Thursday, May 20, 1999
Music room better than ever after fire
BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
HAMILTON — The music room at Wilson Junior High sparkles. The smells of new carpeting and wood have replaced the smokiness from the Jan. 15 fire that gutted the music room, home to the school's band, orchestra and vocal music programs.
New lighting, a drop ceiling, freshly painted walls and the addition of sound panels have brightened the room and deadened the echoing of before.
Along the walls, new steel lockers are mounted and hold newly purchased or donated instruments. Music stands line the back of the room. A still-boxed keyboard awaits unpacking in the corner.
Two boys, ages 17 and 15, were charged with arson. Damage at the school exceeded $1.7 million.
Although classes resumed at Wilson on April 12, the music room wasn't ready. It has been only two weeks since the sound of music returned to the basement room, which is almost finished except for the Plexiglas windows.
“After the fire I wasn't sure we would ever be coming back to Wilson,” said ninth-grader Tara Downie, 15.
“But look at this! It's air-conditioned. The sound quality is so much better. When we sing, it doesn't echo back at us. We can hear all the parts.”
Choral director Amber Tendam still gets choked up and teary-eyed — four months after learning every piece of music in the room was destroyed — when describing the generosity of Hamilton and surrounding communities.
People, churches and businesses made it possible for all the students to con tinue their performances, their competition and classes without missing a beat.
“We had two choices: either shut down our programs or we can show that when things get really bad, we stand together. We chose to stand together,” Ms. Tendam said. “These kids have learned a life lesson: If you don't give up, you can do anything.”
That message was reinforced recently when arts supporters and lifelong Hamilton residents Donna and Ralph “Pat” Carruthers offered to pay for a fine-arts wing at the school.
The two-room addition will be built along the fence line near the parking area for Fort Hamilton Hughes Hospital. It's needed, Principal Tracey Miller said.
“The one music room is overused. It can't accommodate our general music, show choir, band and orchestra classes,” Mr. Miller said. “Even before the fire we had to use the cafeteria and other classrooms.”
Through the community's generosity Wilson has been able to replace instruments lost in the fire and enhance the program, said Clinton Bean, supervisor of fine arts for the Hamilton Schools.
The students say they're glad to be back in their routine. They've been nomads the past four months.
“It was a huge obstacle to overcome,” said eighth-grader Joey Gadd, 14. "I knew physically it would be possible to come back but emotionally ... You don't know what to expect. I'm glad to be here. It's my school.”
Rob Bierly said being able to come back to the music room was the last step in returning to normalcy since the fire. When his brother told him his school was on fire, he thought it was a joke.
“Even though there are different things, it's still Wilson,” Rob said. “I think it works.”
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