The Star Valley Chamber of Commerce has named Mountain Music in Afton its September Business of the Month, recognizing the family-operated shop for its years of service to local musicians, students and schools.

Mountain Music owner James Arbizu said the business has been part of the community since 2013, when he purchased Pat’s Music. “We’ve been open since 2013,” Arbizu said. “We bought out Pat’s Music. He was great at helping us learn the ropes.”

Since then, the business has developed into a retail shop, lesson center and instrument-rental resource. Arbizu said the store expanded so musicians would have a dependable place to find supplies. “We decided to open up a little more of a shop that’s available on regular hours,” he said, adding that the goal was  to expand retail access “so that when people needed strings and reeds and that sort of thing, there’s a place to come for that.”

For Arbizu, whose career began in music education, the store has remained closely connected to the needs of young musicians. “I came to Star Valley as a music teacher here and had a great time,” he said. Eventually, operating the business became his full-time focus. “I got a little busy and I had to quit one, and the bank wouldn’t let me quit the loan,” he joked. “So, as it turns out, I went full-time business, and it’s been great.”

The business is also a family endeavor. Arbizu’s son, Hiram, has taken on much of the store management while teaching guitar, violin and cello. Hiram said his upbringing around music gave him an early opportunity to explore instruments. “It was really nice because I got to test different instruments,” he said. “I started on violin when I was really young, having parents that were music teachers.”

Mountain Music also provides lessons, rentals and school support throughout the region. James Arbizu said the company works with schools “from Evanston to Mountain View and Lyman, all the way up to Jackson.” During one recent visit to Jackson, the team was preparing to help “about 100 students start the program up there between an elementary orchestra and the band.”

Affordable rentals are particularly important for families whose children are trying an instrument for the first time. “It’s expensive to pay $1,000 for a band or an orchestra instrument just to see if the kid wants to try it,” Arbizu said. Most rentals range from $15 to $30, and families can return instruments when needed. “We don’t lock people in,” he said. “We want to help people out.”

As Mountain Music continues serving Star Valley and surrounding communities, Arbizu describes the work simply: “It’s really been a labor of love.”