesson, a stage, or just a good music conversation, they’re ready to welcome you in.
“It’s about being part of the community, and giving them something that they really want through what they’ve expressed,” Aguilar says.
Watermelon Music is located at 1970 Lake Blvd Suite #1 in Davis and watermelonmusic.com online.
