Last fall, Trevecca Nazarene University announced a plan to repurpose existing buildings on the former Volunteer Express Trucking site to create a state-of-the-art music building.

Construction on the new building, The Center for Music and Worship Arts, officially began in January 2016. Barring delays, construction should be completed by the close of the year, though classes will not be held in the building until early 2017.

A grand-opening celebration is planned for spring 2017.

The cutting-edge building will provide additional instructional and rehearsal space for Trevecca’s growing School of Music and Worship Arts. The 25,509-square foot structure will house three traditional classrooms, five teaching studios for faculty to use for private instruction, and seven practice rooms, as well as additional spaces for choral and instrumental instruction and rehearsal. School of Music students and faculty will also continue to use instructional space in the Wakefield Fine Arts Building on Trevecca’s campus.  

“The Center for Music and Worship Arts is designed to provide flexible instructional, administrative, and performance spaces to help accommodate continued growth in our music-related programs and provide a creative space to accomplish these different activities,” said David Diehl, dean of the School of Music and Worship Arts. “The architects have done a masterful job in capitalizing on the industrial nature of the existing structure and creating a unique and usable design that will be a great addition to our campus.”

The university worked with Nashville architecture firm Earl Swensson Associates (ESa) to design the building. ESa’s plans include a complete transformation of the existing office building and loading dock, as well as new construction and stone elements that reflect iconic architecture apparent throughout Trevecca’s campus.

The Center for Music and Worship Arts will boast a 2,810-square foot black box performance venue, easily adapted for various kinds of performances and productions, from senior recitals to musicals and choral concerts.

A recording suite on the first floor will be used to mix and record high-quality video and audio broadcasts for the choral, instrumental, and black box performance venues. These performances can then be simultaneously streamed to the Internet for family and friends of the students and university to view. Performances will also be recorded for archives and taken into the Trevecca Studios for post-production, to be professionally mixed and mastered for album release. The suite also provides an educational space for students to experience multi-camera video broadcasts in a real-world setting, as well as high-quality, live concert multi-track recordings.

The first floor will also feature an administrative wing, complete with a reception area, conference room, music library, and administrative offices. A music garden and courtyard will line the front of the building, welcoming visitors and serving as an additional student gathering area and outdoor performance space.

The second floor will offer more classroom space, as well as a guitar studio, numerous student practice rooms, faculty studios, and band rehearsal space.

In addition, School of Music and Worship Arts administrators hope the new building will open up new opportunities to serve Nashville’s creative community, including events such as presentations, receptions, and showcases.

Senior Caleb Dinger, a music major, is excited about what the new building has to offer.

“I am so excited about the new music building,” Dinger said. “The quality of this facility shows that we care about and believe in our programs. We already have a great music faculty and great leadership. Having these new facilities will help us build upon the potential we already have and better prepare our students for the many opportunities that await them.” 

For a video rendering of the new building, click here. 

--Trevecca Nazarene University