Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center

Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center got its start in 1958 on 12th and H St. NE in downtown Washington, D.C. Chuck along with his wife Marge opened the Washington Music Center not because they were musicians, but because they felt that music was a happy business – they loved the people, they love the energy. Chuck Levin’s earned a reputation for being a must-visit location in the regions for any musician passing through, or more importantly any young musician eager to get their hands on an instrument. The Washington Music Center become an example of honest opinions, reliable advice, personal attention to detail, good will, and customer satisfaction matched with huge inventory and great prices. In April 1968, as riots following the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. tore through the city’s inner core, the entire store was razed to the ground. Chuck, along with his family and the backing of the entire music community, were determined to persevere - and so, the store was reopened just two months later at its current location on Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton, Maryland, where we have been for the last 50+ years. “Chuck’s” soon gained prominence as the industry’s top independent music store. The modest mom and pop shop became a DC institution. No musician could pass through DC without a stop at “Chuck’s.” Chuck’s is truly a family operation, and a great deal of our success is directly attributed to the close working relationship of this family. Following the passing of Chuck and Marge, their two sons, Alan and Robert, daughter, Abbe, took stewardship of the company. Since then, following the unexpected passing of Robert in November 2013, Robert’s son Adam entered the picture to carry the story forward. Chuck Levin’s Washington Music Center now occupies 8 buildings – including 2 show rooms, 4 warehouses, and 4 repair shops and employs 100+ “family members.”