After practicing in it for less than a month, Betsy Band Director Perry Elliott said the music room addition at Elizabethton High School has been a huge success and a much-appreciated investment.

Hundreds of community members and parents attended the music room open house, which took place Thursday in conjunction with the jazz band and men’s ensemble performances.

Elliott said it seemed the audience was impressed with the new practice areas for band and chorus as well as the new office, ensemble and storage space it provides.

“There were several people that said the music program has really deserved this, and it was almost like they had come to see because they had been involved with it— to see if it was what they had hoped to see,” Elliott said. “I thought it was fantastic.”

He said the additional space and ability to store instruments and music close by has afforded his and Choral Director Debbie Gouge’s classes more practice time.

Elliott said they can get to their instruments more quickly and pass out music more efficiently, thereby adding to practice time.

“It’s a game changer for us,” he said.

In addition, the ensemble room provides a space in which specific vocal sections or musicians can practice separately with a guest clinician without disturbing the rest of the band or chorus.

Prior to the addition of the music room, the band, jazz band, men’s ensemble and women’s ensemble practiced in the old auditorium. Elliott said office space was crafted in a sectioned-off corner and storage area was the stage.

“This is on a totally different level than what we had,” he said.

The small space was never a hindrance to the band or choirs, which focused and won regional and national recognition.

The new room has been professionally acoustically treated, as opposed to the carpeted auditorium walls which used to absorb sound in the old room.

“Debbie has been very enthusiastic about it, she has talked many times about how the room is so acoustically attuned to her needs that it has already elevated the level of her group in less than a month,” Elliott said.

The old room has been converted into four classrooms, housing teachers who were previously mobile in permanent locations. From both teachers and students, Elliott extended gracious thanks to those who funded and pushed the project to completion.

“The music staff is extremely appreciative of everyone that has helped financially and with planning and support,” said Elliott. “We’re very, very grateful, because at the end of the day, if we hadn’t gotten that kind of financial support and willingness to help, we wouldn’t have gotten this wonderful music room.”