Room 204 got a modest facelift after many things that had been stored in the room were removed. A very large music storage unit, sixteen filing cabinets, and a makeshift storage room for K-State Singers have all been removed from the back of the room. Once this was done the two-color scheme of the hallways was brought into 204 by painting the architectural accents the khaki green we used in all the common areas of McCain. Curtains that match the acoustical treatments in the room were purchased and can be placed at the front of the room to give the room a more pleasing look when this space functions as a recital hall rather than its more common use as a rehearsal hall or classroom.

With generous funding from the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office we were able to redo the Piano Lab with new paint, new carpeting, and sixteen new 88-key Yamaha pianos. Throughout the summer the room was cleared of clutter and has a new look that will benefit all music majors as they take their class piano courses in the room. KSU’s Piano Pedagogy professor, Virginia Houser, received training in the capabilities of the new system at the very end of the summer.

Perhaps the most important change in the building is one few will see. A major goal has been realized to centrally locate and secure our entire Music Performance Library to one location. Earlier this year, Music and Theatre were able to work together to identify a large area under the lobby of McCain Auditorium where both the Music Department’s performance collection and Theatre’s prop and costume storage could be housed. This became a reality when the Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office funded the installation of a sprinkler system so that the area met fire code. The area now contains 25 large shelving units that can store more than 800 archival boxes that hold approximately eight music titles each, giving the library the ability to store approximately 6,400 titles of music. This area now houses the collections of our bands, choirs, orchestra, and jazz ensembles!

Rounding out our effort to improve the look of McCain, seven new posters joined the more than thirty that now grace our hallways. Six were given by Dr. Mary Ellen Sutton and prominently feature views of organs, major concert halls, and art posters with a music theme. One was donated by Dr. Virginia Houser and features portraits and biographies of prominent female composers throughout music history.

Improvements attained during the summer of 2008 build on the work we accomplished in upgrading look of our hallways and courtyard in 2007. There is a new respect and feel for the music annex in McCain. Come and see what we’ve done!