About us

Mission Statement

We are a family owned and operated store dedicated to providing fine string instruments and accessories at bargain prices to both students and professionals in the area. We have an excellent selection of rental instruments and offer lessons in the store for any age and experience. With our knowledge of string instruments, we are able to do repairs for your instrument or help you find anything new you may need. We are passionate about music and serving the community through education, performance, and a commitment to excellence. We offer the largest selection of merchandise for the string musician at the lowest prices that you will find anywhere else in the area - guaranteed!

 

About the Owner

Born and raised in Louisville, Patty Story started her string career in the Louisville Catholic Youth Orchestra system and then the Louisville Youth Orchestra. With inspirational tutelage from some of the most respected private and ensemble teachers in the area, Patty soon decided that her passion was for string playing and orchestral music. Her studies were with Renato Mastropoalo, Rubin Sher and Arvo Aho; at the University of Louisville, Virginia Schneider, and Paul Kling; and at what was then called Memphis State, she studied with David Becker.

During Patty’s early years of study with Virginia Schneider, Virginia was one of the three American teachers who first went to Japan to scout, study and then bring Talent Education, or the Suzuki Method, to America. Virginia eagerly shared all the information she had learned and that student/teacher relationship opened the door for Patty to study and then teach the Suzuki method with some of the top string educators of the time and at some of the leading Talent Education workshops.

At the University of Louisville, Patty’s Suzuki viola program, which began as the basis of her graduate music education degree there, was the first in the nation, having started the certified program before the music was even in manuscript form. It was during this time that Patty met her husband, Bob Story, who is a cellist and who started the highly successful Suzuki cello program at the University. Both programs still flourish there today.

Aside from teaching at the university, Patty also taught strings at the Kentucky School for the Blind and was a full time violist for 10 years in the Louisville Orchestra. Because Bob wanted to help with his family-owned business in Paducah, the Storys moved to Paducah where they both joined the Paducah Symphony Orchestra. After taking time off to raise her two sons, Patty resumed teaching again in the year 2000 in the St. Mary School system where she continued teaching beginning strings, middle school orchestra and advanced orchestra until retiring in 2018. Beginning in 2011, Patty conducted the reinstituted Paducah Youth Orchestra and Sinfonia groups. Just as her orchestra experiences shaped her, she firmly believes in the importance of music education to change the lives of young musicians in our region.

Mrs. Story has been playing over 30 years in the PSO, where she was principal violist for most of that time. She was previously principal violist in the Jackson (TN) Symphony for 14 years, and plays and contracts musicians for Serenade Strings.

Though no longer teaching, you will still find Patty at Symphony Supply, her business catering solely to the needs of string instrument players in a five state region as well as on the internet. She began the business in 1996, and it continues to serve local strings players - especially students - to this day.