About Us

Our Values

At the Violin Shop Tampa, we stand for these values:

  • Honesty: providing you a truthful perspective and opinion on potential instruments
  • Integrity: with honesty comes consistency in the way we handle business - we will always maintain our word to our customers
  • Love for Music: we will always share a love for music and the instruments that connect others to it

Our Mission

Honesty, integrity and a love for music drives us to all things classical strings, and by making your needs our needs, we strive to help you find an instrument you love so you can love your music. 

About Us

We know you want to be a skilled, lifelong musician. In order to do that, you need a better quality instrument that will support your advancing skill level. The problem is, it’s hard to find someone (besides your teacher) to find the right instrument that will help you grow to the next level which makes you feel frustrated.

Being limited by something you can’t control - like an instrument you’ve outgrown - isn’t fun. We believe you should be able to experience your full potential as a musician, not be limited by your instrument. We understand what it feels like to be limited in your expression and musicianship by the wrong instrument for you.

Every single one of us at Violin Shop Tampa is an orchestral musician who is actively playing, teaching or both. Our staf has over 250 years of combined experience playing their instruments, and we also have an in-store workshop with three trained violin makers who have over 90 years of combined luthier experience. We’re here to help you find the perfect instrument for you and to help you keep it maintained and sounding amazing.

The Process

Here’s how we do it - first, visit our shop in person to see all the amazing instruments we have available. Then, work with our expert staf to figure out which instrument is perfect for you and the way you play. You can try as many instruments as you want before you buy - we’ll even let you take your favorite home for a week to give it a real test run.

Finally, when you get your new instrument home, you’ll be thrilled with how it feels to play again. So visit us in person or online and find your instrument, but in the meantime, download our free resource outlining 5 Ways to Know You’re Ready for a New Instrument so you can stop feeling frustrated and stuck as a musician and start feeling the confidence and empowerment that comes from playing an instrument that feels like you!

 

Meet the Team

  • Dereck Coons

    Dereck is a Master luthier with over 20 years of experience. He is excited to bring his passion and skill set to the greater Tampa Bay area by offering storefronts in both Tampa and Sarasota, something that has been long overdue in this area! Dereck began his journey at Indiana University's prestigious Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana 1996.

  • Ethan Morency

    Ethan is a violinist with over 22 years of experience, and also a skilled luthier with 16 years of experience in orchestral instrument repair. A native Floridian, he is excited to bring two full-service instrument shops to the greater Tampa Bay area, a service greatly needed within the stringed community! Ethan is a University of South Florida graduate where he obtained his Bachelor's of Science degree in finance and marketing.

  • Francesco Muci

    Francesco is a professional luthier with over 18 years of experience, and we are excited to have him and his diverse experience on our team! He is originally from Morlupo, Italy, a small town just north of Rome.

    Francesco graduated from the International Luthier School of Cremona’s three year violin and bow making program in 2001. The prestigious program has also adopted the name, International Professional Institute of Violin Making and Woodcraft, and it has been in operation in Cremona, Italy, since 1938.

  • Mikel Thomas

    Mikel is a professional cellist who has been playing for 18 years, as well as teaching advanced students in a studio setting for the past 5 years. A Texas native, Mikel brings us a broad range of experience as a performer and we are excited to have him on the Team! Mikel obtained his Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from the Boston Conservatory and later studied at University of South Florida where he received his Master of Music, also in Cello Performance.

  • Tim Roy

    Tim is a Florida native and has been playing upright bass for the past four years. We are excited to have him on our team. Tim is a graduate of the USF jazz studies program, and is also a 2013 graduate from Brevard Community College in Melbourne, where he obtained his Associate of Arts degree. He previously played guitar for four years, and had the opportunity to study jazz guitar and music theory under Michael Leasure, a guitarist/composer who specializes in jazz, classical, and acoustic guitars and original compositions.

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