Sonidos! aims to foster a community for all music lovers

Written by: Dariana Guzman

Claudia Mendiola-Durán smiles as she proudly stands in front of her record store, Sondios! Music & More, in Beltsville, MD (Dariana Guzman).

BELTSVILLE — Where various bins of records line striking yellow walls, Sonidos! Music & More strives to make it possible for all local music lovers to spin vinyl. 

At the heart of it all is none other than store owner Claudia Mendiola-Durán, whose main objective is to foster connections between customers. 

“I feel like there’s a lot of common ground that you can draw with people from all walks of life once you hit on something that’s music-related,” said Mendiola-Durán. “You can engage in conversation and learn about each other’s tastes in art. It tells you a lot about who people are and what kind of approach you can take with music.”

Claudia Mendiola-Durán speaks to a customer pulling a Roberto Carlos album from the international section (Dariana Guzman).

As music blares from the speakers, different sounds surround the small store – some familiar and some not – as Mendiola-Durán aims to expose customers to all kinds of genres, much as she had been. 

Growing up listening to artists such as Buddy Holly and bands like Limp Bizkit, she was able to shape her understanding and expand her taste. 

“I’ve always been surrounded by it. There’s always been a lot of influences that have helped shape my appreciation and experimentation with trying out new genres and being open-minded to trying new things,”  said Mendiola-Durán.

While the store has been open for almost six years, it certainly hasn’t always been easy. She shares her experience as a Latina navigating through a male dominated field and the support that she has received from others within the community. 

“I’ve kind of always moved in predominantly male spaces, so I don't know if I necessarily would have thought that, you know, that there is a space,” she said. “But I'm just the type of person that – I make a space.”

Mendiola-Durán pulls out a record by The Zombies, inspecting it for scratches and damage (Dariana Guzman).

Moreover, Mendiola-Durán hopes to create a welcoming community space – a kind of third place outside of home and work – where anyone who loves music can gather and socialize.

“We just want it to be like a comfortable, welcoming environment that people can come in and talk about music, and you know, share their knowledge and be curious and discover things themselves,” she said.“I just want it to be another home away from home.”