By Abbey Cannan
Music at Noosa celebrated 21 years of helping aspiring artists pursue their musical dreams with a special evening in store on Friday 31 March.
Starting the night off with a bang, owner and operator Rob Walter performed with his team of talented staff, followed by two of Noosa’s up and coming artists – Riley Woodman and Phoebe McLennan.
Rob, who has lived in Noosa for 11 years, said it was “pretty epic“ to have reached the milestone.
“Some of the staff have been here since the beginning which is pretty cool. I took over a year ago,“ he said.
“I’ve always been a musician, along with doing other things, and the store came up for sale after Covid. I was looking for something new and I thought this was too good to be true.“
Original owners of the shop, Pip and Marie Lee, said they were proud to be a part of the business’s history.
“It started off as a dream but now it’s a reality. It’s just such a great thing to be involved in the music industry in Noosa for the last 21 years and seeing it grow,“ Pip said.
“When we first opened everyone thought I was mad, but that’s okay. I started Byron Music in 1985 so I had that for 17 years. Byron Music is still going 35 years later and it’s a big icon now.“
Pip said Rob and his team were doing a fantastic job running Music at Noosa.
“My son took it over about seven years ago and he kicked it on and now we’ve gone to another level with Rob. I’m very proud to be part of that,“ Pip said.
“There’s not many businesses in Noosa that have been around for 21 years, and music is just a thriving industry. Well done for everyone who’s worked here and all the staff.
“In the academy here we’ve been able to involve over 2000 students in that 21 years. A lot of them have become professional musicians, so well done to all the teachers. The whole thing is just beautiful.“
Two of those students, Riley and Phoebe, pushed through the nerves to show off their talent, performing original songs and covers on the night.
The originals by Phoebe, 22, who is a self-proclaimed lover of sad songs, reminded me of fellow Australian singer-songwriter Angie McMahon, with hits like Slow Mover and Pasta.
“We’re pretty stoked to play and grateful for the opportunities that we’re able to make by hanging around the music shop a little too much,“ Phoebe said.
“I focus on writing a lot of my own original music pulling from life experiences. My influences are quite broad. I listen to a lot of jazz and a lot of ’70s folk stuff as well.“
Riley, 23, has been playing guitar for 12 years and impressed the crowd with his instrumental solo.
“A lot of guitarists from the ’70s and late ’60s inspired me to start playing,“ he said.
“I’m in the build up of getting songs together to be able to release some tracks. I’d definitely like to pursue a band and get a four-piece band together.“
Noosa has a vibrant community of musicians including a pool of talented songwriters.
Music at Noosa is currently developing a monthly Songwriters Circle, held by Cara Robinson, to help further promote the connectivity and the sharing of knowledge amongst local artists.
Each session will feature a special guest who will host the event and nurture the creative space.
Visit the team at Shop 2/ 1 Gibson Road, Noosaville.
