How did you come up with the Music Stamp Series? This is the question most often asked by friends, students, colleagues and customers.

...Well, quite honestly, out of necessity is the answer - is it not always the case? Born as my simple idea, just as most inventions usually are, I could not go on any longer trying to figure out all the sloppy notes that my music teachers were giving me for homework between my weekly guitar lessons! I got it in my head to somehow create a device to "STAMP" a fretboard diagram in my music notepad so that I could clearly read the chords and scales that I was trying to learn at the time.

It was the early 1980's when I wandered into a Grand and Toy, an office supplies store here in Toronto, and looked around for a stamp of some kind. We all have seen examples of rubber stamps that say things like, "Paid" or "Return". Obviously they did not have exactly what I was looking for right off the shelf, but they did make custom stamp designs upon request. So I simply had them build me 2 wooden block/handle type stamps with a fretboard, which I still have to this day. At the time these were perfect - an amazing time saver during lessons. Soon, I too became a guitar teacher and incorporated my stamps into all my teaching handouts. I continued using these 2 stamps for many good years with many students. Fellow teachers often inquired where I got these stamps and I kept repeating, "I just had them made at such and such store".

Finally one day, the business aspect of it all hit me square on the head! Why not take a stab at selling these stamps myself? However, there were several problems. First, the inkpads got dry way too fast and were VERY MESSY! Often they opened up unexpectedly inside my music briefcase and leaked ink, ruining my notes. Also the face of the rubber stamp was always exposed, leaving unwanted fretboard impressions stamped everywhere inside my briefcase and papers - an even greater MESS!! The solution came soon after I saw a self-inking type stamp in a magazine and immediately knew this was the answer! The new problem now was who would build these custom music stamps for my distinct and specific purpose. NO ONE really got it or was interested. After countless meetings, nobody seemed to recognize any business potential for this product. I needed large quantities to enable competitive pricing but had no purchase orders to support the new business venture.

This classic business start up challenge then turned into the classic tale of perseverance and knocking on many doors. After so many of the usual "NO" answers, I finally got the one golden "Yes" when I met Mr. Vic Treiguts from a company called Trodat. Vic simply said, "Ok let's try this and see where it goes". Well 25 years later, here I am and The Music Stamp Series is now a full and ever-growing line of music accessories for the working musician, teacher and student!

The Moral of my story is never quit! Don't give up on your dreams, passion, love and only HARD WORK will take you far on this ever twisting journey we call LIFE!!

~ Rob Tardik,
Inventor of The Music Stamp Series.

Canadian-born, Toronto-native Rob Tardik is multiple award-winning guitarist and contemporary pop/jazz/world/fusion instrumental music artist. He has performed for the last three years on the Dave Koz Cruise at destinations all over Europe and at venues all across North America including the prestigious Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Rochester Jazz Festival, Beaches International Jazz Festival, Jazz on the Vine in Wisconsin, FGMAT in Quebec, The Catalina Island Jazz Festival, Koerner Hall, Flato Markham Theatre, Richmond Hill Centre, Markham Jazz Festival, The Rose Theatre in Brampton, The Burlington Centre for the Arts, The Living Arts Centre in Mississauga, Oakville Centre, WreckHouse Jazz Festival, and the Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto.

His last 6 CD’s have spawned 5 U.S Billboard charting singles, two of which went to the Top 10. His 5th album Moments had two radio singles, “Sip and Salsa” and “Rite of Passage” that debuted as Billboards most added tracks in the fall of 2015 and the first months of 2016. His summer single “Hang Time” and fall single “Eros” both made the most added new songs on the U.S Billboard charts for 2016! His holiday single “Christmas Moments” was also a top added Billboard track. Rob’s 6th album SYNERGY released in January 2018 had his first single Synergy debut as one of the most added on the U.S Billboard Smooth Jazz charts and spent 3 weeks at #1 on the Wave.FM charts in Toronto. His second radio single titled “Perseverance”, in the summer of 2018 posted on several of the U.S smooth jazz charts! His Latin inspired single “Hope” debuted Spring 2019. His 7th through 10th multi album release DIVERSITY is a 4-volume compilation in his various musical styles featuring all new material and re-mastered songs from all his past six recordings.

His first Diversity volume Smooth and Chill debuted in Feb 2020, followed by Volume 2 Contemporary Funky / Jazz which produced two chart busting hit songs B Positive (feat. Dave Koz) and Walk It Like You Talk It in March 2021, Volume 3 Nylon String Energy in March 2022 with Volume 4 Music for Guitar Aficionados released February 2023. Also released in summer 2020 was the first of his two highly anticipated rock albums featuring his reformed band Paradise Alley. Rob’s 11th album Perspective album released in May 2025, featured the global radio single Keep Going.

His awards include being a finalist and honorary mention in the 2019 International Songwriting Competition,  winning the 2018 Established Solo Music Instrumental Mississauga Arts Award, and also placing 1st overall in the prestigious 2017 IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards), 2010 Canadian Smooth Jazz Guitarist of the Year; the #1 spot on the U.S.-based, Music Choice Contemporary Jazz charts for 4 weeks and being named Mississauga’s “Established Performer of the Year” in 2007, and nominated again in 2016 and 2017 for his musical contributions, an award won previously by Oscar Peterson and Rik Emmett!

Rob is an active music/guitar professor at the Metal Works Institute, Centennial College, Long-McQuade, and the Merriam School of Music and a Godin Guitars and D‘Addario endorsed artist for over 25 years.

Rob's Albums on CD may be purchased or listened to online. For this along with more information about Rob, go to his personal website:

www.RobTardik.com