There is a long history behind Diplomate Musique. This music store opened on Beaubien in 1959 and became Diplomate Musique in 1972. Franco Amante was a local musician playing in Montreal when he took a job at the store in 1978. Approximately 10 years later, the owners decided to sell and Franco went from musician to entrepreneur, although he doesn’t see himself as a businessman selling musical instruments, but as a musician running a business. “It’s passion that keeps me going. You have to be passionate about your work,” explains Franco. “That makes the long hours we put in very easy to handle because we are working in the field we love to work in. We love working with people. Music is our life.”
Music is always a priority at Diplomate Musique. The store is staffed with people who are experts in their craft. “The main thing is that we are ex-musicians,” says Franco. “We got involved in this type of business because we wouldn’t want to do anything else. We work as a business, but it’s not handled like a regular business. When you don’t make a purchase in a regular store, you bother the owner. Here, it’s not like that. We enjoy each other’s opinions, ideas, and experiences.”