In June of 2004, ground was broken on the campus of Wesley College for Belize's first music education center. 2 years and about three hundred thousand dollars later, the music center has been officially opened. At this morning's opening ceremony we found out why the music center will be more than just another school building.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This is what Wesley College's Music Center used to look like - a cramped 20 by 30 foot Mennonite style house in which as many as 30 students at a time had to sit in for class. This is the school's new music center. The ribbons to the spacious four thousand square feet, two storey center was cut this morning by area representative Mark Espat, Sports Minister Cordel Hyde, alongside bishops from the Anglican, Catholic, and Methodist churches.
[Cutting of Ribbon]
The new name is the Wesley College music education center. Wesley's principal Brenda Armstrong says this is a first for Belize but it is must.
Brenda Armstrong, Wesley College Principal
"There is no other music center building or program of its kind in the country of Belize.
A person may not have the same intelligence of another person. There are many intelligences and music intelligence is one of those areas that we have neglected as educators. Music education is a very important aspect of the rounded child, the person that you want to have come to be a contributing citizen in Belize."
Armstrong worked on the project alongside Albert Rep. Mark Espat. Espat says the new center which boasts a recording studio, choir room---already furnished with a new stock of trumpets, guitars, saxophones, and flutes, library, as well as an office, classroom, and listening center is bigger than Wesley college and even the Albert division.
Hon. Mark Espat, Albert Area Representative
"With this center we blow the opening whistle. With this center the bugle is sounded. We are just starting the race to musical greatness. This center is an instrument, just like the drum or a guitar or a saxophone or a piano. All of this is an instrument waiting for the voices, the lips, the fingers, and the hands of our artists.
We have many talented musicians and budding musicians in Belize. If there is somewhere that they can pursue their musical dreams, whether that be guitar playing, saxophone, piano, vocals, or whatever it might be, if they can use this center as a resource center and as a cradle for the music of tomorrow, I think that will be a great accomplishment for us."
Two such students are 17-year-old Chris Smith and 15-year-old Jerson Gentle. Among many other instruments, Chris blows the trumpet while Jerson is a drummer. Both students say it is a major upgrade.
Chris Smith, Wesley College Student
"This is a beautiful institution compared to the little wooden house that we used to play in. It is a very good improvement and I am very happy for it."
Jerson Gentle, Wesley College Student
"I feel good about it because I have always wanted a big music room to practice in and rehearse in rather than the center over there."
The music center will be managed by Wesley's music teacher Chris Bradshaw, who himself is an accomplished musician. He says the center might be named Wesley's Music Center but is really the community's music center.
Chris Bradshaw, Wesley College Music Teacher
"This is not only for high school students but the sixth form students, the junior college students, and also to the general community. If parents want to learn to play an instrument, if someone out there wants to learn how to operate recording equipment or learn how to sing or learn to read music, they can come in."
Come in and share the music whether it be trumpets, drums, the sweet sound of a steel band.
The cost of the building was projected to be about $300,000. The cost announced this morning was half a million dollars which includes equipment and furnishing. Shortly, the center will be announcing its schedule of music classes which will be opened to the general public. There is also a competition to design a logo for the music center. The deadline for submissions is November 30th.
