SCCC unveils design for new music building
Aspiring musicians can rejoice with the unveiling of a grand new music building proposed by Schenectady County Community College to place the program on a higher pedestal.
Schenectady County and college officials presented on Thursday, April 28, the $3.9 million project to build a new music building, which would be prominently featured upon entering the campus grounds. The facility adds much-needed space for students and teachers of the cramped music program with a 12,600 square-foot space to practice, perform and take classes. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and Schenectady County are equally providing funding for the project.
I am a firm believer we must make investments in our infrastructure in order to grow and remain competitive, said Denise Murphy McGraw, chairwoman of the SCCC Board of Trustees. `Our new music building will not only allow us to continue to attract the best and brightest from New York State, but we will also import students from throughout the nation.`
Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature Judith Dagostino said the lawmakers are committed to the college because of the `transformational power` of education and how important it is for students to receive quality education.
`Just viewing these renderings is exciting,` said Dagostino.
The new building will adjoin the current music wing of the Begley Building. The first floor will house teaching studios, an industry standard live recording studio, two specialized music classrooms, faculty offices and a student lounge. On the second floor will be a recording studio with a control room, recital space, teaching studios, and faculty offices. There will be eight additional practice rooms in the facility with a faCade of large glass windows giving a modern appearance.
Chair of the Music Department William Meckley said being a visiting evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Music has allowed him to see what makes a music program effective. While the most important piece is a superb facility, which he said SCCC has along with a supportive administration, but the last piece is a facility enabling what works needs to be accomplished.
`It is a place where we are going to be proud to come every day,` said Meckley. `Since (SCCC President Quintin Bullock’s) first day on this campus he has made this project a priority.`
In 1984, when Meckley came to the college, there were only 35 music majors and the facility was good. Now there are 185 music majors, but the building hasn’t gotten any bigger.
`This is going to be a wonderful addition for us to let us have the room to do the work,` said Meckley. `It is going to mean that we can broaden our curriculum offerings. Now we can finally move into the area that many students come requesting ` the area of music recording and technology.`
Music Department Professor Brett Wery said prejudices about the music department at the college has hampered its growth, because it is a community college and it doesn’t have the facilities of other four-year universities.
`No one expects a community college to have a real music department,` said Wery. `No one expects a community college music department to have rigorous standards. No one expects to work at a community college music department.`
For students recommended to the college to improve their grades, said Wery, they sometimes get a rude awakening it won’t be as easy as they thought. When transferring students to a four-year institution, which often happens, the curriculum at the college needs to be competitive with those institutions.
`Despite what you think a community college is, despite the prestige you think awaits you at the big name school, SCCC is for real,` said Wery. `I can usually persuade a student to abandon their prejudices right up to the point where they see our tiny little building they look at all this and they say `Yup, that is what I thought ` a community college.’`
Second-year student Ian Kerr-Mace praised the program and faculty members for offering an extraordinary music program, but noted the cramped space of the department. Getting practice outside of class is also harder to get done, said Kerr-Mace, because the limited space on campus hampers studying.
`It is not always looks, but the music department at first glance is not what you would expect, well, maybe at a community college it is,` said Kerr-Mace. `People come here and they don’t know where the music department is at first, because they don’t see anything that really stand out to them as a music building. With this addition people will be able to come over from Route 50, from Scotia, and they will be able to see where the music department is.“
