Today we’d like to introduce you to Derek Sharp (D#).
Hi Derek, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I managed a drum shop in Topeka in the mid 90s for a store in KC that wanted to branch out. I bought it in 1998 and a subsequent location in 2000 that they had opened in Lawrence. What I bought were drum-n-guitar shops, so I hired guitar managers who know and grow that side while I stick to my drum roots — didja notice that the name of the place is an anagram of Percussion? Supersonic has all the same letters…
Also in the year 2000 I began TreeHouse Custom Drums in the workshop of the Topeka location which makes professional instruments used by folks all over the planet. I’ve shipped to 6 continents and every US state. US Military groups, Touring Broadway Musical troupes, Symphony Orchestras, Colleges & Universities, Pro Players, Students & Collectors, High Schools & Middle Schools, Just Dudes in their basements all are examples of TreeHouse’s clientele.
Supersonic Music as a bricks-n-mortar endeavor strives to provide expertise and be a resource for local and regional players, students, churches & schools, hobbyists and pros alike. We specialize in drums and guitars as well offer keyboards and sound reinforcement such as mics and PA mixers.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This is a high-volume/low-profit enterprise. I’m sure many entrepreneurs out there wouldn’t’ve wanted to slog through the first decade taking home very little as I did, but now there’s stability 27 years later with no debt besides the mortgage. Very slow but consistent growth allows the lights to stay on and everyone’s paid on time.
I gotta say, there’ve been a couple of slowdowns such as the late 90s recession/real estate bubble and COVID slowdown, but it’s all about attitude: gross sales were down about $50K but profit was up about 3% for one year of the recession as I analyzed and cut a few slow-performing and rude suppliers; March 2020-Feb 2021 showed my family living off of savings (down to 5%), but there were no closures or layoffs while March 2021 was the biggest month in the history of the store which refilled all the coffers. Instead of worrying or moaning about conspiracy theories or whatever, there was this thing to clean or that project to do. Those who enjoyed the complaining I viewed, during break time, in a folding chair with a bag of popcorn, enjoying the entertainment as none of us are at a high enough vantage to see all the moving parts so as to really know…
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
While the physical stores demand most of my time, I really enjoy the expression of craftsmanship I get to display with the drum building. I don’t have Michelangelo’s carving skills or Vermeer’s painting skills, but my legacy — besides my kids — are these instruments I’ve created that their owner’s grandkids could play long after I’m gone. Besides recharging my introversion in the Drumgeon so I can face the public with some degree of social normativity, working with TreeHouse’s clients have taken me to Broadway Musicals, countless festivals and backstages, conferences and conventions in the US and Europe, and is a general hoot all around!
About 12 years ago, Danny called in a kerfuffle. He’d played at the same club in New York 2 or 3 times in the past, always a double-date gig, but this one was different. Instead of Friday-Saturday engagements, this was a Saturday-Sunday engagement. Unbeknownst to him, the nearby subway station closed at midnight on Sundays. So there he was, 1am hauling his drumset cart, all squeeky-wheeled, down the street looking for another station. He finds one, then discovers that the elevator is out of order at his home station. Hauling the cart one step after another up to street level, a wheel falls off and R-rated words appear. I get the “HELP!?!” call and respond with “get at tape measure and tell me your world.
I asked him to measure the width of the turnstile opening leading to the subway, get on a bus and turn 90 degrees toward the seats, open a taxi trunk to check a Crown Victoria’s boot opening…whatever the tape measure shows is the snuggest openings = how big the case can be = info in my mind of how big the biggest bass drum could be of a drumset that Russian Dolls. That is, all the drums fit into one case. Thus, with a backpack of stands and pedals, a bag of cymbals, and this single case, a complete drumset could be transported in one trip.
I have a truck and a back yard. It never dawned on me, “how would a guy living on the 17th floor in the Big City get his drums to his gig when he doesn’t own a vehicle?” 9 months of prototyping including sending Beta Test kits to guys in the City, a college professor and an abusive drummer with the instructions “try to make it fail” revealed a few needed edits and the Compact Nesting Kit was born. It doesn’t count if they’re just clever but sound gross; these are professional instrument with proper components and workmanship which just happen to come apart for easy transport. Now, about 60% of the inquiries coming to TreeHouse are about Nesting Kits.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
While some stores online charge less or charge more than the prices on my products, one can never get their guitar strings changed or drumhead replaced by punching “buy it now” at 2am. Go into a real store. Smell the 120-yr-old stone walls dusting the place as we chase to keep it clean. Engage with folks who have the passion and might have played the same instrument longer than you’ve been alive. Not everyone in such settings is out to screw the customer (the “used car salesman” malignment that folks who work in stores get assigned sometimes needs to relax).
We had our favorite famous players and their drums-n-guitar posters on our bedroom walls when we were kids! We’re passionate about what we do, and I dare say, decades of experience is not the same as “researching” by doing a Google search to see what peers’ opinions are. I’m not saying that we’re better than, I’m saying that we’re a legitimate card to put into play, that is, do your research and find your preferences out there and in here. Place all the info you get like playing cards on the table, sifting out what doesn’t apply and then pick up your hand. Folks who work in music stores ought to take the time to listen to what you’re after and help you, not just try to sell what’s overstocked behind their counters — and I think we do that.
If those visits don’t occur, mom-n-pop shops across the country will continue to wither away, as well the immense treasure trove of expertise that congregates there. It’s not just the employees, it’s the hang. Meet other customers to expand your experiences. Go to their shows. Invite them to yours. Strengthen real-world community by hanging with other musicians. Wanna be a better tennis player? Play with someone that stomps you on the court. The difference here is that it’s not a competition as we all want more and better music!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.supersonicmusic.com and www.treehousedrums.com
