June 16th, 2025

Greetings folks,

      This past Saturday was a day of healing. No I’m not talking about protests that were across the country or a big military/birthday March in the city of Washington DC. It was a day of healing for us at Bernunzio Uptown Music and for our family, personally. On Saturday morning, we had a fantastic workshop with Steve Greene. Old friends came from far distances just to spend some time with Steve, who had been away from the public eye for the past six years. Steve was a well-known player in town and accompanied many bands from soft jazz to heavy metal (in his early days!). He really hadn’t played out or done any kind of work since Covid hit. On Saturday, he was in his element at the back room of Bernunzio‘s talking about guitar, talking about obscure chords and talking about music. Afterwards. Steve sent me a text and said thanks for the chance to heal. I’m so happy to be part of that process.

   Then, on Saturday afternoon, we celebrated the life of my father-in-law, Henry Schnepf, at the Unitarian Church in Rochester. It’s the same place Julie and I were married, nearly 40 years ago. I had not been back since. It was a beautiful service and my daughter Kara spoke and Julie spoke and Henry’s 8 year old great-grandson Merrick gave a tender remembrance …it was a moment of sorrow but also healing….from the wound of death. But death is not final. He is gone in his physical presence, but we can feel his strong hand on our shoulders… guiding us in this way…. through us, through his friendships, through his children, through his grandchildren and his great grandchildren…. he has attained eternal life. Rest peacefully now, your work is done.

    On the storefront, Bernunzio’s has been very, very active. We have had a plethora of incredible vintage guitars coming through the doors and many more on the way. It is a transitionary time in the business where the old guard is starting to give up some of the hoarde of instruments that they have kept and treasured. So the cycle starts again with guitars that are now 100 years old and fine playing condition to be treasured by a new generation Look to our website. June is always an exciting month…it is the time of the Rochester International Jazz Festival as well as, perhaps,…a special sale…

With peace,   

John Bernunzio 

HENRY SCHNEPF: SEPT 4, 1934- JUNE 2, 2025

June 2nd, 2025

Greetings folks,

    It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of my father-in-law, Henry Schnepf. He was a "man’s man"… hard-working, and liked to do man’s work (BUT he taught it all to his only daughter, Julie….even giving her an axe for Christmas one year!). He chopped down trees, heated with wood, ate big steaks, drank spirits and ground stumps. Even though he was an engineer by trade and education, he left that cushy office job at age 50 to take up the occupation of stump grinder. It was more suitable to his personality. He liked the outdoors, and he could never stand being cooped up in an office. And so it was that when I met the love of my life 40 years ago…I came to know and respect her dad, the stump grinder. He and his wife Barbara worked together, along with owning and managing a small campground in Branchport, NY on Keuka Lake. They were married for 69 years and were leaders of a large, loving and diverse clan. He was the son of German immigrants, and he never forgot where he came from, nor his principles upon which he based his life. He cared for nature, he cared for small animals and he cared most of all for his family. I will miss him, especially sitting out on the porch in the early evening, having a nice cold bourbon Manhattan…so I raise a glass to the man, who, at 90 years old was worried about his credit score and two days before his passing asked his dear daughter, Julie, to bring home a large container of mixed nuts and a six pack of Yuengling beer! Oh Henry….I will miss you….

    On Friday, my daughter Kara, and I traveled down to the Washington DC area in order to attend a concert at the Wolftrap Performing Arts Center on Saturday night. A few months ago she had told me that she had a dream that she and I had gone to a Paul Simon concert. I told her that was very nice, but then she told me that when she woke up, she bought tickets. So there you have it… an early Father’s Day for me and to be together with my firstborn for an entire weekend, was just an unbelievably great experience.   

With peace,   

John Bernunzio

Friday, I had the opportunity to wheel around the corner from the store and attend World Heritage Day at my daughter Kara’s school, The World of Inquiry School. The kids brainstormed back in October and have been planning this schoolwide event since then. There are kids from so many different cultures attending that school and they all wanted to share something special from their homeland. It was simply a beautiful heartwarming experience.

From African cloth, to Pakistani hand drawings, to foods from far away lands… everyone had a story to tell and share.

another smashing event for Mrs. Miller, a great master teacher and my daughter…