CCM and Freeholders Celebrate Groundbreaking for Music Technology Building
New $8.5 Million Facility Will House Expanded Music and Performing Arts Programs
The County College of Morris (CCM) Board of Trustees gathered with county officials today to celebrate the groundbreaking for an $8.5 million Music Technology building to house the college’s popular and growing music technology and other performing arts programs.
Attending the event were David Scapicchio, deputy director of the Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Freeholder John Krickus, and numerous CCM faculty members and students.
Funding for the facility is coming from the Building Our Future Bond Act that was approved by New Jersey voters in 2012. The bond is providing $750 million for New Jersey’s colleges. With its matching funds from Morris County, CCM is receiving a total of $10 million to construct a Music Technology building and for the recent upgrades it made to its engineering and mechanical labs.
“Since 2007, enrollment in our music technology programs has grown 36 percent,” noted Dr. Edward J. Yaw, president of CCM. “This new facility not only will address that growth but allow CCM to build upon the strengths of its music and performing arts programs. We are grateful to the residents of New Jersey and county officials for making this possible.”
“We extend our gratitude to the freeholders for supporting this great college in our great county,” added Stanley T. Omland, P.E., P.P., chair of the CCM Board of Trustees.
The Music Technology facility is to be constructed as a 22,500-square-foot, two-story addition to the college’s Student Community Center. The facility will include an experimental theater lab – theater in-the-round – that will serve as a large hands-on classroom with a recording studio and seating for 100 – 125 people, two standard classrooms, an electronic music/aural comprehension classroom and piano lab, a second recording studio, scene shop, dressing rooms and multiple student practice rooms.
Academic programs to be housed in the new facility include digital media technology, drama, media technology, music and music recording.
Photo 1: (l-r) County College of Morris Trustees gather with county officials for a celebratory groundbreaking for a Music Technology building. Pictured (l-r) are: Trustee William Schievella, Freeholder John Krickus, Trustee Laurie Bogaard, Trustee Paul R. Licitra, Trustee Barbara L. Hadzima, CCM President Edward J. Yaw, Deputy Freeholder Director David Scapicchio, Trustee Emeritus W. Thomas Margetts, Trustee Chair Stanley T. Omland, Trustee Joseph Weisberg, and Trustee Jeffrey M. Advokat.
Photo 2: CCM faculty members, students and administrators gather for a celebratory groundbreaking for a Music Technology building.
Photo Credit: Rick Burchfield