Current Release: April 28th, 2009 | Vol. XXX Iss. 10

Photo by Ed Phillips

Making music in Village I

Alisa Crider

awcrider@vwc.edu

There are many musicians on Virginia Wesleyan s campus. So many, that the Fine Arts building cannot accommodate them all. Much of this is due to a policy that prohibits students from practicing music in their dorm rooms.

 We have outgrown our facilities in the Fine Arts building, said Lee Jordan-Anders, Batten professor of music and artist-in-residence.

There is only one room in fine arts that has a grand piano, a computer for drills, and space for violin or guitar lessons. This room can only be occupied by a few musicians at one time.

 Our goal is to make the two practice rooms accessible to anyone within the entire campus community who wants to make music, said Anders.

Students who take music classes at Wesleyan are required to practice three to four hours a day. With hardly any space in Fine Arts, a residence hall policy that prohibits playing instruments in dorm rooms (and the Chapel being a temporary study space) students are having real issues finding a place to practice.

Junior Larry Holmes takes music lessons and needs a place to practice since Smithdeal residence hall is not cutting it.

 I am glad I have been informed about these rooms, said Holmes.  I am very interested in playing my recorder there.

There are two practice rooms for musicians to use in Village I s Eggleston Commons. Anders arranged to have the sound-proof practice rooms on campus to allow for more practice space for both music students and others who play for recreation. These rooms were donated by Bayside High School and were installed by Gary Richardson, president of R.D. Lambert Construction Company.

 These are very expensive if you have to purchase them new, said Bruce Vaughn vice president of operations.  They would cost between $8,500 and $10,000 each, plus installation.

One of the rooms is going to have a grand piano in it for pianists and singers. The other will be open for guitars, violins, drums and any other musical instrument a student may want to play.

Anders hopes all interested students will use them and be appreciative of the fact they are there for their use.

 A dog does not poop in its cage, she said.  They don t soil their own place, and I d like to think that as students we won t soil our own place.

Many students have not seen or even heard about the new rooms but they are there and ready for use. The empty room will be open at all times for musical students to use.

 Nobody told me about the construction, said Junior Cal Bledsoe.  This is great news.

Thomas Farley, a professor of geography and education and a singer and guitar player in a local band, thought the rooms were a great idea. He figured that if the word gets out about the rooms, there may need to be a system created for students to sign in allotting time to reserve them.

The students who have gotten the word are looking forward to using them in the near future.

 I would definitely be interested in playing my guitar in the practice rooms, said freshman Luke Taylor.

 I d definitely rather carry my amp and guitar over to village I than all the way to the chapel where people used to jam, said senior Shawon Reyes.