The distance might not be that far from the old Bayfield High School makeshift stage in the cafetorium to the new 450 seat performance auditorium at the south end of the building. But the two spaces are like night and day.
Marty Zwisler, the school district's project manager for the school addition and renovation that started last fall, gave a tour of the new additions last week to Pine River Centennial Rotary Club members. BHS band and choir director Derek Smith took the lead in the music rehearsal rooms and the auditorium.
Community members are invited to see the new spaces and hear school and community music groups perform in the auditorium from 11:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. next Saturday, Oct. 11.
Aside from the major addition, one of the most noticeable things is the expanse of new green grass instead of river rocks, and new landscaping.
The front entrance now has a double set of doors for security, with visitors required to buzz in before someone in the office unlocks the inner doors. The administrative office has been reconfigured to give a good view of anyone coming in, as well as what's happening outside.
Zwisler noted several new interior doors that can be closed and locked during sports, music, or other events to limit access to just that part of the building.
The front hall also has a new tile floor. Zwisler said a major pipe break in an upstairs bathroom in the spring flooded the entire front area all the way to the old gym.
The area in front of the old gym has been reconfigured with a new concession stand.
The new auxiliary gym is huge. The bleachers can hold around 200 people. The composite floor offers shock absorption similar to a wood floor. "I think this will be the main PE gym," Zwisler said. And it will allow BHS to host two indoor sports events at the same time. The new gym also has a large storage room for sports equipment.
Zwisler led the way back past the old gym into the new common area. "This is a really valuable space," he said. Students can eat lunch here instead of the cafetorium. Large windows look out on the front entry and also allow office staff to see in from across the way.
Previously this was a trouble spot where snow accumulated and dumped from the north side of the gym roof. Zwisler described how the new space is designed to collect that and move it away so it doesn't pile up on the concrete below.
The hall to the music rehearsal rooms has an entire wall where students' two-dimensional art can be displayed, and a glass case for three-dimensional art.
Derek Smith happily showed off the big band rehearsal room. "This is as close to a perfect rehearsal room as I can imagine," he said. The acoustics are for instrumental music and are different from the acoustics for vocal music.
Aside from built-in acoustics, there are moveable acoustic panels that can be raised and lowered in seconds, instead of minutes like the old ones, and without risk to anyone's hands or fingers. "We bought nine of these for the stage," Smith said.
Things like that have cut set-up and take-down time for rehearsals, so more time can be spent on the actual rehearsals, he said.
There's a separate percussion rehearsal room and four student practice rooms soundproofed so they don't interfere with each other. "Kids are using the practice rooms every day," Smith said. "You will see the quality of the music go up because of the space."
The room also has equipment to record the band and a small stage for the jazz band. There is a separate storage room with different climate controls for stringed instruments for when the district's Mr. U (Lech Usinowicz) gets an orchestra going.
"You build for the program you want to have," Smith said. "The kids have been treating this space with a tremendous amount of respect. They call it the temple to the arts."
The choir rehearsal room across the hall has a hardwood floor and ceiling tiles for the acoustics. It also has big mirrors on one wall and a bar for dance.
"The first day, we sang the National Anthem. I heard things I've never heard before with the acoustics," Smith said. "When they sing, I can hear every voice."
They have practice risers that can be taken down in about 10 seconds, six sets of them to accommodate around 90 singers. Smith said he hopes that eventually the choir program will grow enough for the district to hire a separate choir director.
This year Smith has 60 students in the marching band, 20 in the show choir, and 12 in the concert choir. The small concert choir number is because of class scheduling issues, he said. So a total of around 90 students, about one-fourth of the school, are involved in music programs.
The tour finished in the new performing arts auditorium, the first on this side of the county. The backstage contains technical equipment, space for building sets, costume storage, and the boys' and girls' dressing rooms. There is a garage door that opens so sets can be moved onto the stage, and an intercom so people up front can alert back-stage people when something needs to happen.
At the back of the stage is a huge screen that light can be projected onto. There's also a separate huge movie screen.
Tour participants stood on stage and looked out at the rise of seats. "There's not a dead spot (for sound) on the stage or in the audience," Smith said.
The state-of-the art light and sound control panels are out in the audience. Students will learn how to use them. The light board has controls to move a bank of ceiling-mounted lights.
Smith noted a closed space full of 450 people needs air movement. The system that does that is silent. The air conditioning "is so efficient and the room sealing is so strong that we have to crack the (back-stage) garage door slightly to avoid a whistle from the air pressure. Those are things you find over time. There's no way to plan ahead."
Fortunately the problem was discovered before an actual performance, he said.
The performing arts addition includes a new south side entrance for the public. It includes a donor wall to list names of contributors to the new Bayfield Educational Foundation. On the outside of the auditorium on the west side is a big LED lighted sign that says Bayfield Performing Arts.
Smith speculated that the new addition will increase the value of his house. "The first thing Realtors are asked is, 'How are the schools?' They are this. I've been to schools on the Front Range, and there's nothing compared to this."
