Chicago mourns its music seller
RIPThe violist Lee Newcomer, owner of Performer’s Music over four decades, has died, his friends report.
His store was the best meeting place for musicians in the city.
During Covid, Lee raised $40k in donations to keep it open, saying:
Performers Music has been a refuge for musicians in Chicago and around the world, and we want to keep it that way.
We need your help to secure a future.
Performers Music is a sheet music store and practice space in the Fine Arts Building on S. Michigan Avenue. We are the only independently-owned sheet music purveyor in the city and one of just a handful remaining in the nation.
We serve all musicians—professionals, amateurs, teachers, and students at every level. Our selection of sheet music includes classical solo, chamber, and orchestral music, as well as opera, jazz, vocal standards, and show tunes, with a wide variety of methods, studies, and educational materials. We also excel at researching hard-to-get music. Here you can look at music in person and compare different editions and pieces.
The store was opened in 1981 by Lee Newcomer, a violist. Since its inception, it has grown in size, diversity, and scope: with a staff of knowledgeable, helpful musicians. Recently Performers Music has been challenged by the rise of digital sheet music, and budget cuts to schools and community music programs.
A friend introduced me to Lee and Performers Music shortly after I moved to the Chicago area 40 years ago. Soon, a trip downtown wasn’t complete without a visit to the ninth floor of the Fine Arts Building, where I might meet just about anyone in the city’s musical community. I greatly appreciated Lee’s personal interest in his customers; he would call me if he came across a new score that he thought might be of interest. Performers is unique in its service to musicians, all of whom are grateful to Lee for his service, and will miss him.
The owners of music shops retire or pass away and are never replaced. …very sad for the conviviality of music-making life. Make way for Amazon and Thomann and similar globalized business models.
My thoughts go out to his family and friends…I hope his store stays open…I am from Chicago…
doubtful, the city is a ghost town even durin* the DNC
you don’t know what you’re talking about.
i’ve been told by a colleague who has a studio in the fine arts building that performer’s music will stay open, run by lee’s long-time associate.
It’s very sad that stores like this are dying out – every time I went to Chicago I stopped in and never left without a stack of new scores or sheet music. Just like record stores. Somehow, shopping online isn’t nearly as much fun.
Lee was an irreplaceable institution.
I think that too often we take things for granted. When they are no longer, then we feel the loss. This was true for me when during the pandemic shutdowns I missed more than three years of CSO concerts. If I had not picked up the Tribune Oct. 6, I might have missed knowing Lee has passed away. Just knowing makes me appreciate.
Mr. Newcomer was always very welcoming and helpful. I never left his shop without a bunch of sheet music (a lot of things I never heard of!) in my bag. It was one of the places that gave the Fine Arts Building it’s charm and felt like you were a part of something bigger in the music community in Chicago. I’ll miss him and I hope the shop remains open. Please consider donating to the GoFundMe on Performers Music Instagram page to help with funeral expenses because he truly did give every last cent to running the place.
Jessica, you are so thoughtful to note the GoFundMe…
As always, we are on the same web sites, same thought patterns and care about the same things. I love the Fine Arts Building and all the people who make it work as a music community… Lee was just one of the wonderful people who gave so much to the music community
We were friends for many years, and I was honored when he posted my picture on his wall of regular customers. RIP dear Lee.
Thank you Norman for running this item. I have fond memories of Lee from my days working for Schott and Universal Edition where my duties in the early days included visiting music dealers, and appreciate seeing the comments acknowledging his life. Notes on paper are an art.