The downtown area of Waukegan is undergoing a huge revitalization. Part of the city's vision involves music and making the downtown a fun and safe place to hang out. There are numerous new restaurants and clubs and the newly renovated Waukegan Harbor. A welcome addition to the community is Family Piano, just down the street from the Genesee Theater, a premiere concert venue in the area.

Given Waukegan's small downtown feel—a few restaurants, bars, a police station and other standard small town businesses—one wouldn't expect to find a complex containing a premier piano showroom, a coffee shop complete with a seven-foot Yamaha piano tuned to perfection, seating for about forty people and very enthusiastic owners. But that is what awaits you in Waukegan at Family Piano and Joplin's Java Cafe.

Family Piano is a dream-come-true for two piano technicians that got fed up with the sterile environments that surround typical piano stores. Meet Alice Alviani and Mark MacLeod, two people who made their dream a reality and are now helping people, not just in Waukegan but throughout the Chicagoland area, learn to play music and own quality instruments.

MacLeod and Alviani first met in August of 2005 through their involvement within the piano industry and quickly became close friends. After years of working as piano technicians they decided to combine forces and create a company that would be honest with people about pianos and help families make the right make an educated decision when it comes to the purchase of a piano.

Taking nearly forty years of combined day to day piano tuning and technical experience MacLeod and Alviani opened the doors to the Family Piano Company in November of 2006 in Waukegan, just a few blocks from where Alviani, her husband Frank and their children have lived for many years.

Alviani and MacLeod chose the name, "Family Piano," because they genuinely want their customers to feel like they are a part of their family. When you enter the store you can talk to hands-on owners who really want to earn your trust. Family Piano boasts a wide variety of new grand and upright pianos, from their flagship Sauter and Perzina lines, to Steinberg, Ebel, Falcone, Pearl River and Ritmuller, and a variety of refurbished pianos, both starters and fine vintage instruments. "We aren’t salespeople, we’re Mark and Alice, piano technicians. Our clients allow us to provide service for them, for which we are very grateful," notes MacLeod, "If it’s a crime to be brutally honest with people regarding our pianos, then so be it. What we’re interested in accomplishing is finding the right bench for the right butt!"

Quickly realizing that the showroom space wouldn't allow them to have recitals, or to have daily teaching MacLeod and Alviani quickly expanded another 1400 square feet and created a separate space complete with a coffee bar alongside the teaching studios. The new space is named Joplin's Java Cafe and is becoming a hangout for hip artists, filmmakers, and musicians alike.

Joplin's Java Cafe is a unique coffee shop, in that it has a seven-and-a-half-foot Yamaha C7 concert grand piano adorning its floor. MacLeod and Alviani will soon be replacing it, however: they are rebuilding a nine-foot, four-inch Mason & Hamlin concert grand for the cafe. This "Steinertone" grand is one of just a few ever made, and should be in place by the summer of 2008

Family Piano now has two teaching studios, and is accepting new students on a daily basis. They are also working on starting early childhood classes and may add vocal and instrument instruction and band and orchestra instrument rentals.

With a wonderful piano and plenty of room Joplin's Java Cafe, which was completed in October 2007, has begun to host numerous jazz, classical and even rock performances. One of the most exciting new performance series is the Chicago Jazz Magazine and WDCB 90.9 FM sponsored "Up and Coming Jazz Jam Session" hosted by Mike Jeffers, Nick Schneider and Chris White. This monthly jam session, which more most of the evening actually feels more like a clinic, was developed by Family Piano and Chicago Jazz Magazine as a way to teach beginning and advanced students the importance of learning tunes, playing solos and working with a rhythm section.

"The first night the Mike Jeffers Trio came for the jazz jam session was magical. His trio was the first jazz night we had, and I had to keep from getting all teary-eyed." Says MacLeod, "Seeing Joplin's Java come to life was pretty special. All the concerts we’ve had have had their own special moments, but you never forget your first one."

This is also a great way for students to get to see a professional jazz trio live in action. Most of the exposure junior high and high school students have to jazz is what they receive from the band program. Often times when students experience a live concert by accomplished musicians they become more motivated and make great strides on their instrument. Having something like this in the Northern suburbs could have a big impact on a young musical career.

"Each session gets more and more exciting. The musicians that are coming out are taking what they learned at the session home with them and are really motivated to make improvements for the next month," according to Mike Jeffers. "We always try to make sure the students take a few new tunes home to learn, give them specific things to work on, and we are seeing steady improvement each session." This is a jam session not just for beginning students. There are always more advanced players and professionals that stop by and sit in with the trio. On the night we were there a group from Milwaukee came in and performed a few tunes of traditional ragtime music, complete with a cornet and tuba player.

Joplin's Java Cafe now has a full schedule of performances each month. Other regular performances include the Barry White Trio, D’ Erania Ensemble, and Ayesu Lartey. A complete schedule of events can be found at joplinsjava.com. The "Up and Coming Jazz Jam Session" happens usually the third Wednesday of the month. Check chicagojazz.com or the familypianoco.com sites for all the details.

The musical experience that is available at Family Piano and Joplin's Java Cafe is inspiring. If you wish to hear some great music, have any questions about pianos, or wish to learn to play your instrument at a higher level there is a "family" waiting for you just up the Tri-State from Chicago!