I came to Saint Louis in 1974 to attend Webster College and was a worshipper of popular acoustic guitar music of the day. I was looking to become some combination of James Taylor, John Renbourn, Leo Kottke, Michael Johnson, early Donovan and Joni Mitchell. I didn't really know much about traditional music. I had won a Woody Guthrie songwriting contest in High School, but I was really unschooled about the real world of traditional songs and instrumental music. I was pretty full of myself and fancied myself, the bomb with a dreadnought in hand.

I wandered into Music Folk and happened upon the then-weekly, impromptu traditional jams that were definitely old school, old time string band jams on tunes that I had heard on Doc Watson records, and here are all these local guys, mostly big brothers and sisters to me in age, playing the tar out of their instruments. Bob Brozman, Larry Sugarman, Jim Renz, Steve Mote, Bob Abrams, Thayne Bradford, and others. I was entranced and humbled to my knees.

What was this place? A music store with a community of players playing at the level that I heard on record. These were the store's teachers and local pros. I came to the Saturday afternoon thing often, and would sit down with an acoustic and attempt to keep up with them, just chording to the tunes. They guys were so good, and this store had this ambiance. It was a cultural point of Focus.

I finished my music degree, became mostly a classical guitarist, and Janet hired me to teach at the store. This was 1978. It was such a trusting family operation. Teachers grabbed their own wages out of the register. Janet and Bill were sometimes parent-like to their employees. If you came to work appearing dissheveled, Bill would throw a new T-shirt at you to upgrade your professional "wardrobe"
I finally became a bit more of a traditional player eavesdropping on teachers like Jim Renz, and although I was there to teach, I was grabbing my own lessons, but just being there, and witnessing these great players.

When I moved to being more of a full time college teacher, I desperately tried to carve out time to be there one day a week, and when I couldn't anymore, I grieved having to give up my weekly Music Folk hang out day. I was there for about 13 years.

Janet and Bill Boyer had an effect on traditional music in this town that is forever to be noticed. The Focal Point is probably one of the best known rooms in the country for top acoustic touring players. I can't think of any other physical space in this town that is a gathering place for acoustic musicians who love traditional and traditionally-inspired contemporary acoustic music. The store was wisely passed on to Andy and Don Ploof who continue to keep the faith. I wander in on the occasional Saturday afternoon and sometimes find some new young player, playing the tar out of a guitar, banjo or mandolin, and again, I am humbled.

-Peter Clemens