The band will move into their new space at the beginning of the 2016-17 school year. Director of Bands Robert Lawrence is excited for the opportunities it will bring and the excitement it will bring to the students. “I’ve called it their band room. You see teachers come and go; students are eternal,” Lawrence said. “They’re excited about it.”
By AMELIA DELAMATER – Print Managing Editor
Clarke Central High School’s band has moved multiple times, but will be moving one final time into their new building during the summer of 2016.
The Clarke Central High School band class has moved four times since the beginning of campus renovation in 2014. However, by the beginning of the 2016-17 school year, they will move their fifth and final time into their new space.
Their new building includes one large room for class accompanied with Director of Bands Robert Lawrence’s office and four individual practice rooms.
“This will all be equipped with speakers,” construction manager Joe Dunagan said. “There are speakers around (the rooms). If you wanted to let certain groups practice, (Lawrence) can pipe in the music where you hear the rest of it.”
The new building will allow students to play in a true band room every day.
“We feel very fortunate,” Lawrence said. “Our kids, for the last seven years, the only band room they’ve played in, has been at Cedar (Shoals High School). When we’ve gone over for Fine Arts Day, and they’ve warmed up there they get it ‘cause Cedar has an amazing facility. Now they can come home every day and get it.”
The band received superiors at Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE) this year as well as the top group getting 53 As and 1 B as ratings for their performance.
“He got a superior ranking in a triple-wide (trailer),” Dunagan said. “When you move in here, you need to have whatever is higher than superior.”
Some of the band students were able to see their almost complete building on April 15 during a tour after school.
“When I saw the new building, I was amazed. We have been waiting for the band room for a long time now. And to know that it is almost finished and looks so amazing, is just wonderful,” sophomore Kirsten Pierce said. “Last Friday, when I visited the new building, I was almost in tears. I just feel like we deserve it after all the things we have been through together as a band.”
