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Bond auditorium would provide classroom space arts programs need
It's a scene observed every day by Mountain Home High School drama teacher Taunya Page.
On one side of the curtain in the high school gym she tries to teach students the in and outs of stage production and drama.
On the other side of the curtain, physical education classes are in progress.
Her class competes with the noise the PE classes make while going over their lines.
She knows she'd be more effective as a teacher standing on the gym floor, free to see the stage as the audience will, but that's not an option while another class is on the floor.
Neither is letting her students work on the technical aspects of a show, such as lighting and sound.
Rehearsal after school is the same -- the drama program will be forced to compete with the basketball, volleyball or whatever other athletic team has practice in the gym that day.
The performance arts wing included in the $37.5 million bond proposed by the school district will eliminate that problem for the band, drama and choir programs.
The performance wing will be composed of a 500-seat auditorium, band and choir classrooms, a few individual practice rooms for band and choir students and a drama classroom built directly behind the stage.
"It is long overdue that students in the performing arts have a space of their own," Page said.
Jerry Tippets, the high school band director, agrees with Page.
Because of the number of students in his band and the amount of room their instruments take up, the high school band has to perform in front of the stage on the gym floor.
His smaller jazz band does fit on the stage but must use a sound shell to project the sound towards the audience and not the stage's ceiling.
His band practices in a room that is about half the size needed for a band its size, Boise State University band director David A. Wells told Tippets when he visited the school recently.
Tippets said the band classroom included in the proposed plan is big enough to accommodate his students.
The increased space would bring more than just comfort to band students, it would improve their sound and instructions.
"Sound production would be better in a real band room," Tippets said. "I could tell more what's going on. With kids on risers, I can't tell the blend of the band very well."
Tippets said performing in an auditorium has two benefits. He said the audience would have a different feeling walking into an auditorium for a concert than they do walking into a gym being used for a concert and there is a huge difference between how the band would sound.
Principal Jeff Johnson said the auditorium would be an advantage for band and choir students because they would be able to practice in the auditorium for competitions held in auditoriums.
Johnson said the auditorium would be used daily by the drama program as well as for assemblies and presentations, such as the recent Rachel's Challenge presentation held in the high school gym.
Aside from school use, Johnson said the community would be able to use the auditorium.
Johnson said a friend of his from Mountain View High School, located in Meridian, told him their auditorium is used nearly every night by the community.
Johnson imagines the auditorium would be used much the same way in Mountain Home.
The auditorium could be used for events such as those sponsored by the Mountain Home Art's Council.
The Art's Council sponsored Ballet Idaho in March.
Because the drama program was using the stage for practice and left it set up for their use, the ballet had to take place on a tarp on the gym floor.
Peter Pawlyschyn, the associate director of Ballet Idaho, said an auditorium would make a huge difference in their performance.
He said when the audience sits on the same level as the performers, the audience can only see from the waist or knees up and is unable to see the articulation the dancers work hard on.
He also said the lighting would be improved and the entrance and exits would be more dramatic and fluid.
Page said performance arts helps kids stay in school that aren't interested in academics but pass academic classes to remain involved with band, choir or drama classes.
As an English teacher, she sees students who aren't interested in their English work become excited when they get a new script in her drama class.
She said performance art classes help students express themselves and become well-rounded.
"To see a student go from being a sophomore shy on stage to a senior who has blossomed because of the arts program is pretty incredible" Page said.
The opportunity to blossom would increase under the plan as a result of band and choir having their own rooms.
Because the band and choir teacher share a room, they are limited to the number of classes each can teach.
Tippets said separate rooms would open up opportunities not available right now. He would also be able to teach his jazz band class during the school day instead of meeting in the mornings before school starts.
Voters will vote on the bond issue April 29.