Flossmoor Strikes A Chord With Guitarist, Inspires Him To Open Up Shop

FLOSSMOOR, IL — Kyle Asche has always known there's something special about Flossmoor.

The Nebraska native and former Chicago resident found his way to the suburb nearly a decade ago when he and his wife were looking for a new place to call home.

"We fell in love with the vibe of the community, the atmosphere downtown, diversity that we saw," Asche said.

Asche and his wife Kendra have now deepened their roots in the community, with Asche venturing into his first brick and mortar business, Hidden Gem Guitars. The name is derived from the village's popular Hidden Gem Half Marathon—which he has run himself—but also in part from the couple's sentiment about the town.

"We definitely had that sense—it's a hidden gem," Asche told Patch. "It’s kind of that community you won’t find unless it’s on your destination route. It’s kinda tucked away, and we like that fact."

The pair moved to Flossmoor and began building their family, now with three children ages 14, 11, and 1.5 years old. After years of performing and teaching around the Chicago area, Asche made the move to open a storefront. The shop will be a full-service stop for guitar enthusiasts, offering retail sales of guitars, basses, strings, picks, new and used amplifiers, and more. Located at 2630 Flossmoor Rd #207, Asche will also offer buy/sell/trade services on guitars, along with lessons for varying skill levels. Guitar repairs can also be made on-site.

The shop opened April 1, and Asche is still tweaking the hours and offerings as he runs it as a one-man operation. He is currently maintaining a lesson for waitlists.

"At the present time, it's still just a one-man shop, doing everything over there myself," Asche told Patch.

An accomplished jazz guitarist, Asche brings 20 years of experience both performing and teaching to the Flossmoor business. He moved to Illinois to pursue an education in jazz guitar, acquiring his bachelor's from Northern Illinois University and master's from Northwestern University. He has performed across the jazz scene in Chicago, in addition to dabbling in other types of music, he said.

"I've been in too many bands to count," Asche told Patch, laughing.

Asche has performed around the midwest—Indiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska—and teaches jazz guitar as an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University. He also previously taught at Moraine Valley Community College and Morton College, as well as smaller music schools across the south suburbs. He's looking forward to offering a lesson program for a full range of skill levels. He's also considering a summer guitar camp.

"A huge part of running a community music store is offering lessons to kids, catering to beginners and beginner adults, too," Asche said.

Asche is looking to build a team of instructors—specifically those who are just out of college, or in college now, that would be interested in teaching.

Personally, Asche said he is more adept at working with intermediate to advanced students.

Anyone interested in connecting with Asche regarding an instructor role should call the business line at (708)323-6965, or connect via email at hiddengemguitars@gmail.com. You can also find them and connect on Instagram.

Hours will fluctuate while Asche finds a rhythm, with some days by appointment only. Those interested are encouraged to check the business' Facebook page for the weekly announcement of hours.