A high note of excitement: Middletown students tour new band room

A crescendo of excitement swept over Middletown High School marching band members this week as they were surprised with a first look at a new band room.

Open, airy and flooded with natural light from giant windows, the new band practice room is a stark contrast to the windowless, old gym where they used to practice.

“It is ginormous and really great,” said senior band member Chloe Elam, moments after she and her bandmates walked into the state-of-the-art practice facility.

“When we were in the gym there was a really bad echo so it was hard to practice because we could hear ourselves back as a delay, so that was a little bit rough,” said Elam over the excited din as the band explored the new space.

The new practice space is part of Middletown Schools’ historic and massive, $96 million transformation of the old high school – which is being renovated and expanded – and a new middle school adjacent to the high school.

Middletown Marching Band Director David Leisten stood nearby, overseeing the 130-member Marching Middies teens’ excitement.

“It’s great and they are really excited. This is just unreal and really beautiful,” said Leisten.

The positive impact of the new space is incalculable, he said.

“With the day-today operations we will really be able to teach at a high level with the technology, acoustics and it’s versatile,” said Leisten. “This is a really big day for us.”

The leader of Middletown Schools made sure he was there for the first tour.

“This is what we all dream for as educators – kid moments,” said Superintendent Marlon Styles Jr. “Check out the kids.”

“This is truly a blessing. We appreciate our community and more importantly we are just grateful to give our students such a classy environment to where they can showcase their skills as future (musical) artists,” said Styles.

The new Middle School and upgraded high school will open for the 2018-2019 school year on Sept. 4. Public tours of the new school facilities will be arranged with dates and times to be announced soon, said school officials.

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