Harvard Street Music Exchange was a community staple in Downtown Hemet, CA. The music store promoted diversity, fostering many artistic spirits over the years and serving as a space where local musicians could embrace their creativity. In 2024, however, after a rough couple of years, the music store closed its doors for the final time.
The store sold a variety of high-quality instruments, from guitars to pianos and more. It also offered music lessons taught by skilled instructors. One feature that many local musicians took advantage of was the recording studio on the second story of the building.
Harvard Street Music Exchange would become best known for its shows. These live shows would feature many artists from around the valley and draw large crowds ranging from punks and metalheads to hippies and indie rockers (even the occasional folk artist). It was not unusual to attend a show where, on the first floor, you could be watching a rock n roll band play while a rapper was performing upstairs. These often high-energy live performances made Harvard Street Music Exchange one of the most exciting places for bands to play. Getting a gig at one of these shows was, in many ways, a rite of passage for local musicians breaking into the scene.
The shows put on would draw in an incredibly diverse crowd of people ranging from adults to youngsters. Most interesting is the large amount of youth the store’s shows would draw to the shows. In fact, many of the more popular bands in the scene were composed of younger musicians. This fostering of young, creative individuals helped bring vibrancy to the scene, with many being inspired to pick up an instrument and learn for themselves. Many bands were born out of this celebration of music, one of them being The Honey Blues, known for their combination of indie style with an alternative rock twist. When asked what Harvard Street Music Exchange meant for them, they said it “was a gateway to our local scene. They [Harvard Street Music Exchange] introduced us to the idea of living our dreams as musicians.”
Despite hitting record highs over the years, the store, which opened its doors in 2016, could not keep up with the increase of various expenses required to operate a profitable music store. Though the store had earned a good reputation amongst locals, their loyalty wasn’t enough to save the store from closure. Thus in August of 2024, the store officially shut its doors (though farewell shows and cleanout sales were still available on specific dates).
I sat down with the Harvard Street Music Exchange co-owner, Julio Guez, to discuss the store’s history and what it meant for him over the years. Noting that he considers himself an “artist at heart,” it becomes clear that he approached the store with the mindset of an artist, aiming to create something special for others to enjoy. When he was younger, he had a disheartening experience while attending a music store with his mother. Many years later, as an adult, while volunteering his time at a failing music store, he realized that he could give others the experience he would have wanted. This realization gave him a desire to save the music store and transform it.
With the local community in mind, Julio made his dream a reality, providing services fueled by passion and genuine interest rather than only by making a sale. “I can’t change the world, but I can change somebody’s world,” Julio, along with many others whose hard work is greatly appreciated, transformed Harvard Street Music Exchange into one of the community’s proudest locations.
However, just because Harvard Street Music Exchange has closed its doors doesn’t mean its spirit or community has left the valley. During our interview, Julio noted that his plans for the future include developing a record label, starting up a non-profit organization with plans to call it “Hemacinto,” which will hold concerts, events, and grant scholarships. Another goal for the future is a new music store, “I want to take the lessons I’ve learned from the last eight-nine years and do it again.” Whatever comes next, there is no doubt that the community will embrace it with open arms.
You can find The Honey Blues on Instagram @thehoneyblues and TikTok @the.honey.blues and listen to their music on Spotify and Apple Music. If you would like to follow Julio as he continues to further explore what is possible within the local community you can find him on Instagram @julioontheradio.
