Throughout the city of Minot, residents would describe Dennis Jacobsen as kindhearted, generous, and passionate about sharing the gift of music.

Since 1981, Jacobsen Music store has provided an oasis for musical expression, artist promotion and musical education.

Surrounding area schools, neighboring churches, community auditoriums and local events utilize the services provided by the devoted staff at Jacobsen Music store.

For Jacobsen, sharing his passion for music while experiencing the joy of others is the ultimate reward.

“Music is something that can last a whole life time,” Jacobsen said. “I’ve sold instruments to families with children who were as young as two or three years old, and one of my oldest customers just bought a brand new piano at the age of 100. So, music is something that can last a lifetime.”

Early in Jacobsen’s youth, he discovered a love and a talent for pianos.

Today, Jacobsen gains both physical and emotional strength from the instrument of his choosing.

“I still do all my piano deliveries,” Jacobsen said. “So, when people buy a new piano I have to drag it up and down their steps. I’ve been doing this for 35 years.”

Broad across the shoulders, Jacobsen credits the piano for increasing his physical stature.

“Pianos range from 500 to 1,000 pounds,” Jacobsen said. “So, I don’t have to work out. I just move pianos.”

As you enter Jacobsen Music store, you will see colorful posters headlining local performances by surrounding churches, nearby schools and promising local artists. After experiencing the wave of hometown performers, patrons step into a showroom featuring instruments as far as the eye can see. French horns, violins, a variety of guitars, a plethora of drum accompanied by a baby grand piano are among the many instruments on display at Jacobsen Music store.

“I think a lot of people are surprised to see a small town store being this big,” Jacobsen said. “A lot of people from pretty large cities don’t see stores with our quality of stock, so I think people are impressed with our little family business.”

Jacobsen considers his employees to be family who carry a common excitement for sharing music.

As you tour the store and marvel at the wide arrangement of music books, chances are you will meet Crystal Larson, a courteous sales representative who can direct you toward the best brands to maximize your musical potential.

The next person you could meet is Justin Johnson, a confident manager who specializes in band and orchestra equipment but is more than capable of assisting your search for sheet music and various other musical quandaries.

Throughout Jacobsen Music store enthusiasm for music is contagious and Jacobsen is delighted to have a staff that shares his passion for the arts.

“I feel pretty blessed to have great employees ,” Jacobsen said. “They’re friendly, willing to help and that’s how we North Dakotans are. I have a lot trust in my employees’ knowledge about the store and the business.”

Musicians young and old, as well as beginners to experienced are excited to study and learn at Jacobsen Music store.

“At least 150 students are taking lessons at our studio per week,” Jacobsen said. “It’s fun to see these little kids and some older adults come in the studios. They’ll start out being timid and afraid that they’re not going to learn how to play and within a few weeks it’s amazing to see their transformation. They come in the studios with big smiles on their faces and when they leave the studios they’ve learned maybe their first song. It’s a pretty rewarding experience for everyone.”

With increased practice comes the need for additional care. Jacobsen Music store has repair specialists ready to assist the demands of musicians.

“Occasionally the instruments do break,” Jacobsen said. “We want to stand behind every instrument that we sell. So, we have a full-time guitar technician who can change, tune and keep the strings in working condition. Another part of our store is Prairie Winds, which services all the band instruments that we rent or sell.”

Jacobsen Music store has a 24-hour studio for individuals short on time and longing to learn the art of music.

“When the store closes there is a separate entrance in the back,” Jacobsen said. “So, the teachers schedule their own lessons and if they want to be here at 10 a.m. that’s possible and if a lesson needs to take place at 10 p.m. that can happen as well. Usually we don’t have lessons taking place at 2 a.m. but sometimes lessons can go late into the evenings.”

Across the world, the internet is creating increased competition but the employees at Jacobsen Music store feel extremely confident in their services.

“In this day in age where things are so readily available and accessible on the internet, what we’re trying to do is make it so people don’t have to go on the internet,” Jacobsen said. “We offer very similar prices and this is a place where you can actually try the instrument you’re seeking to purchase. You can’t do that over the internet but inside our music store you can test out instruments and we’ll set things up exactly the way you want your instrument to play.”

As music continues to evolve, Jacobsen Music store is determined to provide the best brands while ensuring the greatest musical experience.

“If you’ve ever tried to talk to somebody on the computer about how to fix something, it can be frustrating,” Jacobsen said. “That’s the nice thing about our employees, everybody that comes to our store describes our staff as knowledgeable and if you have a question about something they can usually help you discover the best options. For example, you would think that buying a guitar is simple but it’s really not. Depending on the style of music you like there are different amps that go along with it, there are different types of strings, then you have the various guitars and several brands to choose from as well.”

From wall-to-wall Jacobsen Music store is stocked with a myriad of competitive brands at comparable prices.

“There are hundreds of brands out there,” Jacobsen said. “Sometimes we go out to our buying shows in California and search the market to see what’s selling the best so we can give our customers the best deals. Some of our top selling brands are Yamaha, which does really well and this particular brand sells pretty much every area of our store. Yamaha offers a full line of pianos, keyboards, synthesizers, guitars, and sound systems.”

For guitarists looking to rock out or softly strum the day away, Jacobsen music provides Fender, Martin, Peavey, and Gibson Epiphone.

With the summer season rolling in, drummers can find classic brands ranging from Pearl, Remo, Toma and Yamaha.

Jacobsen’s passion for music is fueled by his love instruments and the desire to supply Minot with the best selections.

“At one time I was just selling pianos and then people wanted guitars,” Jacobsen said. “So, eventually I had to become a full-line music store offering sound systems to local schools and auditoriums. You have to be a full-line store providing every aspect of the musical world.”

(Prairie Profile is a weekly feature profiling interesting people in our region. We welcome suggestions from our readers. Call Editor Mike Sasser at 857-1959 or Regional Editor Eloise Ogden at 857-1944. Either can be reached at 1-800-735-3229. You also can send e-mail suggestions to msasser@minotdailynews.com.