Austin Music Co. in Miramar Beach is open and ready to catch the wave of music things to come

From picks, sticks to electric keyboards and everything in between, Austin Music Co. in Miramar Beach has it all. 

Located on Emerald Coast Parkway just west of Holiday Road across from Culver’s, Austin Music opened its doors Dec. 14, 2020. 

“We were a little bit reluctant because of COVID, but our area has always been kind of a bubble,” said Dan Austin, who owns the company along with his wife of seven years, Jessica. 

“We know when we do the Blessing of the Fleet … we’re blessed here,” added Austin, who grew up on the Emerald Coast. “We were reluctant but we just stepped out.”

And from the minute one walks through the doors of Austin Music, there’s no doubt that it’s all about music. Acoustic and electric guitars line the walls, as well as one area dedicated to ukuleles. Keyboards are in one area, as well as drums and percussion, including bongos, in another. 

The store has a comfortable vibe, with an area to sit and relax and have cup of coffee, while others look around or test out an instrument. The store is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. 

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The whole idea for Austin Music came about after Dan’s brother, Michael, took over a music store in Panama City Beach and then prompted him into trying to open a store in Destin. 

Dan and Jessica started looking into the idea, and because of the pandemic, it turned out to be a decent year to pull from savings and retirement plans. 

“We shifted some stuff around and said let’s try it … and we did,” Dan said. 

They found the building, which was once housed by Destin Jewelers, and made it work. 

“Jessica is in charge of the look and feel of everything,” said Dan, who went to Choctawhatchee High School. 

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Dan joined the Air Force and spent 10 years at Eglin Air Force Base, then took a civil service job. He also plays in a band, while Jessica hails from Texas and has her own hair and makeup company for resort weddings. 

Their joint music venture offers all kinds of stringed instruments, acoustic and electric guitars, banjos, mandolins, ukuleles, digital pianos, sticks, picks and strings. 

“We have all the cabling that you would need,” Dan said, as well as high-end pedals and amps. 

Jessica named off some of the brands they carry such as Takamine and Alvarez guitars as well as ESP and LTD. They also are a dealer for PRS and they sell Orange amps and Yamaha. 

“We’ve got really good stuff,” she said. 

And folks can come in and try out the instruments.  

“We unbox everything for people to come in and test,” Dan said. 

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Austin Music also does repairs on stringed instruments and offers a daily and weekly rental program. 

“We have people that come down and want to play in their hotel room but they don’t want to bring down their instrument,” Jessica said, noting the rental program is doing well. 

Austin Music offers guitar lessons on occasion, but has suspended them for the summer. 

Although they have been open for only a little more than six months, the Austins already are involved in the community. 

Jessica said they had a Cars and Guitars event with the local Corvette Club participating earlier this year and they have sponsored a few runs. 

They attended the Moon Crush music festival in Miramar Beach in late April and plan to be involved with the next Moon Crush event to the Emerald Coast. 

Austin Music also has a small stage in the store. 

“Hopefully we can have some singer/songwriter nights for the community,” Jessica said. 

Dan has a few other things he’d like them to get involved in. 

"We want to get into sound system consulting,” Dan said, noting they helped out Emerald Coast Theatre Company with a new system and microphones. 

Plus, he would like to order instruments for schools. 

But the thing that excites the Austins most is “just being a hub for all the cool music things that are going to be happening here,” Dan said, from the Moon Crush event to all the concerts at the Mattie Kelley Arts Foundation. 

Dan and Jessica go to Shoreline Church in Destin, where he has served as worship leader for several years. 

“We want to be a hub here. I think it can become one. I think a lot of cool stuff is coming out of here, and we want to catch that wave and be a part of it,” he said.