A Mighty Tower Falls

By WENDY LAW

Wendy Law (Photo by Scot Goodman)

It is no secret that Lincoln Center is going through a lot of physical changes, but nothing quite prepared me to see the signs at Tower Records: "Going Out of Business." I was shocked and upset, and wanted some immediate answers. I asked everyone why. Some blame the high prices at Tower, compared to other retailers such as Target or Walmart, as well as much cheaper Internet sales from sites such as Amazon.com or Half.com. Many believe that CDs will inevitably become obsolete due to the phenomenon of digital downloading. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, sales of CDs are in freefall, and digital downloads were up by as much as 174 percent in 2005. Regardless of the reasons, Lincoln Center without Tower Records will not be the same.

Can the Internet/digital phenomenon really replace Tower Records—or any record store, for that matter? Although the Internet does have many advantages for musicians, such as a broader market and the ability to distribute one's music without going through major labels, it is not the same as an actual music store. The classical music section at the Lincoln Center branch of Tower Records was one of the biggest in New York City, and it certainly has served as a venue to showcase both well known musicians and up-and-coming young artists, and a place to find historic CDs and DVDs of past classical giants. The closing of the store means the demise of one more classical venue to showcase musicians, and one less physical place to promote classical music.

While classical music can be found online, unless you know exactly what you are looking for, it is like finding a needle in a haystack. The fun of browsing at Tower Records is that you never know what you will come across—artists you never heard of, pieces that you always wanted to check out. For me, the most fun is discovering what my former Juilliard classmates are up to. As young as they are, many have already signed with major music labels and have albums out at Tower Records. And I love the historic recordings of masters like Heifetz or Piatigorsky.

The demise of Tower Records creates a hole in the classical music market that the Internet is not likely to fill.

Quite often, the so-called classical music section of an online retailer is nothing more than crossover music, pop-influenced titles, or compilations of tidbits like Mozart For the Brain, The World's Most Relaxing Classical Music, or even Music For Your Wedding. I have nothing against any of this music, but where am I going to find my Mahler Fifth Symphony, or Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, or just have the chance to stumble across something classical and really good? While iTunes does offer many titles, its featured selections are still relatively limited. I have had trouble numerous times locating works that are a little less familiar than those in the standard repertoire. These works could almost always be found at Tower Records. How does one "accidentally discover" a new artist, an old album, a new piece online if many of these albums don't exist in cyberspace in the first place?

Many aspiring young musicians dream of seeing their albums sold at Tower Records, and seeing their big poster up on the wall at the store. To many musicians, this signifies a certain arrival point in their careers. That dream, unfortunately, may no longer be realized. Personally, I enjoy seeing my heroes on the wall, including such classical superstars as Yo-Yo Ma, Mitsuko Uchida, and Renée Fleming. These are musicians whom I respect and love. The posters in the store inspire me to be a better musician, and to learn from these masters. It is not quite the same thing, seeing them on my computer screen.

We musicians have to get ready to face the new era of digital music, and figure out how we can best use it to our advantage to promote classical music. Meanwhile, Tower Records will surely be missed.

Cellist Wendy Law earned her master's degree in 2002 and artist's diploma in 2004 from Juilliard.