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In my next life, I want to come back as a student at MSU's John J. Cali School of Music. During a recent visit to the new 53,000 square foot building, I was moved by the sounds of marimba, guitar, piano, violin, drums. Creative energy is bouncing off the sound-proofed walls; students are swarming like ants in and out of rehearsal rooms, engrossed by musical instruments of all kinds - and putting out a very happy vibe.
The Cali School of Music opened for students and faculty in September, after years of planning and construction. Work continues as crews complete the finishing touches. Director Robert Aldridge is a very, very happy guy; last week, he took me on a tour of the facility.
Situated at the university entrance, it is clearly the university's latest showpiece. The core of the building is hundred-year old Chapin Hall, one of the original three campus buildings, serving first as a dorm, then as the College of Education. Chapin Hall, with its tiled roof and dormer windows was completely gutted and restored; new construction wraps around it providing double the rehearsal space, classrooms, teaching labs, plus a new recital hall.
The blend of the old building with the new works well; while the new section has high ceilings and huge picture windows, the old half of the building retains architectural charm wtih its unusual window and disctinctivley shaped rooms under the dormers. The former attic, up on the fifth floor, now provides about a dozen student rehearsal rooms. Installed throughout the building, are state-of-the-art acoustic panels and thick solid wooden doors. Aldridge delights in demonstrating how the room-within-room construction allows musicians to practice in absolute silence. Even the percussion room has a spring suspension floor to insulate the rest of the building from vibrations.
Aldridge enthusiastically describes his new musical domain: "We now have 430 students in the music school, while 10 years ago, there were only 150. We have $1 million worth of new upright pianos donated by the Steinway company. We were able to get a lot of good technology...and the building is LEEDS certified."
Walking through the halls, we were welcome to take a peek at music in the making: the computer lab is a den of composition and learning using MIDI technology; next we met a chamber ensemble - Kyra Sims, 23, from Tennessee on French horn, Jack Blaszkiewicz, 20, from Staten Island on piano, and Valeria Toth, 32, from Budapest, Hungary on violin. Coached by Yiewen Jiang, of The Shanghai Quartet, we listened to the students play Brahms' Horn Trio -- perfectly. "You would never hear music played at this professional a level (at MSU) 10 years ago," says Aldridge. "Now we are on the way to becoming one of the top music schools in the region. We have the facility, the endowments, the variety of courses (even music therapy) and attract a higher quality of students and teachers."
About 90% completed, construction continues on the concert hall, lobby, and a few meeting rooms. The John J. Cali School of Music will have its official opening and ribbon-cutting on January 20. Its inaugural concert in Leshowitz Hall is on January 21.
"Life is good here" says Aldridge, beaming. "We're very lucky, President Susan Cole is an avid supporter of arts and music. She treats music like most college presidents treat their football team."
--photos, Annette Batson
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Comments (7)
WOW. Fantastic!!
But I wonder if all this reaching out to Baristnet is not softening the ground for the proposed dorm (and other construction plans) to a possibly wavering citizenry.
I mean MSU has Warhol and the sounds of marimba's how can a dorm in downtown be a bad idea?
"Life is good here" says Aldridge, beaming. "We're very lucky, President Susan Cole is an avid supporter of arts and music. She treats music like most college presidents treat their football team."
I can practically see Cole holding a gun to his head while he says that.
the insides of the facilities are fine. But does anyone else find the Jersey-Mex, Spanish-ish architectural style of the campus as hideous as I do?
Actually, prof, Baristanet reached out to Dr. Aldridge. And for the record, no one was pointing a gun at his head.
Annette, I stand corrected... And I can't wait to see the upcoming shows featured here.
I LOVE the architectural style of the campus, ROC.
At least it has a style. Far too many State-related facilities do not-- included another State University I know very well.
Moreover, the style speaks to the University's past. Again, too many institutions fail to take their own history into account.
MSU celebrates it.
What history is that? indian casino?
Wow -- an institution actually putting substantial money into an arts program. Then again, it's my experience that music is not quite as "ghettoized" as visual art when the economic chips are down. But any support of the arts -- especially in an educational realm -- is wonderful to hear about these days.
As for the architecture of the campus I find it quite unique for this part of the country and nicely done. Nothing wrong with having less concrete block a la 1970s institutional blah in the world.