Georgia College’s Department of Music is nearing the end of construction for its new music rehearsal building.
Construction of the building began in July of 2024, but design efforts began in June and official planning began two years prior. According to Department Chair Dr. Don Parker, the new building is meeting a “critical” need within the department. It will house rehearsal areas for choral, wind symphony, orchestra, jazz ensemble, and other related instrumental chamber groups, a dedicated percussion studio, and storage areas for piano, strings, percussion, and an instrument storage locker area.
“The current facilities we have are not appropriate for helping the student’s music abilities. We have issues with ceilings being too low in certain areas, heating and cooling issues, and not having enough room for sound to be heard,' said Parker. “This building resolves some of those problems and it allows us to plan collaborations between groups, offer more accessibility, and provide better for workshops and events, like High School Choral.”
Parker said having room for sound and proper heating and cooling are “paramount.”
According to Facilities Manager Mark Bowen, Dunwoody Beeland Construction worked with an acoustician to ensure the rooms each had the necessities. The orchestra and choral rooms, the largest rooms in the facility, were the first to receive sound modifications.
“It is important to have good sound isolation and to be able to have good sound within the rooms themselves,” said Parker.
“We want students to be able to hear themselves and hear others. In the music business, we develop ears to be able to hear nuances, discern if they are in or out of tune and the ability to be able to collaborate with others, and more.”
The new 10,400square-foot building is located on the corner of Wayne and Montgomery Streets. According to Parker, the location was one of the largest discussions during the planning process.
“This is essentially the first music facility, specific to music, that has been built since 1939,” said Parker. “We wanted to pick a location that was near campus that would allow us to continue to use our current facilities.
The home of the department right now is Porter Hall and the lower level of the Health Sciences building. Staying close allows for easier scheduling but also creates a sense of community and closeness within the department, rather than being spread out.”
The “best spot” was not too far from campus but a continuation of the department.
“Roughly about 200-300 students will be using the building weekly if not more,” said Parker. “That is another reason planning focused so heavily on the location and ensuring that the department was not spread far across campus.”
In a video by GCSU Communications interviewing Parker, he stated that his favorite room to be completed is the percussion room. Parker told The Baldwin Bulletin that the new facility will be offering a new performance type space for the percussionists.
“As a percussionist, we require a large space but also a space that is kind of isolated due to the volume level. This allows us to have that isolation without the request to lower volume, which I have heard many times throughout my career,” said Parker. “This will be a space where they can truly play at the volume needed and be taught without limitations.
And the new storage for instruments will preserve the instruments for the future.”
Parker stated that the construction is being funded by various sources and there is currently a project campaign allowing anyone to support the development with the opportunity to name a space. To learn more about the campaign visit give.gcsu.edu/g/ mpf/.
“The goal is to have the building ready for use by fall semester,” said Bowen. “We are excited to have a new facility. They needed this new practice space, and we are looking forward to seeing how students use it upon its completion.”