Faribault Icon Eastman Music Closes

I was saddened by the news that Eastman Music closed its doors this week. It's hard to see another iconic downtown Faribault store come to an end. This store seems to have been around forever. I remember as a kid my friends and I would stop in to check out the guitars, keyboards and drums.

I had always wanted to be a musician, like my cousin Paul, but I lacked the talent and the money to really pursue that vocation in earnest. So instead I would wander through the store and marvel at all the beautiful instruments. I remember purchasing a kazoo from Eastman's after learning how to play one in music class in grade school one day. I bugged and bugged my Mom to take me down there to pick one up. She finally relented and immediately regretted the decision to give in to my musical interest.

Eastman Music also was the place to pick up the latest 45 single or album and, as I got older, I changed it up to the technological wonder of music, the eight-track tape followed by cassettes and CDs. Eastman's also offered instrument rental and strangely, at least to me, skate sharpening.

Eastman Music may be gone, but I'm sure it will live on in the memories of many Faribault residents who enjoyed the music from the purchases they made there over the years.