Music students at Shenendehowa High School East have been settling into the newly renovated music wing.
Construction has been happening since Summer 2023, tearing down the original walls from 1970. They estimated that the wing would be move-in ready come Q3. This meant that for semester one, students were relocated to the auditorium and little theater in order to play.
Music Honor Society President and member of two HSE ensembles, Brigitte Tisencheck, and her peers found trouble in the relocation.
“The renovations relocated the orchestras to the Little Theater. It was very difficult to play there; it was tiny, cramped, hot, and dark” said Tisencheck.
Fortunately, when the students returned from December break they began to move back in. Though the wing wasn’t 100 percent finished, students were ready to get back into their rooms.
The renovation equipped both the orchestra and band rooms with sound proof doors, acoustic room pads, and brand new recording equipment. Musicians and directors were excited to get back into the room after a semester-long renovation.
Band Directors Mr. Andrew Lammly and Mr. Brian Carucci were thrilled with the modifications, and to get back into the room.
“The new band room has a lot of acoustical improvements, so it’s much safer for our students, but in another sense it helps us hear each other more clearly,” said Lammly.
It is also noted that the renovations were aimed more at preserving musicians and their instruments, with regulated humidity and temperature – two crucial things in preserving expensive instruments.
Both Lammly and Carucci see the importance of recording practice, with the purpose of allowing the musician to hear all other elements of the music. Historically, this had to be done with the desktop, a phone, or other devices had to be brought in, and the microphones didn’t always pick up on the frequencies of all of the instruments.
Director of Fine Arts, Frank Roselli, understands the cruciality of this and made sure to enhance recording abilities.
“We now have high-tech audio playback and recording abilities,” said Carrucci.
Mr. Lammly is excited for the students and directors to become familiar with the technology, and for the room to be completely up and running for 2024-2025.
Though this year’s seniors may not have gotten to enjoy a traditional band year, they note the improvements of the music wing to be well worth the wait.
“I am excited for the juniors and sophomores for their music classes next year as they get to enjoy all the new additions,” said Tisencheck.
