Harrison Music – Our Story (So Far. . . !)

So when is a family music business really a family music business? Certainly the passing on of a business from one generation to the next is a significant milestone and in 2008 Harrison Music successfully made the transition from father (still very active in the business) Ron Harrison, to son Graeme Harrison. But how did we arrive here? Well we’re glad you asked . . .

Having cut his teeth in the music industry at the original Allans Music Store and with a wife and three small boys (and a daughter on the way) in tow, young Ron Harrison commenced his own business in Mt Gambier back in 1963. After a successful number of years the family moved back to Adelaide and then in 1972 a small retail store was opened in Regent Arcade and “Regent Music” was born.

Premises in Regent Arcade soon proved too small and so in 1976 the move was made to three floors (with separate storage facility in adjacent Twin St) at 128 Grenfell St. The following year a wholesale company was formed to meet local demands and to service the growing number of South Australian dealers. Sons Paul, Graeme and Stephen and also daughter Joanne all joined the company, bringing their respective strengths to relevant areas of the thriving business. The mid-80’s witnessed expansion including new stores in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Mildura.

A subsequent move to Currie St was not long after followed by a significant consolidation of the business and a further move to Morphett St where Ron established Harrison Music on his own. Sons and daughter had diversified somewhat (and married and had children – all musicians in turn!) by this time, but their contact and input to the music industry was by no means finished.

The nineties saw Harrison Music move back to Grenfell St on the corner of Da Costa Arcade. A separate sheet music shop with generous basement storage area was added a couple of doors away. The final move saw a consolidation of Harrison Music into the premises at number 68 with Guitars and other fretted instruments on the ground floor and sheet music, brass and woodwind, orchestral strings and drums and percussion taking over the larger basement area.

Now in 2008, son Graeme has returned to the fold and purchased the business from his father, whilst Dad, sixty years wiser in the music industry, still gives his all in the store to servicing the needs of musicians near and far. With the addition of the new web-store and an increasing focus on giving the right advice on the right products, Graeme, Ron and guitar specialist Daniel Thorpe (Ron’s grandson!) are looking forward to giving the sort of personal service and advice that people expect from a family music business. After all, isn’t that what really makes a family music business a family music business?