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History
Ralph White Music
 Fred White began a family Music business in Fitzroy, Melbourne
in 1929. He was a luthier , a musician and a character. He taught me the
trade of guitar making which has been an invaluable skill, and although I
no longer make guitars my knowledge of them allows me to work with and
repair many damaged instruments.
The White clan have lived with music for as long as I can remember. My
parents were both entertainers, my sister Julie sang and danced in
numberous musicals, one of these, a touring production of the 'King and
I'. I was performing at a very young age, my father taught me to play the
banjo and I went to 'Tap School' when I was a boy. I graduated to the
electric guitar and joined my first band in 1962. We played to crowds at
venues such as Myer Music Bowl and Festival Hall, in Melbourne. My first
teaching studio was in Melbourne in 1967.
I moved to the Gold Coast (after a period of constructing security doors)
and opened a small music studio in Currumbin. I revisited my passion for
music and  returned to the industry I was born into. I started from
scratch again with only a handful of students and a small budget to
facilitate the purchase of some inexpensive guitars.
The business grew which was the catalyst for me to re-located to my Tugun
premises in 1998. I enjoyed my time being part of the Tugun community, the
shop was only meters from the beach and the atmosphere was warm and
responsive the Tugun community are a relaxed group of people, I loved being
there. I employed several musicians to assist in teaching the growing
number of students. I secured a number of reputable guitar brands and
increased the range of instruments taught at the Music School, we taught
keyboard, banjo, bass and slide guitar. We stocked instruments including :
amplifiers, banjos, pianos, drums and percussion instruments plus all types
of accessories.
I have taught many young keen students who have reached a level of
competance and have gone on to choose musicianship as their profession.
Even to this day I am aware of how a little encouragement makes a
difference to students with all aspects of their  music. At Tugun I arranged several amateur concerts enabling
my students to perform in front of an audience, while other students such
Mason Rack have organised their own concerts (very successfully).
Customer Service as always been a main concern for my business. Musicians
are often under pressure to perfom on time with their gear working to the
best of its ability. We do our utmost to assist them anyway we can. Where
would we be without Music In Our Lives... being able connect people with
the sublime experience of playing music is a fulfilling experience. If you
buy a product from us you are guaranteed real old fashion service. If we
can't fix it here .... we will put you in contact with someone who can.
The Rock Shop was opened in December, 2006. Instruments pertaining to the
more volitile style of 'plugged in and loud music' are showcased here, the
vibes in this shop need to be experieced. Separating the Rock gear from
other instruments has proved beneficial by enabling us to group together
the different genres of instruments, creating departments within our shops.
The  staff have become specialized in certain areas and this is
also a benefit to the customer. We now include a classical range of
instrument on our product list - for instance: violins, violas, trumpets,
trombones, clarinets, double basses and a full range of harmonicas'.
Keeping up with the the young musicians within the community has enabled me
to keep pace with the trends in sound as well as the rapidly changing
market place. Each of the shops generate its own unique ambience and I have
had much feedback from our customers regarding our unique approach to
retail.
Keeping one step ahead in business has again prompted some changes to Ralph
White Music and its locations. We assimilated the business into one store
in 2009, at 1152 Gold Coast Hwy, Palm Beach. The merging of the Acoustic
and Rock shops has benefited our clientele in that we have retained all the
expertise of departmental knowledge, with a one stop shop to purchase all
your musical needs.
This website is one of three site we are currently facilitating, check out
goldcoastguitarcentre.com, and guitarheavenaustralia.com these two sites
are not product based but promote our music school and service centre.
Enjoy.
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