After finishing West Virginia University, Jim Jones spent 5 years teaching elementary, junior high, and high school band in Fayetteville, WVa.   After taking his band to Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, and Gimbel's Christmas Parade in Philadelphia, he and Karen felt restless, and moved to Florida in 1973.  After teaching at Maitland Junior High for three years, he still felt restless and became manager of band instruments at Streep Music for 4 years.     Still feeling restless, Jim,Karen and his father in law Howard Osborne formed Allegro Music in January 1981.
        After 2 successful years in downtown Orlando, he lost his lease due to high rise construction.   He moved the store to its present location in October 1983.      Being a former band director, he was sensitive to the needs of music teachers and patterned the store's mission to fit the needs of Central Florida music teachers.   He purchased FBA solo and ensemble music to help band directors and students get the music they need in a timely fashion.    He screened and maintained a list of qualified music teachers(most with degrees in their instrument), because the shopping center would not allow private teaching in the store.
        He found another former band director, Greg Barker, who agreed to travel to schools to meet the needs of band directors.  Greg won third place in a national contest for school road representatives, and continues his work as composer, arranger, piano tuner, in addition to being a fine trumpet soloist for weddings.
         Jim looks forward to many years of serving the instrumental needs of Central Florida.  In January 2010 the store will be 29 years young.