Founder, Skip’s Music & Lifelong Sacramento Musician
Encina HS ‘65
A Bella Vista High School graduate, Arthur “Skip” Maggiora was a visionary entrepreneur whose passion for music and business shaped Sacramento’s cultural and musical landscape for more than five decades. Skip began playing guitar at age thirteen and quickly turned his passion into a teaching business, later performing in bands while studying engineering at Sacramento State.
In the 1960s, Skip and his bandmates flipped the script on the local music scene by producing their own concerts and booking national touring acts to open for themselves—ensuring they’d always be on the bill. That same bold spirit led him to open Skip’s Music in 1973, which soon became a cornerstone of the region’s music community. By the 1980s, as Sacramento’s rock scene took off, Skip’s Music moved to Auburn Boulevard, where it flourished as a hub for musicians and a trusted resource for professional gear, mentorship, and support.
Skip was also a founding member of AIMM (Alliance of Independent Music Merchants), a national organization created to strengthen independent music retailers and expand access for musicians across the country.
Whether backstage at a show or behind the counter in his store, Skip Maggiora was known for empowering artists, supporting live music, and building community through creativity and innovation.