November 11th, 2024

Good mornings folks,

          In light of last week’s election and the turmoil and division that has spawned in some states, cities, towns and families, I thought it would be appropriate if I made a statement about where Bernunzio Uptown Music stands in the scheme of things….whew.  No, I am not talking about political endorsements or rhetoric, I am talking about what matters to us. More important than the income we earn (which frankly supports us and our staff in a modest lifestyle), we value the friendships that we have made through the common love we have shared for fine old American instruments. Of course the same goes for the music that is played on them.

        Beyond this, we stand for equality for those who are different from us because, in fact, we are different. We’ve always taken a different path. Both Julie and I never took the straight and narrow plan for existence, so we support those who are different. Often these are the folks who find their way into our store. We embrace their differences and we want them to know that they are always welcome in the space we occupy.

     Another issue that we firmly stand by is immigration. I am the son of an immigrant and I feel strongly about this issue. Immigrants came to America over the course of our history and each time, they performed the hard, physical labor that created our infrastructure. They dug the canal, they cleared the roads, they built the railroads. This is what has made America great and I fear for those immigrants who, in more compassionate times, we called refugees.

      Bernunzio Uptown Music stands on the side of education. As a 20 year veteran of the public education system, with two daughters proudly carrying on the tradition, I have  strong feelings about teaching children. Some folks are worried that children are getting brainwashed in classrooms today. I will tell you that if we have the ability to brainwash kids, teaching would be a piece of cake. If teachers could control kids minds, then it would certainly be easy to get all the required information in there. It just does not happen. Kids are resistant. Bernunzio has always supported school programs in the city of Rochester as well as private education and teaching studios.

      At Bernunzio’s, we believe in protecting environment. We believe that people should clean up after themselves rather than leave a mess for the next generation. We have traveled worldwide and we have seen the effects that humans have had on the environment. As masters of the planet, we must use scientific knowledge to do everything we can to protect the planet  for the next generation.

       Next to education, we consider health care to be an existential right of everyone in our country and that it is the duty for everyone to contribute to the common good.

      Bernunzio Uptown Music always stands for non-violence. I have spoke my mind many times about war. There never has a war that has really been won.  If a war was won we would not still be fighting. America has been at war my most of my 77 years of living, and that makes me feel very apprehensive about the future, not my future, but my grandchildren.

     So these are the thoughts that I leave you. It is a statement of our beliefs, which we hope the folks who eventually take the business over from us will carry on. I’m considering taking a break from John’s Corner for a few months as I am planning a trip to the homeland.

 With peace,

John Bernunzio

This is the painting called Guernica by Pablo Picasso. Created in 1937, during World War II it is considered to be the most moving anti-war painting in history. I had a print of it hanging in my college dormitory room.

My peaceful spot, the end of the Bluff looking to the south end of Keuka Lake