Matthew Altizer is the manager of Pro Winds, a new woodwind and brass instrument store in Broad Ripple that caters to professional musicians as well as school bands. Altizer says the expansion of the Bloomington Pro Winds store was inspired by a desire to "break into the Indianapolis market and the [local] music scene." Throughout the city, there are "not a lot of options for professional instruments," he continues, explaining the target clientele of the shop. All three of the current employees are professional musicians. They include Altizer, a saxophonist; Rich Dole, a trombonist; and Mina Keohane, a jazz composer and pianist, who performed at last year's art fair.

Pro Winds, the main store in Bloomington, will celebrate its 12th anniversary in August. The store there is located just across the street from the Indiana University School of Music and, as a result, has created a very close relationship with professors and their students, who come looking for a particular instrument or for needed accessories. Altizer attributes to the IU ties of the mother store the renown that the Pro Winds company has received as "one of the premiere music shops in the country."

The Broad Ripple shop offers many well-known instrument brands, including Selmer, Conn, Yamaha, King, Bach, and Jupiter, but many more still are available via the Bloomington store, which operates a mail-order service. Pro Winds doesn't "shy away from any of the odd instruments" either, continues Altizer. "It's hard to beat our prices."

Among the rarer horns offered are valve trombones (even one in the key of C), bass and piccolo trumpets, and all saxophones from soprano (curved- and straight-bell) to bass. While student and intermediate models are available, Pro Winds is taking the different approach to that of most music stores by also offering professional-grade hardware with an expanding array of student-focused items. Many other stores are the reverse, with just a few professional options.

The Broad Ripple store does not offer lessons, but hopes to compile an in-store listing of musicians who offer lessons around the city. Minor repairs can be taken care of at the store, and Altizer hopes that soon instrument repairers from the Bloomington shop will make regular visits here to do quick-fixes. Sale on consignment for used instruments is another option available to Indianapolis musicians in-store.

Says Altizer, "[We're] hoping to focus on the community and Indianapolis as a whole, and then bring all the musicians together in one central location where they can find whatever they need. The area's been wonderful for us; it's a great community. It only goes up from here." Pro Winds has indicated that they plan on working closely with The Jazz Kitchen in the future on clinics and other events.

Sometime when you are eating at the News Cafe (where lots of musicians hang out) drop in at Pro Winds, just two doors north.