Emille de Leon describes the ideology of Knight People, the mystical gift store he owns and operates with girlfriend Melissa Vivigatz, as “eclectic-metaphysical.”

“Anything goes,” he explains.

Located on Williams Street between Broad Street Books and High Street, the store is covered with signs for incense and Tibetan singing bowls—metal devices that “sing” when a metal wand is stroked around the rim.

Knight People has been in operation since 1994. Vivigatz and de Leon had been talking about opening a mystical goods store for years, so when the building went up for sale they pounced on the opportunity.

“It’s close to Wesleyan and downtown Middletown,” de Leon said. “So it seemed like a good idea.”

In fact, de Leon’s relationship with the University dates back more than three decades. In 1972 his family moved to Middletown so that his mother, Camilla de Leon, could teach piano and voice lessons at the University.

“She got the gig out here,” de Leon said. “[After that] she worked here for the rest of her life.”

De Leon also has a connection through his sister: she attended the University and was in the first graduating class to include female students.

Later on, de Leon made his own connections through teaching—he taught drum lessons at the University from 1987 to 1991.

“Ed Blackwell the famous drummer gave me that gig,” de Leon recalled. Blackwell was a New Orleans-born drummer who served as Artist-in-Residence at the University until his death from kidney failure in 1992.

Although he enjoyed teaching, de Leon soon decided that it was not for him. Instead, he began playing the singing bowl.

“I became known on a planetary level,” de Leon said, citing the international appeal of his music. He has sold copies of his music to fans in both Connecticut and Tibet.

For the next three years, de Leon played with several area musicians, including Bill Barron and saxophonist Antoine Roney. Eventually, however, de Leon decided that he was not meant to be a full-time musician.

“Being a poor broke musician is cool when you’re in your 20s,” de Leon said. “But when you have to pony up the rent, it becomes a reality.”

Although Knight People currently has no sign out front—the old sign rotted last year and Vivigatz has yet to paint a new one—the name is a pun combining the couple’s nocturnal habits with the letter K. De Leon explained that the letter is considered to have mystic powers according to certain numerological traditions.

Since the building was originally a two-family house, the couple renovated it, creating an area for the store on the ground floor with a living space above.

Having spent the last 14 years watching students walk in and out of his store, de Leon has noticed changes in the University over the last decade and a half.

“Wesleyan has gotten more commercialized,” he said. “It used to be a real funky little college, very loose.”

He also mentioned that several professors have been patronizing the store for years, though he wouldn’t reveal their identities.

According to Vivigatz , Knight People also caters to students in need of specific materials for class projects.

“One student needed a cow skull for an art project,” she said. “I also painted a mask for a student play.”

At one point during the interview, Claire Caplan ’09 entered the store looking for a mortar and pistil. While de Leon rang up the purchase, Caplan browsed Knight People’s packed shelves.

“I could really spend a lot of time in places like this if I wasn’t so broke,” Caplan joked.

In addition to mortars and pistils, Vivigatz and de Leon sell scented candles, oils and singing bowls, which vary in price from 30 dollars to one large Tibetan bowl priced at 2700 dollars.

The store also offers a wide variety of incense including one brand called Nepal Dhoop, which is made by an Indian man who worked his way out of indentured slavery.

Knight People is open Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. When the store is closed, Vivigatz writes and paints while de Leon pursues his interests in music and photography.

Despite the mysterious nature of Knight People, or perhaps because of it, the store has a close connection to the University. De Leon recalled an interaction at one of the store’s monthly psychic fairs to describe his current relationship with the University.

“Some kid came in and said, ’How am I gonna do on my math test?’” de Leon said. “ I replied, ’I don’t know, study and you’ll do well.’ ”