Music is critical for an education and Bergstedt said it has to be a continuing focus for schools.
“Music is daily. Some of what we do is a daily job of reminding people in your school why what you do is important,” he said.
A rigorous, ideal group project
Tedi Dimmer started her music studies at VCSU in Foss Hall like her predecessors.
Foss Hall was taken down as part of flood mitigation efforts after the new Center for the Arts opened in the spring of 2022. From the state- of-the-art performance hall, to specially designed practice rooms, the entire building is designed to help students study and perform music of the highest quality. Dimmer said the new facilities also allow for students to gather in a much brighter and comfortable way.
“I feel like our community has bonded even more in this new building,” she said. “Band is such a community builder. The people I come to school with every day are my best friends. We sit and make music together every day for an hour or two. It’s the most ideal group project you could think of because we all want to be here and contribute. We all want to do our best every day.”
Dimmer was a high school and college student when the pandemic affected music programs everywhere. She recalls how hard it was to hear other members of the band when everyone was sitting six feet apart.
With that experience clearly in the review mirror, Dimmer said one of the best things about the new facility is the fact that there are always friends around.
“We enjoy each others company and at all times of the day I find people down in the lobby or upstairs to talk with,” she said. “We really have a family feeling here.”
Dimmer has been taking theory classes and mastering different musical instruments from strings to brass, woodwinds and percussion, and developing her skills as a teacher.
“You go to math and can learn formulas or English and build sentences but music teaches you how to meet people,” she said. “You build a sense of community in large ensembles and you are all working for a common goal. Every moving part has to fit just right.”
Incredible experiences
“There are so many opportunities in the Music Department at Valley City State,” Director of Bands and Professor of Music Jerrold Heide said. “We have a 21st century approach that trains students if they are interested in being a performer, audio production specialist or a music educator.”
