Similar to bookstores and libraries, independent record stores tend to have a certain aura: dynamic background music, a slight mustiness, the low hum of small talk, and passionate staff with unparalleled musical knowledge. There is something endlessly appealing about this atmosphere, and Academy Records is no exception. Amid the ever-growing whirlwind of high tech and virtual realities, Academy’s owner, Joseph GaNun, has been working tirelessly to preserve a once-ubiquitous medium: the record.
Back in the 1970s, Academy was primarily a book store. In the 1990s, they switched it up a bit by moving two doors down, and today it is widely acclaimed as a destination music shop. They are a haven for devotees of all styles of music, with an emphasis placed on classical and jazz. A matter of fact, Academy is considered one of the best places to come for classical music in the country, if not the world. Any lover of vinyl or compact discs will find a home here, as we observed one Friday afternoon while we watched a dozen or so men and women (of all ages) fervently flipping through records, CDs, and DVDs. Quite a refreshing change of pace in the age of iTunes and online shopping and certainly nothing like we have witnessed in any other record shop, thus far.
