Our History
Pfabe’s Music Academy has been a musical beacon for our community for over eighty years. The store was opened in 1946 by a rather frustrated band instructor, Edsel Pfabe.
As a music lover and promoter in his community, he quickly became frustrated by the lack of access to quality instruments. It broke his heart each time he was forced to turn away a child eager to learn the piano or violin because there was no instrument to play.
Edsel felt called to bring music to his community and ensure anyone wishing to play had the chance to. He accomplished this the day he opened the doors of the first Pfabe’s Music Academy Location.
John and Elizabeth Budnik are now the proud owners of Pfabe’s Music Academy. The Budnik family, including their five children, are lifelong students and customers of Pfabe’s. They are honored to keep the traditions of music and mastery alive in our community.
We offer private lessons for Piano, electric and acoustic Guitar, Drums, Bass, Ukulele, Voice and Singing, Violin, and more. Our musically proficient instructors are often skilled at playing multiple instruments—so odds are, if you have an instrument you wish to learn, we have an instructor who can teach it.
Our Mission
We believe that music...
*brings families together
*improves educational outcomes
*and builds confidence!
Our Staff
Erica Rohrbaugh
General Manager
erica@pfabesmusicacademy.com
Gina Perusek
HR Office Manager
gina@pfabesmusicacademy.com
Bill Matuszak
Community Rep
bill@pfabesmusicacademy.com
Courtney Fagan
Painesville Location Manager
courtney@pfabesmusicacademy.com
Painesville store: (440) 357-5513
Bridget Elliott
Willoughby Location Manager
bridget@pfabesmusicacademy.com
Willoughby Store: (440) 497-6050
Meet Edsel the Turtle!
Edsel Pfabe founded Pfabe’s Music in 1946. His goal was to help future generations fall in love with making music. He traveled across Northeast Ohio visiting schools and fairs encouraging young people to take up music. While Edsel is no longer with us, his spirit lives on at Pfabe’s Music Academy. We have created Edsel the Turtle to embody that spirit and inspire young people to fall in love with making music.
We chose a turtle to represent Edsel’s spirit because turtles remind us to slow down and enjoy life. The ability to play music isn’t something that can be learned overnight. Practice shouldn’t be painful if we learn to enjoy the journey and put one foot in front of the other. This is a life long love we are cultivating. Slow and steady wins the race.
We look forward to having you on this journey with us. The journey won’t be easy, but it will be worth it. Music breathes life into everything we do, from movies to video games to sports. It makes commutes go faster and workouts feel shorter. It’s there for us when we fall in love and when we have our hearts broken. Imagine being able to bring music into the lives of those you love. It is an incredible feeling to be able to move people with music that you play for them!
Let’s go on this adventure together!
