From Tires To Tunes: Local Musicians Plan To Honor One Of Their Own & Create A New Musical Space In Bangor

For over 50 years, the family-run business of Bangor Tire operated out of a garage on Market Street in Bangor. While the business originally started on Franklin Street, it spent a decade on Market Street before ultimately moving to its current location, Coldbrook Road in Hermon, back in 2021.

Future Jori-Lynn Studios, Cori Skall

Following Bangor Tire's exit,  Bob Briggs and his family moved their business, Center Line Utility Service, to the location, but it only utilizes a few of the garage bays. Briggs's wife, Jori-Lynn, played with a small group of musicians called the Bangor Ensemble, so he offered to let the group set up in some of the office space to practice.

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A little over a year ago, Jori-Lynn passed away suddenly, and the Bangor Ensemble became the Jori-Lynn Ensemble in her honor.

The group wanted to create a musical scholarship to honor her as well, and when they were talking about it, inspiration hit, and the idea to create a musical studio space and name it after her came about.

All of a sudden, this unused space, that was just kind of sitting there, had a new life and purpose.

Read More: After Decades In The City, Bangor Tire Moving To Hermon

Two local musicians have been spearheading the effort, ensuring that the building will soon be filled with tunes instead of tires!

Lisa Cooley and Claude Junkins are working to turn this former automotive garage into a future space for musicians to practice or perform: The Jori-Lynn Studios.

brass-colored trumpet

Junkins recently posted on a local Bangor Artists & Musicians Network Facebook Page, and the buzz immediately began to spread.

"We are in the process of creating new music instruction, rehearsal, and recital space.
Very reasonable rates, excellent parking, and accessible. Teach instrument or voice?
Looking for a practice location - we may be able to help. Staffed always."

Future Jori-Lynn Studios, Cori Skall

Cooley, who will serve as the organization's Music Director, says the vision is to provide not only the space, but possibly storage down the road for folks to bring in their instruments and gear to make music.

"We are thinking of it as a multi-use studio space. The large space will be available first, and smaller spaces for lessons or practice will be available further on...We will be available for all kinds of rehearsals, but we don't have equipment that other rehearsal studios have. I believe that we will have storage space."

brown violin with brown violin bow beside white electronic keyboard

Junkins, a retired project manager from the University of Maine system who also teaches trumpet, says the goal is to make the space feel less like a garage and more like a music space, and that could take a couple of months.

"The family is letting us use the space. I'm doing some work in here...and it's getting there...getting the place softened up and making the place less hollow, from a tire room with a concrete floor to a place with some rugs. We've gotten quite a few people who have responded to the notice...We had one lady who has about 45 piano students, and she wants to be able to move the lessons out of her house, so we hope to be able to accommodate her. "

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"We have a couple of pianos, one electric and one upright."

Junkins says he hopes to be able to take some donations of instruments, in the future, that could be refurbished and loaned out to students.

"Hopefully students who are not getting the music lessons they want and can't find them will look at this place as a nice place to come, easy parking, wide-open, well lit and secured and monitored, that they would be more apt to spend more time practicing."

selective focus photography of red drum set

He says there's a lot of potential in the space that could be helpful to young musicians and music instructors alike. He sees a future with some great after-school access to musical programs and a space for newly formed bands or groups to gather.

Junkins says the goal is to get things up and running by the New Year, but Cooley says she's hoping to be able to give the public a little sneak peek mid-December.

"This is all very preliminary. However, save the date: December 19th we will have an open house/ holiday celebration at the studio."

Future Jori-Lynn Studios, Cori Skall

Junkins says the Open House will feature some holiday tunes and the Jori-Lynn Ensemble.

If you are interested in helping with the process, in setting up some lessons, or in donating to the cause, you can reach out to Junkins by phone. His phone number is (207) 949-3873.