CTF-funded, 17-unit keyboard lab moving to PAC

Naylor Family Trust provided gift for Gail Naylor Rowe Piano Lab

Garrett College’s grant-funded, 17-unit keyboard lab will soon be on the move – but it won’t have far to go.

The lab – funded in 2019 by The Community Trust Foundation in conjunction with CTF’s Naylor Family Trust Fund – will soon transition from the College’s 300 Building to the Performing Arts Center at Garrett College. The PAC, currently under construction, will open next spring.

“The Community Trust Foundation is proud to fund the Piano Studio at Garrett College through the Naylor Family Trust Fund to create opportunities for life-long learning in music education,” said CTF Director Leah Shaffer. “The generosity of the Naylor Family will not only enhance the instruction and experience for students at the college, but it will also impact the lives of the entire community for years to come.”

Once installed in the PAC, the lab will officially be dedicated as the Gail Naylor Rowe Piano Lab. The naming honors the late sister of brothers Bart and Lon Naylor, the honorary co-chairs of the Garrett College Foundation’s PAC Capital Campaign, which has a goal of raising $2.5 million toward a PAC endowment.

“We’re thrilled that the lab will be part of our exciting new performing arts center in the very near future,” said Dr. Richard Midcap, Garrett College’s president. “The Naylor Family has been generous and regular donors to performing arts both throughout Garrett County and at Garrett College. We are grateful for this ongoing relationship.”

The lab accommodates up to 16 students per class, with one keyboard designated for the instructor. The instructor is able to control the system from the lead keyboard, or through the iPad-controlled Wi-Fi system, allowing the instructor to move freely around the classroom.

Dr. Sean Beachy, a Garrett College Continuing Education and Workforce Development adjunct faculty member in music, said flexibility is one of the many strengths of the lab set-up. Through a system of headphones, the instructor can listen to and communicate with individual students, a small group of students, or the entire class. In addition, the lab can simulate private practice rooms for each student.

CTF – the community foundation serving Allegany, Garrett and Mineral counties –focuses in the areas of arts and historical preservation, health and wellness, vibrant communities and thriving environment, and education and youth leadership.