Starting the Year on a High Note

By Zenas Jones

Staff Writer

This stage located in the concert hall of the International Center is where Conservatory students hold recitals for their audiences.
This stage located in the concert hall of the International Center is where Conservatory students hold recitals for their audiences.

The Count and Countess de Hoernle International Center has played an important role in assisting all students that step through the doors on the path to success.

This year there have been several renovations to many buildings on Lynn’s campus. The International Center is one of the buildings which was recently renovated. It  now caters to the many talented students within the Conservatory of Music.

Before, practices and rehearsals took place in the de Hoernle residence hall, which was where the majority of conservatory students were housed. As a result of the makeover that the International Center underwent, the second and third floors have been altered into areas that contain many individual practice rooms for the musicians.

The halls resonate with melodies played by many musical instruments as students walk through them and sign-in logs help with the organization of schedules. The soundproof doors keep the sound from spilling out. Group practices are no longer limited to only one room. Students can access these rooms and they are able to focus on their musical pieces within their own space. Some feel as though a change such as this could take a while to adapt to.

“Whenever we get into a new place, it takes time first to get used to it,” said Chen Liang, junior. “I’m not sure if this is better than before, because I still need time to feel that.”

Along with rooms that provide an area of productive practices and absolute focus, the International Center also provides a theater space where some Lynn performances are held.

“At least one thing is more convenient, and that it’s closer to our concert hall,” said Liang. “So it makes more sense that after practice you can go into the hall and give recitals.”

Conservatory students are enjoying the new space along with it’s many benefits. Before this improvement, few pianos were accessible to pianists. These locations included the pianos in the de Hoernle residence halls, a piano in the school chapel, one piano in the Henke wing inside the International Center and also inside the Amarnick-Goldstein Concert Hall.

“With more rooms, we have more [of a] chance to get access to the pianos to play,” said Liang who is a pianist himself.

As the year continues, hours of practice by the many talented musicians in the conservatory will not be in vain as they blow away their audiences, with their exemplary and memorable performances in the future.

The Count and Countess de Hoernle International Center continues to be a building where extraordinary things take place.

 

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