Our story begins in 1933, when Milt Mynett, who was known around town for his band and orchestra instrument expertise, decided to open his own music store. Many successful years passed for Mynett Music, first under Milt’s leadership and later under that of his son Chuck, carrying on the tradition of excellent repairs and service and providing quality rental instruments to students throughout the N
ortheast Indiana region. Our business has become what it is today through the support and generosity of our loyal customers. Take Chuck Surack, an accomplished saxophone player and local entrepreneur who had long been a customer of Mynett Music. When it looked as though Mynett Music might close in 2016, the founder of Sweetwater, the largest online music retailer in the nation, stepped in. Chuck Surack recognized our commitment to providing the best experience to our customers, and his mission to always do the right thing for our community compelled him to keep the only locally owned band and orchestra retailer running. In June of 2021, Mynett Music became Sweetwater Band & Orchestra. This change brought about a move to Sweetwater’s main campus to better serve the local music community and to support music education in the Fort Wayne area and beyond. The new location brought about a dramatically larger selection of instruments and accessories, an expanded service-and-repair department, one-of-a-kind demo rooms with acoustic enhancement, and easy access to Sweetwater’s Academy for private lessons along with all the amenities of the Sweetwater campus.
