The Music's Over: Downtown Shop Closing

Sheet music, a piano, a few violins and assorted knickknacks are all that remain of the once bustling downtown storefront occupied by World of Music.

Owner Carolyn Warren says she is at peace with her decision to close her store at 99 Summit Ave. “It’s a decision I came to willingly.”

A number of local merchants have been reaching the same decision of late, as the downtown business district suffers through a spate of vacancies that Tony Melchionna, chairman of, calls the worst in years. Indeed, a walk down Springfield Avenue and its side streets reveals numerous empty storefronts alongside Summit’s professional offices, clothing retailers, eateries and eclectic shops.

“It’s the first time we’ve had such a high vacancy rate,” Melchionna said.

Although economics didn’t absolutely force Warren to shut her doors, the closing has been a bittersweet experience for her. A piano player, Warren describes her 10 years as owner as a labor of love.

“I felt that this was what I was destined to be.”

The Summit resident took a circuitous route to find her calling after spending most of her working life as a lawyer, employed by a legal publishing company. An unsatisfying stint in computer programming would follow before Warren learned of the opportunity to take over World of Music, which has been serving musicians for almost 30 years.

As a customer, Warren enjoyed the shop’s wide selection of sheet music and instruments. Upon learning that the prior owner would be retiring, Warren said she “had the crazy notion that I could pull it off.

“I was too ignorant to be daunted by it,” she said.

In the ensuing years, World of Music was a place where aficionados could find instruments and compositions while coming together to share their passion. Warren will miss that camaraderie the most.

“It was a destination,” she said. “People would meet here … it was kind of a hang.”

However, changing customer habits, a declining economy and increased rent led Warren to one conclusion: it was time to go.

“It’s difficult to make a profit on print music,” she said. “I couldn’t justify the lease.”

Although Warren admits that sales were down 15 percent last year, she doesn’t necessarily believe that the recession and the ability to download sheet music on the Web played a decisive role in the downturn of World of Music.

Music “is not a necessity,” she said, but it’s “not necessarily the first thing people give up,” when faced with a tighter budget. Also, “people can buy online, but you can’t browse online,” Warren said.

However, Melchionna believes that the recession and the Web have had a decided effect on the downtown business district.

The recession “affects all towns. It’s the economical climate that we’re in,” said the owner of Salon 44 and Salon 4 Kids on Maple Street.

Neither Summit Downtown, Inc., nor the Suburban Chamber of Commerce were able to provide the exact number of downtown vacancies, but Melchionna said he had never seen more than five or six vacant storefronts at once since he’s been with the organization. There are at least 10 spaces for rent just along Springfield Avenue and its side streets, and the vacant storefronts had been occupied by various types of businesses, from a Verizon store on Beechwood Road to a car lot at Spriglen Plaza to a professional building occupied mostly by doctors at 475 Springfield Ave.

Melchionna also said that retailers have been hurt by the “new wave of commercial business” where you can shop for virtually anything without leaving your computer. Still, he and Warren find great value in maintaining a vibrant downtown business district.

“People want to stay in town,” said the chairman of Summit Downtown, Inc. The “personalized service” and “individualized attention” keeps people downtown despite the proximity of a mall such as Short Hills, he said.

Warren, whose children attended Summit’s schools, said World of Music had a “close connection” to a city that she describes as being very supportive of the arts.

“I love this town,” she said.

Since announcing the closing on June 19, Warren has sold much of her inventory, through the store as well as on eBay and Amazon.com. She donated composition books to the Newark school system, where her husband is a teacher, and still can be found taking orders in her mostly darkened store. She hopes to one day reopen in a smaller space but will concentrate on a mail-order business once her doors are closed for good in the coming weeks. Additionally, her Web site, www.sirenmusic.com, will be retooled to reflect her changed business.

“Time changes and you have to change with it,” she said.

The Summit Downtown, Inc. routinely sponsors initiatives to keep people shopping locally, such as car shows, holiday events and farmer’s markets. Melchionna said the organization will next hold “Girls’ Night Out” on Oct. 22, when 45 to 50 stores will participate in an event co-sponsored by New Jersey Life magazine that aims to offer women and other residents discounts at downtown shops.

Melchionna said the event will be a great opportunity to show what Summit has to offer. “Now more than ever, our decisions to shop locally can make the difference in the survival of small businesses,” he said.