By Carter Kucier ’23, staff writer
Blair Music Hall received a much anticipated and greatly needed renovation this summer.
The organ/choral room, also known as Blair 122, was scheduled for renovation in the summer of 2020. When COVID-19 sent all students home and halted all classes and scheduled events on campus in March of 2020, this renovation was pushed off until further notice.
Finally, when the summer of 2022 rolled around, construction was able to begin safely.
Blair 122 is a high-traffic facility, used daily by a variety of musical and academic groups including all three choirs, the Organ Guild and the LVC Handbell Choir.
The renovation included new floors, wall lighting, a music library system, cabinetry for storage, choral risers and acoustical treatment on the walls and ceilings.
“The choirs are thrilled with how the room turned out,” Dr. Kyle Zeuch, department co-chair and director of choral activities, said.
These changes allow the students using this room every day to make music more efficiently and effectively, in facilities that more accurately reflect the kind of musical education one expects to receive at LVC.
“The acoustics are ideal for rehearsal, and we now feel that the professional look matches the level of excellence we strive for in rehearsals,” Zeuch said.
These changes also bring the overall look of Blair 122 out of the 1970s faded aesthetics and into the modern day, providing a breath of fresh air to students. Such a large overhaul was funded through grants and donations, notably through the LVC Advancements Office and a grant from the Presser Foundation.
Students have already begun rehearsals this semester in the new facility, and there seems to be an air of excitement as young musicians get to be among the first LVC students to experience this new and incredible facility.