Up to 50% off through weekend 

UPDATED, July 29: DrumConnection  -- bringing together African, Haitian, Cuban, Trinidadian and other cultures under one small roof at 177 Mass. Ave. to sell drums -- is closing this Sunday.

Owner Alan Tauber announced the closing and sale in a social-media post July 25.

"I put my business knowledge and my 61 years of drumming as a schooled musician out there for people to taste these cultures," he wrote. "We also took people to the continent of African each year in November through January for 20 years, hosting these amazing trips. All very successful ventures."

Available are drums, skins, drum kits, cymbals, congas, djembe, dunun, ashiko or doumbeks -- perhaps professional bongo drums. All are new items, he wrote. "We don’t sell used .... We want people to stop by and see our extensive African mask collection, one-of-a-kind jewelry, antique items and more. Bring some spirit into your home!"

DrumConnection hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 8.

"Love to you all who have supported our mission to bring the health benefits of drumming to the community and getting people to come to Arlington to support restaurants and coffee shops on a daily basis. We will miss you!"

Alan and Fanta Keita Tauber

Some background, wisdom from owner

The store has been at its current location for 8 1/2 years, but its history reaches back to 1989 at Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Two years later, Tauber got a studio at Arlington Center for the Arts, not long after it started at the then-closed Gibbs School.

"We have had that wonderful, jam-packed studio for 16 years," Tauber told YourArlington. "We also rented a full classroom space and were housed under the old Arlington gym on Tufts Street from 2006 to 2011.

That was the location of its nightly classes, but then the Leslie Ellis School needed the space, and could pay the town higher rent. "So we left and opened this store for retail and a beautiful air-conditioned classroom and workshop space below us which we built to suit for $50,000," he wrote.

Why close?

As to what factors led to his closing, he was blunt: "Unbelievable rent increases and business expenses." In addition, he noted "a big change in the demographics in Arlington and the Amazon effect."

The effects of Amazon on retail nationwide is well known, but the town's demographics? One would think liberal Arlington is in step with diverse cultures.

"You might think that," he responded, "but we are a bit esoteric --at least people feel that way. Maybe a fault of my marketing?"

The questions seemed remarkably self-effacing for a man known to work hard on many aspects of his business, including marketing.

Who walks by his store? What we see is baby strollers and nanny and mothers and fathers. And dog walkers.

Asked whether he would keep another part of the business after the shop closes, Tauber wrote: "I will still be teaching evening classes in hand drumming, as well as my full staff of teachers in new locations not far from here. Whether it's the Fox Library community room, the new crystal store in the Center, the Munroe Center for the arts in Lexington on Mass. Ave., in other places.

"We expect to get back to our five- to six-nights-a-week classes schedule. I will also be doing private lessons in drum kit, djembe and conga."

Drum repair continues

He added that DrumConnection will also continue and increase its work on drum repair. That basically means putting cow goat mule or calf skins and repairing peoples' djembe drums, conga drums and American drums. Both skin and wood repair.

Asked what he would do next, he wrote, "My intention is in finishing my book on the cultures of the continent of Africa and the drums of passion. Not only a history book but a how to book and the words of the many masters who are my friends from Boston to Africa, to Japan to Alaska!"

Finally, Tauber was asked what suggestions might you make to improve East Arlington business.

"I really don’t know. I would think that people here are looking for good healthy food and juices. Places that offer exercise for people who commute. Even though there are restaurant going out left and right, I do thing it is a smart way to go.

"To see what works here, I would look at other countries and see what they are doing. Amsterdam is a place with a high-quality life experience, and I believe they can be an example for Arlington."

DrumConnection sale discounts plan (in effect)

July 14, 2011: DrumConnection offers educational cadence

 This news announcement was published Tuesday, June 26, 2018, and updated July 25.