Daron Letts
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 16/05) - If there's a fundraiser in the arts community, chances are Fiddles and Stix is among the list of businesses being thanked by organizers.

The store is an active supporter of school music programs, the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre and the music community in general.

Fiddles and Stix owner Jim White holds the red Fender Stratocaster the store is donating as a second prize in the third North of 60 Idol competition. - Daron Letts/NNSL photo

"We feel that a lot of the arts and music organizations are underfunded," said owner Jim White.

White started working at the store in 1996 when it sat in the corner now occupied by the Dogrib Treaty 11 office. The business expanded into its present space, where Tamarack Computers used to be, in 1997.

White purchased the business in 1999 from Phil Lee and Brian Lyons. He renovated the space, painting over the light green walls and reorganizing the display space according to contemporary principles of retail marketing.

The dry Northern climate presents a challenge. White runs two humidifiers in the shop and a third in the guitar storage room 24 hours a day from November to April.

"Eventually we'd like to move to a larger premises when the time is right," he said. "We're a little tight for space."

The stock is now five times what it was when White took over. He focuses on instruments for beginner and intermediate musicians, ordering items from recognized manufacturers with solid warranties.

"We're adding new products all the time and trying to stay current," he said.

The store also carries limited edition guitars to add variety, as well as exotic instruments such as jambe and ashiko drums. However, White said he stays away from high-end, high-priced specialty items, always keeping the beginner and intermediate market in mind.

"There's a misconception among people who move up here that things are automatically cheaper down south and that's really not true," he said. "I encourage people to compare the prices before they buy."

White employs two full-time staff members-his brother Steve, who does repairs, and musician Blair Brezinski, who also hosts the jam sessions at Sam's Monkey Tree Pub.

The store offers beginner and intermediate piano instruction from Lee Ann Anee and guitar lessons from Lindsay Boyd. White is seeking a new violin instructor.