For 50 years, there has been a local band shop in Ada, Oklahoma, offering quality band instruments, accessories and band instrument repair to Ada and the surrounding areas. It started out in 1970, as Spence Music, owned and operated out of the home of Denver Spence.

Eventually, Denver moved his operation to a store front in Ada and continued to provide service, solutions and satisfaction to all of his customers. After Jerry Howard retired as head band director at Ada Public Schools, he went to work for Spence Music.

Around 1982, Denver decided to pass the torch to Jerry and Spence Music became Howard Music Center. Jerry operated Howard Music Center for several years and eventually his son, Richard Howard (current Ada High band director) took over the business. While Richard was running Howard Music, a young man came to college at ECU by the name of Richie Vallandingham. Richie began working for Richard Howard in the fall of 1998 and stayed on through college and even after graduation from ECU in 2002. Then, in early 2004, Richard announced that he would be closing Howard Music Center so that he could return to teaching band. 

August of 2004 marked the birth of Ada Music Center under new owners, Richie and Holly Vallandingham. Ada Music was at 215 N. Francis in Ada until October of 2011, when the store moved to its current location at 713 West Main. In January of 2020, owner Richie was honored by the Oklahoma Music Educators Association as their 2019-2020 President’s Award recipient, honoring and rewarding the 15 years of service that Ada Music Center has provided to school music programs across the state of Oklahoma. Ada Music continues to provide service, solutions and satisfaction to the community of Ada along with 70+ schools across the state of Oklahoma and has steadily grown every year.