Earning its initial reputation as the largest, dedicated sheet music specialist retailer in Singapore and the region, Music Essentials (early roots was Barock Music Centre) has been serving generations of musicians since the 1980s. As a music advocate, it saw its obligation and the need for students, teachers, musicians and the public to access a wide range of sheet music (instrumental and voice) and fine Urtext editions, when music exam-related materials were (and still) the staple in most music shops.

Helmed by Chia Sin Teck, Singapore’s notable master string luthier and entrepreneur-owner, Essentially Strings prides itself for its strings expertise. This includes: instrument setup and maintenance, ‘surgery’ and repairs, proper sizing for the correct size of instrument, customisation of tone and playability.