First there was Sam The Record Man, then A&A and now Music World, the last Canadian-owned national music store chain, announced today they are under bankruptcy protection and will close their stores, in January, 2008. Music retail outlets are feeling the effects of illegal downloading and direct competition with the big box chains; who place no value on new music whatsoever. For some of us, music is everything - it's our job, our passion. We still get chills when we open a new cd, in hopes it will change our lives like U2, Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana all did. Music has a value and plays an important role in shaping who we are as people - it can move you like nothing else.

THE MUSIC STOPS

Music World has 72 stores, and was previously owned by the Pindoff family, which founded the business more than 30 years ago and sold it to a group of investors last week. All 648 employees will be laid off by Jan. 31.

It's a sad day for me as I used to work at Music World in the Georgian Mall, in Barrie for 2 years. I have friends who are losing jobs because of the closure.

Working at a music store was never as glamourous as they made it seem in High Fidelity or Empire Records but there was something special about introducing someone to new music. Or telling a stranger about a fantastic band they should hear or a great movie to see. It was those moments in the day where someone would come in and just want to talk music that made it a special place to work.

Don McLean said it best:

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.