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If you walk into the Winchester Community Music School (WCMS) on any afternoon, you will hear the chatter of families and students rushing to and from lessons, the far off toots and squeals of instruments being tuned and the soaring notes of music being played.
What you won’t hear is the sound of construction.
WCMS Executive Director Laurie Russell said that was a very intentional decision on the part of the school before the renovation and expansion of the 1913 house into a more usable space and construction of the new performance hall.
“We haven’t dropped a beat,” Russell punned from her soon-to-be demolished office. “We’ve had a lot of conversations with the builder.”
That means Burke Property Services comes in to work at the 407 Highland Ave. location from early in the morning to mid-to-late-afternoon as schools let out for the day, which allows for less disruption.
Students also have construction-free time during the evenings and on Saturdays.
Russell said while there’s been a little bit of inconvenience as far as parking, everyone has been considerate of the situation.
“Families have been very understanding,” Russell said. “And we’ve been very careful to keep a very safe work site.”
What’s being done?
The performance hall hosts more than 150 concerts a year with around 5,500 to 6,000 audience members in attendance throughout the year.
Renovations to the hall will include more seats; the new hall will have 135 seats, compared to the 80 seats in the original. It will also have improved acoustics, recording and livestreaming capabilities, and a design centering on ensemble performances.
Other expansions to the building will include dedicated studios for ensemble, percussion and private lessons. The building will have ADA-compliant upgrades.
The vision for the expansion started in 2012 when student families and donors described the need for a larger performance space.
The expansion will cost $5.7 million, and the school has reached more than 60% of its funding goal. Donations are still being accepted.
The nonprofit school provides lessons and ensembles to students and adult learners. Some of the adults have joined after seeing the success and enjoyment their children had from taking lessons there.
The program has over 1,100 students and 60 teachers.
Where is the project?
On the morning of April 28, Russell said there was a walk-through of the project site with WCMS officials, the architect and project manager to answer two major questions: What’s the project’s status and what are the next steps?
“We’re over 50% done and the next 50% should go quickly,” Russell said. “All the hard stuff has been done.”
That would be dealing with a foundation while hitting bedrock and ledge. And of course, the removal of an in-ground swimming pool with 18-inch thick walls.
Russell said the pool was the first thing to go in August 2024 before ground broke in April 2025. She said special fill had to be trucked in before the foundation work for the concert hall started last spring.
The foundation and structural steel are in. The exterior skin and roof are in the process of being done. Simultaneously, work is being done inside the building, with sprinklers being installed, a fire pump room being built, and of course, electrical and plumbing.
“The next step is getting the building weather tight,” Russell said. “Then the work will start on the inside, with the interior walls, flooring, ceiling and plumbing. It should go pretty fast from there.”
Russell said the building is expected to be finished by late July or early August.
It will take some extra time before it’s completely open to the public, given that staff will be moving around furniture and equipment, as well as receiving training for some of the new technology.
“That’s the fun stuff,” Russell said, of moving day. “We also have to learn to live in the building.”
By the time the new school season begins in September, Russell said there will be a lot to celebrate, including the new building spaces and the school’s 45th anniversary.
She said there will be a ribbon cutting for the building and re-dedication of the performance hall in honor of founder Corie Nichols, who started the music school with Sandy Thompson in 1981 out of her kitchen before moving to the McCall Middle School.
There are also plans for concerts and open houses for the community.
Russell herself will also be celebrating her 25th anniversary with the school.
When asked what the mood is to the end of the project and what it all means for the future of the school, Russell laughed and said it was a dream come true.
“Especially for the people on staff who have been here a long time,” she said. “We’ve wanted this for more than a decade. It’s a big push, but it’s coming along.”
To make a donation to the school, click here.
Tavishi Chattopadhyay contributed to this report.
Nell Escobar Coakley has been a journalist for more than 30 years. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Gotta Know Medford and editor of Winchester News. She can be reached at editor@winchesternews.org. Tavishi Chattopadhyay is a journalism student at Boston University.
