I don't want to write too much about the Kohl building. I can't do it. The upgrade from Hales to Kohl is sort of like if someone gave you a Porsche to replace your old car, which was just some dude who followed you around punching you in the face until you arrived at your destination. We got a sneak peak today before the "real" opening tomorrow; on Sunday the jazz majors will move in and start to stake out as much of a claim as we can. (We all keep waiting for this to have been some elaborate practical joke: "Surprise! Actually, these gorgeous new rehearsal rooms are for baroque musicians only!") Here are my (poor quality--I'm not Ma'ayan!) photos from the Kohl building, which will be a beautiful and wonderful and special place for class after class of Oberlin students.
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Arriving at the start of the celebration
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Bobby Ferrazza addresses his fans
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One of the new rehearsal rooms.
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Inside the practice room I'll be moving into on Sunday, with the other two drummers I'll be sharing it with.
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Mobbing Billy's studio. (It is worth noting that Billy Hart's new drum studio is superb: spacious, many windows, a desk, shelves, a piano. Plus there's no toilet in the room and it doesn't smell like generations of foot stench. See what I mean by "upgrade" from Hales?)
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More of the drum studio
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Half of the computer lab
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Dean Stull shaking hands with President Obama
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Dean Lawrence shakes hands with President Stephens
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The faculty lounge. Not pictured: full bar and cigarette dispenser.
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The Sky Bar! Stimulants are essential to keep practice time productive and self-pity to a minimum. No longer will we have to walk to DeCafe or Agave. (Not pictured: full bar and cigarette dispenser.)
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The recording studio console. You feel fancier just looking at it. I'm pretty sure it also functions as a full bar and cigarette dispenser.
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Iconography!
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We weren't able to get in here today, but as soon as we can this is where I'm headed. Recordings upon recordings upon recordings upon recordings upon...
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Bobby with Dr. Wendell Logan
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The rooftop garden.
It's 80 degrees and sunny. The campus is inundated with alumni, guests, donors. Stevie Wonder and Bill Cosby are here. Sixty current jazz majors and countless jazz alumni had two hours earlier today to stumble around a truly amazing building. Giddy, swearing, laughing, shell-shocked. My freshman year there was a parking lot. Now there's this.
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