Moving on up ... downstairs Absolute Music owner singing happy tune about larger space at plaza BY DAN NEWMAN Staff Writer PHOTOSBY SCOTT PILLING staff Nick Moore, 16, gets a piano lesson from Josh Cabrera at Absolute Music in the Airport Plaza in Hazlet. HAZLET - For years, Absolute Music was located in a small area on the upper level of an area of Airport Plaza. John Albino, the owner, had no complaints about the quaint little spot because people always knew where to find him. "To say the least, we definitely made a lot of noise at all times," Albino said. "People drumming, playing instruments. As time went on, though, we realized we were going to have to move as the business grew." At first, Albino was ready to take his act on the road ("We had other towns around here looking to bring us in," Albino said), but eventually, he said, Airport Plaza contacted him and asked him to stay. The Hazlet resident not only got to stay at home, but he and his business now occupy a good portion of the downstairs area of 1342 Route 36. With the walls now decorated with a fresh and colorful paint job and nostalgic pictures, mostly of the Beatles, Absolute Music now has the feel of a music Mecca, one that he and his students are happy to be located in. Two students jam away on their guitars after school at Absolute Music in the Airport Plaza in Hazlet. "I designed this place to be fun," Albino said of the facility, which used to be a computer store. "People are very curious to see what is going on here and they want to check it all out. My main goal with the move was to take what we have from upstairs to downstairs and still keep the same quality that everybody was used to." Over a decade ago, Albino first started working with young bands, and as he watched them grow and move on, he realized that maybe he had a future teaching music. About 10 years ago, at the suggestion of his wife, Nancy, Albino started doing just that. "She [Nancy] had the insight to see that this could work for me because this was something I was really into," Albino said. "Most people thought we'd fail because we were taking such a huge chance. We had no windows and we did no advertising. We had a 2-foot-by-6-inch sign at the entrance that had the name of our place on it. So in the beginning, yeah, it was tough." Luckily for Albino and his employees, right about the time that he was opening up shop, the school district was cutting back on extracurricular activities, which proved to be a blessing for his business, because he would get kids coming into his business, looking to not only let loose on the instruments, but also work for him. One of them has been with Albino almost since the beginning. "I met John about 12 years ago and took lessons with him and we clicked right away," Charlie Pranio said. "The atmosphere in this place is great every day. There's always people here who want to learn and get better at their craft." The first thing that strikes a person upon walking into the store may not be the noise or the people wandering around the studio, but his love of all things Fab Four. "The Beatles had a huge influence on me and so I tried to find as much memorabilia as I could find," Albino explained. "I found hundreds of things with them and other huge musicians. I went to garage sales, antique stores, you name it. I really did enjoy the process." The thing that Albino may be most proud of is that his client base has done more than subsist since the recent move. "We've been very fortunate that things have gone well thus far since coming downstairs," Albino said. "Our client base has exploded. We felt this could work and this really has humbled me greatly." Billy Swift, 17, has been taking guitar lessons at Absolute Music for about four years and sees it as more than just a business. "John takes care of us around here," Swift said. "He really is so helpful. When you join here it's more like a family, it's not just about the lessons. I really can't think of a better place to be to learn about music."