Imagine my delight when I was contracted by the Physical Plant Committee’s representatives to help in the massive restoration project this summer at SVS! In the words of a founder, “It’s the biggest renovation we’ve ever done . . . even bigger than when we opened in 1968!” The roads were retarred; new boilers were installed – a very sophisticated system; and, oh, there’s wifi in the barn!!!; every bit of the landscape was gone over; Rick has been doing some serious things at the millhouse and dam, though I never made it down to see; Kevin had thirty projects going, and was sending people left and right; we had some seriously great help from present students and staff; and Mad Matt was wowing us with his cleaning prowess. I’ve never seen someone clean an attic ceiling before!

My task was to renovate the Music Corp’s assets which had been put into the hands of the Physical Plant Committee by the School Meeting. The Music Corp seemed to be going through a vacuum of power! I felt a bit like Jacques Cousteau or a forensic scientist in going through these assets. The layers of history are a continuing fascination. Who designed the five walled large rehearsal room with its opening tube structure? Who bought 6,000 watts worth of power amps!!?? We have a Zither? Really???

Trombones and cymbals were polished, guitars were polished, oiled and restrung, amps were soldered and rewired, walls were painted, we restored and stained the rehearsal room ceilings which are a beautiful hardwood. Note the ceiling trim Kevin and Randy put in! We hung all the instruments around the walls. We dusted off the flutes, violins, clarinet, sax, accordion, banjo, mandolin and all the great stuff that this place has accumulated over the years. Ready for action, once again.

In the quiet of summer when there are no yelps outside the window, you wonder if the work you do will have an impact, and you wait for the creative spark of the kids to guide you…with great anticipation!