Inside the familiar walls of Turramurra Music, the air carries a distinct sort of warmth – the kind that only decades of stories, laughter, and wood-grained nostalgia can brew.
This year, the beloved local institution hits a remarkable milestone: its 50th anniversary. What began in 1976 as a daring leap of faith by a 21-year-old guitar teacher has matured into a cornerstone of the Australian music community, surviving economic downturns, global supply crises, and the ultimate test of a family business – passing the torch to the next generation.
Key Takeaways
- Milestone Anniversary: Founded in 1976 by a 21-year-old guitar teacher taking over a closed Gordon school, Turramurra Music is celebrating 50 years of business.
- Global Recognition: The shop’s dedicated community programs, including a trial hire-buy initiative for school concert bands, earned it the international NAMM award for Best Community Retail Store.
- Pandemic Resilience: The family operation navigated severe COVID-19 supply chain disruptions and stock backorders by pivoting to a digital click-and-collect system.
- Next-Gen Leadership: Founder Rob Stevens is officially passing operational leadership to the next generation, with his sons Matt and Dave now at the helm alongside family.
Sitting down with founder Rob Stevens and his son Mat, it’s impossible not to feel the deep sense of history embedded in the bricks. “I was a fairly average guitar teacher,” Rob chuckles, reflecting on his younger self. When the owner of a music school in Gordon decided to shut down, he offered a young Rob the chance to take it over. With five teachers, 60 students, and just enough grit to rent the building, Turramurra Music was born. “My mother didn’t think I’d survive,” Rob smiles.
Yet, survive he did. Over five decades, the shop gradually expanded, absorbing the shop next door and the building beyond it, all while keeping its original, soulful footprint. In the early days, the hurdles were simple but stark: a total lack of capital. In a time when marketing meant saving up for a coveted Yellow Pages ad, Rob built his customer base the old-fashioned way – through local musos and genuine word-of-mouth.
The conversation naturally drifts to the broader landscape of Australian music, a topic both men hold close to their hearts. While the passion for music hasn’t waned, the ecosystem has shifted dramatically. Rob remembers a vibrant era filled with small pubs and bustling venues – the very breeding grounds that birthed legendary acts like Midnight Oil and Icehouse.
Today, skyrocketing Sydney rents, strict fire regulations, and changing labour costs have created steep barriers for live music venues. Mat, who helps manage the shop and handles sound for local gigs, notes that while more people are making music than ever, the path for younger musicians to earn a sustainable income is incredibly tough.
It’s exactly why Turramurra Music has spent decades actively pouring back into the community – sponsoring school band nights, donating to local band competitions, and keeping the barrier to entry low for families. Earlier this year, their dedication was globally recognized when they took home the prestigious international NAMM award for Best Community Retail Store.
One of their proudest legacies is a simple, three-month trial hire-buy program for school concert bands. “As a parent, you don’t want to fork out $1,000 for a saxophone not knowing if your child will give up in two weeks,” Mat explains. It’s this empathetic, community-first approach that has kept generations of families coming back.
No chapter in the shop’s history was quite as turbulent – or as surprisingly prosperous – as the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was the most growth and the most stress out of any time either of us have worked,” Mat recalls.
When the initial lockdowns threatened to shutter the industry, Turramurra Music adapted overnight. The shop transformed into a purely digital operation, pioneering a bustling click-and-collect desk in the back driveway. Suddenly, broadcasters needed home studio gear, and middle-aged men, stuck inside with cancelled holiday plans, decided it was finally time to buy that dream electric guitar.
The surge in demand was immense, but it collided with a completely fractured global supply chain. At one point, Melbourne’s Maton guitar factory was forced to shut down, leaving Turramurra Music with zero stock and hundreds of instruments on backorder. Rob recalls walking into the shop on Saturdays to physically pull hooks off the display walls just to hide the empty spaces. When the pandemic finally eased, the inverse happened: stock flooded in just as people abandoned their home studios to go back outside.
Now, as the dust settles on a half-century of business, a beautiful evolution is taking place. The family business is officially moving to the next generation. Rob’s two sons, Matt and Dave, are firmly at the helm, alongside Rob’s wife, who continues to manage education sales.
When asked if the boys are just waiting for him to finally retire, Rob laughs heartily. He admits he’ll probably always find a reason to sneak back in, but he’s also looking forward to spending a bit more time on the ski slopes of Aspen and perhaps playing enough guitar at home to irritate the neighbours.
With five granddaughters waiting in the wings, the family legacy is secure. Turramurra Music stands as a beautiful reminder that while the music industry will always change its tune, a business built on family, resilience, and true community spirit is utterly timeless.
