Carillon Music has been an iconic business within Newton for decades bringing music and culture into the community. Specializing in piano and organ sales, Carillon Music opened in Newton in September 1970 by Roy Hepworth and a partner. Prior to opening the business, Roy and his wife relocated to Newton from the USA where Roy worked as a helicopter pilot for a mining company for 17 years. Aviation was a passion for Roy, obtaining his pilot license at the young age of 16. It was his first love and he hoped to open up a helicopter business as he always dreamed of having his own business, however, he realized it was not the most viable option for him. From then he moved onto his next passion, music. Roy was a music hobbyist with a particular interest in pianos and church organs from where he decided to open up Carillon Music. Roy’s partner had decided to leave the company after less than a year, so Roy and his wife bought his shares and became full owners. During the first four years of operation, Roy continued to fly in the summers with the mining company to avoid drawing wages from Carillon. By 1975 Carillon Music had grown to where it could start paying Roy and Frieda enough wages to live on. The business has now been in Newton for over 45 years.

Pianos and home organ products, coupled with a major music teaching program crowned Carillon Music’s beginnings. Along with regular piano and organ private and group lessons, Carillon Music introduced a children’s group ear training courses that had not been available in the area. It started out with 49 students the year it was introduced and in the second year it had 117 students with some coming from Abbotsford and some from Bellingham, Washington. It is still a major area of Carillon’s music teaching programs. Carillon has had over 30,000 students start their music experience with them, impacting many lives within the community and creating a solid space for the arts within Newton.

Carillon has also been holding festivals since 1994 providing academy students an opportunity to showcase their talent. Carillon puts on two festivals a year, the Contemporary Piano Festival taking place February 13 – 28, 2016 and the Carillon Music Festival taking place April 16 – May 1, 2016. “Our teaching programs are our largest outreach,” says Roy, “selling things like pianos, organs, etc. is very interesting but watching young people develop musically is very emotionally rewarding.” The teaching not only goes along with the lessons but also with the sales of their products. Roy also believes that if they sell a product that needs instruction they should also give the instruction, a mantra they started out with and still do today. Carillon Music’s passion and commitment to customers and community is what has kept them going for over 40 years.

Carillon Music has established itself here in Newton, Surrey, the Lower Mainland, and all the way to Washington. With a long history of success, Roy hopes to see their music lessons expand and sales increase to give an expanded financial base. “Newton has been good to us and for this I am also very thankful. We look forward to when criminal activity is minimized and the area is lifted to a safer and more prosperous neighborhood. We have lived and worked in the Newton area since 1963, we believe in the area’ s possibilities, and are thrilled to be part of its exciting future!” Carillon’s dedication to music and the amount of children they have taught here in Newton has been a very important part of community building. Carillon’s investment in Newton and the community has only been positive and they have become a landmark within Newton (their building is shaped as a piano!). Today, Carillon continues to fill all musical needs, so stop by and support your local business! No matter what your age or skill level, Carillon has a class for you and is always there to meet your musical needs with love and passion.