Over summer break, the DIS music rooms went through a huge makeover to create a larger space for both students and teachers to enjoy. “Well, I’ve been asking for it. For many, many years. Especially in the past few years with COVID, we needed to spread out. We needed a little bit more space, so we finally decided it was the right time, I guess,” said Mr. Hutchings.  

 Mr. Hutchings further mentioned, “We were originally trying to make the presentation hall into a music room. But we had complications, so, the next best thing was an idea that we had been toying with for a while, which was knocking down the walls and trying to make one large room. They finally started to make plans and tried to see if it was possible, and yeah, they can knock down the walls, so that’s why it happened.” The enthusiasm Mr. Hutchings had when explaining the new additions indicates just how much of a positive innovation the changes have been.

Mr. Hutchings went on to describe the new sound panels added to the band room as well. The walls, doors, and ceilings were padded with a certain type of soundproofing system. “The ones with the holes is a wood panel that is also, supposedly, some kind of sound absorption,” explained Mr. Hutchings. Many students agree that, in general, especially the added sound system, improved the overall quality of the new band room.

Bolt in 11th grade, a music student, commented, “The new room is significantly larger, and since I am a percussionist, it’s a lot easier to fit all the instruments in. When we were in the presentation hall or outside, we had to move the instruments a lot or squeeze them in small spaces, but now we have a bigger space.” Similar to Bolt’s experience, this accommodation will hopefully influence many students to give their best efforts in class.