In 1968, in a small California town known as Susanville, Gene Cole set out to find a better way to spend his day then making homemade “food commodity” wine and ended up the proprietor of Cole Music Company. After a couple years of enduring the Wednesday night accordion class, who’s specialty ironically was “Sounds of Silence”, he moved the operation to the accordion free territory of Sonora California.

After 4 years serving Tuolumne County, Gene sold Cole Music Company and moved to Colorado Springs CO where he and friend John Ramsey started The Old Folklore Center. In 1978 the family moved north to Spokane where Gene set up various home shops and, incidentally, forced me to repeatedly move large pieces of power equipment. Once in Spokane, Gene’s focus shifted from vintage fretted instruments to fine violins, and their repair and restorations. Though mostly retired, Gene still works in his home shop and so far has avoided the temptation to brew his own wine again.

The Old Folklore Center is still owned and operated by Co-Founder John Ramsey and has since been renamed www.TejonStreetMusic.com. Cole Music Company operated until 1995 when Dave Cavanaugh closed the doors to go to work with the Sacramento Bee.

And from 1995 to 2006 it was quiet.