"I guess I'd have to say that rock 'n' roll is the one thing that meant the end for the accordion," store owner Ratuenberg says. "Kids want to play guitars and drums."

The accordion might have faded from popularity, but not at the Allegro Music Co., where it remains as popular as ever. Students, mostly adults, take accordion lessons at the store, although more students take guitar and drum lessons. It's the guitars and drums that have become the best selling instruments at Allegro, but it's also those instruments that have allowed Allegro Music to remain competitive in a crowded marketplace, Rautenberg said.
"When I went into business, there were three or four music stores in the area, and now there are about 25," he said. Even so, Rautenberg said he has an advantage over the others because he owns the building he's in, he has no employees other than music teachers, and his overhead is small compared to the big stores. While it's still adults who concentrate on the accordion, it's kids who come in for drum and guitar lessons. "Usually mom and dad bring the kids in and talk about lessons and buying instruments," he said.

So as not to put people in over their head before they're ready, drum students start lessons with a rubber pad and a set of sticks. Then, if they want to continue, they buy a single drum, such as a snare, or an entire set Drum sets, depending on their quality, can range from a few
hundred dollars up into the thousands. The same thing goes for guitars, which have a wide range
in price. Accordions can range from $250 up to $7,000 depending on the amount of custom work involved, Rautenberg said. But an accordion is an instrument that might be kept for a
lifetime, he said.

While guitars, drums and accordions dominate the store, there are other instruments, too.
Rautenberg sells flutes, trumpets, saxophones, several types of harmonicas, banjos and accessories for all of the instruments. Rautenberg said he likes to think of Allegro as "the biggest little music store in the area."