North Valley Music School debuts plans for new building

When developing the building plans for the new North Valley Music School, the building committee prioritized creating flexible multipurpose spaces that would not only serve the students but the community as a whole.

The design, created by LSW Architects, shows the beautiful 8,100-square-foot building will be comprised of a large flexible performance space on the east side and 14 private studios in the west wing. The building also includes practice rooms, a large group classroom, a conference room, break room, office and reception areas and plenty of storage space.

The largest area is the multipurpose room and recital hall that can accommodate up to 100 people with seating that folds away so the space remains flexible for any gathering. The plans also show two outdoor patio areas that can be utilized for small performances or other intimate gatherings in the summer months. Keeping almost all areas in the building flexible was hugely important to the NVMS building committee.

“We keep getting back to this idea of having flexible spaces… That concept of just the flexibility of spaces sort of permeates our entire building, I think,” said NVMS Board Chair Christine Rossi in a recent interview.

The school will be built on a piece of land in the Smith Fields Complex and be accessed off River Lakes Parkway. The location is to the north of the soccer fields and west of the baseball fields. NVMS and Project Whitefish Kids (PWK), the nonprofit that manages Smith Fields, hope the location will make it easier for families who have kids involved in both sports and music.

In 2021 PWK agreed to release a portion of the Smith Fields property to the city so the music school could lease the land. Then last spring North Valley Music School came before Whitefish City Council to seek approval for the sublease agreement between PWK and the music school to lease the 2-acre parcel within the complex. In accordance with the lease, NVMS had to receive building plan approval from PWK, the Whitefish Architectural Review Committee and Whitefish City Council. In late February at a regular meeting, the council approved the plans unanimously with no deliberation.

With city and PWK approval, representatives with North Valley Music School say they are thrilled to be moving forward with the project, and hope to break ground in late summer 2023.

THE NONPROFIT music school is desperately in need of a new building as the current 100-year-old residential house that was remodeled into a music school many years ago is no longer large enough to support its numerous programs.

NVMS serves over 500 students annually from babies to adults through private lessons, group classes, summer camps and workshops — and it is expanding every year. The school was formed 25 years ago as the only nonprofit music school in Montana.

The current school building is about 2,700 square feet and has limited studio space, plus the school rents space from the First Presbyterian Church. The new building will more than double the current capacity.

“While we love our cozy, little 100-year-old home on Spokane Avenue… we are bursting at the seams and are at maximum capacity,” Rossi expressed. “A new facility is desperately needed and warranted, and we just want to be able to continue serving the communities that we love for decades to come.”

Additionally, the new building will have ample parking and a safe, accessible dropoff area — something the current school lacks being located on busy Spokane Avenue.

The main entrance will feature an impressive rock facade and the committee will choose materials and colors that are consistent with surrounding structures, according to NVMS.

“The architects really tried to incorporate nature and music and movement into the design… the roofline kind of mimics our beautiful mountain ranges,” Rossi explained in the council meeting.

Another aspect of NVMS that will improve with the new building is the acoustics, which are not ideal currently.

“One thing we have done and really taken into account with this building is the acoustical treatment and consideration which is going to be a big improvement over our existing space where you can hear if somebody drops a book,” Rossi said.

THE CAMPAIGN called “Be Instrumental” is generating much interest from the community. NVMS launched the campaign in the fall of 2022 and as of last week, the organization had successfully raised about 60% of its $6.5 million goal. Several studios, the group classroom and the campus have all been sponsored, but there are several more name recognition options available for large donations, but the nonprofit gladly accepts donations of all sizes.

The music school is pleased with the progress and community support received so far and remain hopeful that they will be able to reach their fundraising goal this year.

“We’re excited,” Rossi said. “We’re humbled by the momentum of this project and the wide community support.”

To learn more about the project or donate, visit https://www.nvms.me/