A Brief History of Keynote Music Houses of
Papua New Guinea

Mr. Max Homann established Keynote Music Houses of Papua New Guinea in 1968. Mr. Homann came to Papua New Guinea in the very early 1950's as an air traffic controller and later worked as a training officer at the college, which was located at 6 Mile in Port Moresby. After many years of service in that field he recognized the need for a quality music store in Port Moresby. This was prompted by his previous experience as a piano tuner and technician in Australia where he underwent an apprenticeship with his father in repairing, tuning and re-building player pianos (pianolas). During those years, while working with his father who had previously been a bandmaster in the Australian Army and had worked in the Beale piano factory in Sydney Australia, they both travelled extensively throughout the New South Wales Riverina area repairing and tuning pianos. In 1949 Max Homann joined civil aviation in Australia and a year or so later arrived in Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. In March 1968 Keynote Music opened it's doors in the original Brian Bell building in Turumu St. Boroko and is now located not too far from that site, which was destroyed by fire in early 1980.

Since 1973 Max Homann’s son Brett, has been involved with Keynote Music. Brett, like his father Max is a fully qualified piano tuner and repairer. Brett learned his trade with Yamaha Corporation, Japan. Since Max’s retirement in 1984, it has been under Brett’s direction that Keynote Music has flourished and become what it is today. Keynote Music is recognised as without doubt the largest supplier of Musical Instruments, Professional Audio and Installed Sound, not only within Papua New Guinea but through out the South Pacific with the exclusion of Australia and New Zealand.

In the very near future Keynote will see the introduction of Brett’s son Craig into the business. Craig is looking forward to contributing his skills to the future growth of Keynote Music. Craig has recently completed a Business Management degree as well as a degree in Audio Engineering.

For over 40 years Keynote Music has been committed to supplying and servicing quality product lines with the sole intention of providing its Papua New Guinea clientele with products that would last them for many years. Keynote Music has had a long association with its suppliers. The YAMAHA product line has been with Keynote Music since it's inception in 1968. Other quality products include PEAVEY, WHARFEDALE, MARSHALL, LANEY, WASHBURN, D'ADDARIO, LEEM, ROLAND MEINL, PEARL RIVER, ASHTON, TANGLEWOOD and MEDELI. Many of these products have enjoyed a long relationship with Keynote Music and represent the quality that we insist on to ensure value for our customers.

The Keynote Music team are indeed excited by the future business prospects in PNG and are looking forward to another 40 years serving the people of Papua New Guinea.