Schools

Coast Guard Academy Celebrates Jazzed Up Hall With Weekend Concerts

Coast Guard Band will play in Leamy Hall, which has undergone a $4.7 million renovation

When the Coast Guard Band took to the stage to practice in sections earlier this week, they were doing so in a performing arena which has been thoroughly overhauled to ensure that they met their full potential. Chief Warrant Officer Rick Wyman, assistant director of the band, said the sound in Leamy Hall on the was often distorted or lost before the renovation.

“As you stand here, you can hear every instrument quite well,” he said from the back of the auditorium as the woodwinds played.

Chief Musician Kuljit Rehncy, the band’s audio engineer, said the hall was in dire need of an upgrade. The music failed to resonate, coming out as “dull, yet harsh at the same time.” The failing electrical system was so old that only one place was able to service it, and they were located in Israel. Rehncy said he considered the conditions unacceptable for a performance hall which hosts not only a professional service band but visits from the President of the United States and other dignitaries.

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“I thought this place was an embarrassment,” he said.

Leamy Hall, built in 1969, is finalizing a year-long $4.7 million renovation. To celebrate, the Coast Guard Band is holding two concerts there to feature the music of George Gershwin. The first concert will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, the second at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The performances are free and open to the public, and visitors need only present identification at the gate of the campus.

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One of the most important new features at the hall is new aesthetic wood paneling, which are designed to absorb and reflect sound to improve the acoustics of the concerts. The hall now incorporates a ramp and a lift to the stage as well to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 1,300-seat hall has been reduced by about 100 seats, but in such a way that seats are wider and more comfortable, with wider aisles and handicapped seating. New, energy-efficient lights will join upgraded sound, heating, and cooling systems.

“I can’t believe we’ve gotten what we’ve gotten for as little money, I think, as this cost,” said Rehncy.

The new design was completed by DuBose Associates Architects of Hartford and Akustiks of South Norwalk. Rehncy also credited Gerard J. Wilkins, the academy’s architect, with tirelessly working on the project.

Wyman said the improvements “basically [bring] it up to par with a good performing arts center” and create a warmer atmosphere than the former hall. He said the renovations will benefit groups other than the musicians as well; the hall is used for lectures, ceremonies, the Coast Guard Academy’s cadet band and chorus, and an annual musical. One of the first audiences arrived last week for the academy’s , where was the featured speaker, after inclement weather moved the event indoors.

While the hall has been under construction, the band has been putting on performances at the . Wyman said the change of venue has been beneficial, as it has made more people aware of the shows and their accessibility.

The band puts on free performances each month. It will travel to Taiwan in July to perform in the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles Conference.


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