History of Family Piano Co
Why the Piano?
We’ve gone out of business, but we do still maintain that pianos are the backbone of Western music. A piano is a friend for life, and learning to play opens many doors.
Why Customers Loved Us
Our mission was always to support the piano-playing community with high-quality instruments at affordable prices. We also offered our expertise in tuning and repair, and promote music education!
Founder and head tech Alice Alviani (upper left) with vice president Linda Charboneau (right) and president Brendan Alviani (at piano).
Focus on Education
We loved teaching customers about pianos. There's lots to learn so keep asking questions and stay curious.
Play, Play, Play
It's important to play as many pianos as you can to better understand what you like—and what you don't!
Find a Trusted Technician
You'll need your piano serviced at some point. Find a reputable tech early on. It's even a great idea to have them look at any piano before you buy it.
Satisfied Families
Pianos Tuned
Years in Business
Benefits of Piano
3 Reasons to Get a Piano
Get Smart
Learn problem-solving skills. Boost brain development.
Get Kind
Improve your empathy and emotional intelligence.
Get Happy
Reduce stress and anxiety. Gain a healthy outlet for your emotions.
Family Piano’s History
Nov 2006 - Grand Opening
After working out of her garage for years, Alice Alviani founded Family Piano with Mark MacLeod, a good friend and experienced Steinway technician.
The two of them started with a single showroom and a ton of ambition.
Oct 2007 - Joplin's Java
Alice and Mark quickly realized more space was needed for pianos, lessons, concerts — and customers!
So we opened Joplin’s Java next door, a coffee shop inside what became Waukegan’s Sunroom.
While coffee and events were fun, Joplin’s was eventually closed in 2013.
Nov 2010 - Mark Passes, New Management Joins
Mark fought kidney failure for a few years. And while Alice was scheduled to donate one of hers in December 2010, Mark passed suddenly just a few weeks beforehand.
Around this time, Alice’s son, Brendan, and our office manager, Linda, joined the team, both eventually becoming vice presidents.
March 2014 - Kawai Dealer
Saphir’s Pianos was a local Kawai dealer in Wilmette, IL. When they closed, the owner put in a good word for us with Kawai.
Family Piano thus became a reputable Kawai dealer. In 2017, Brendan was even invited to their Hamamatsu factory in Japan for being one of their best salespeople in North America.
Jan 2015 - School of Music
After 8 years of hosting lessons, our teachers were in dire need of space.
So when the Genesee Street storefront became available, we moved in and built 5 more studios.
At its height, Family Piano’s School of Music had over a dozen teachers teaching 200+ students weekly.
Nov 2016 - Riverside Room
Supporting local musicians was always part of what we did.
So when the space downstairs became available, we invested in new equipment and opened the Riverside Room, our dedicated venue.
We closed the venue due to COVID, but Arize Beyond eventually re-opened it, even keeping the name!
Dec 2019 – Niles Location
Alice, Brendan and Linda had been back-and-forth on the idea for a while.
Finally in Fall of 2019, we began the process of opening our second location in the Golf Mill Mall.
We got a lot closer to Chicago and gained even more space for pianos. We kept the same great staff and quality service though!
Sep 2022 – Simplification
Shortly after closing our venue and School of Music, we decided to make another big shift in priorities.
To focus on being the best piano store possible, we stopped selling other musical instruments and sheet music. Full commitment to piano!
Feb 2023 – Management Changes
In early 2023, Alice made the decision to semi-retire and step down from her management role at Family Piano.
Alice’s son Brendan stepped up to the position of President after 13 years of service in the company.
Jan 2025 - Closed Forever
While successful in many ways, financial viability was always shaky.
So in Aug 2024, we began our GOB Clearance Sale to sell 200+ pianos.
In Oct 2024, we closed our Niles location. Our last day at our original Waukegan store was Jan 18th, 2025.
Our Management
Brendan is Alice’s son, and he began in the family business in 2010. He’s worked as a barista, sales rep, sales manager and is now the president!
He’s really knowledgeable about the piano industry — and geeky about AI too!
Brendan Alviani
President
Bringing years of management experience from her previous job at Karnes Music, Linda is the brains behind daily operations.
Ask anyone here, and they’ll agree: Linda’s always right!
Linda Charboneau
VP & Office Manager
A piano technician with 25+ years of experience, Alice has worked all kinds of pianos!
Kind and connected, she loves working to promote the music community and hopes to “save every piano puppy.”
Alice Alviani
Founder & Head Technician
Permanenty Closed as of Jan 2025