Jisa Kang runs back and forth from her office to fetch studio room keys and equipment for students. Around her, warm jazz and energetic rock leak through the cracks of doors from other classrooms as students perfect their performances. Kang, a Shoreline graduate herself, completed her associate degree in Audio Engineering in 2019. During her time as a student, she recalls spending long nights in the same studio rooms with friends, working together to mix their projects. Now, as one of the Program Support Supervisors, Kang aims to celebrate the memories many students have made in the music building.

Tucked away in the far corner of campus lies the current 800 Music Building. Tall trees with sturdy trunks shield the two-story structure. Architecturally, it resembles Shoreline’s other buildings, adorned with red brick and slanted brown roofing. In contrast, the nearby Bracken Building is larger, more modern, and earthquake-proof, though its sleek design stands out among older campus buildings.

On Nov. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m., the 800 Music Building will host its farewell party. All current and former students are welcome to attend. A photo exhibition showcasing alumni, posters, and pamphlets from past performances will be on display during the event. Kang also plans to digitize old cassette tapes, diskettes, and floorplans for the exhibition, preserving some of the building’s history. Former and current music students will have the opportunity to give impromptu performances in a room near the main party.

By bringing together students and alumni, Kang hopes the event will encourage networking within Shoreline’s music community. “I want to provide more opportunities for these people to have a connection. Because in the musical world, it’s a very narrow world,” Kang said. With the building standing since the 1970s, Kang emphasizes that the party is a celebration of the community grown within the space, not a farewell to its legacy.

The new Bracken Building will be ready for music students in Winter quarter. While the building will also host math and nursing classes, the music program will have its own floor, with additional practice rooms and a new performance space. Matt Jorgensen, a music technology instructor, along with other faculty, has had the chance to review the building’s layout. “The faculty here, we’ve been involved for the past four to five years, planning it. A number of us worked together with the architects to scope out how it’s going to look,” Jorgensen said. Once the faculty receives the green light from contractors, there will be a 90-day transition period to move all equipment, books, and sheet music to the new building. Jorgensen hopes to start during finals week and finish before Winter quarter classes begin.

The 800 Music Building’s memory will live on through the community students and faculty have fostered over the past 50 years. Jenji Mizuta, a classical piano major aspiring to become a piano teacher, has experienced firsthand the strong connections within Shoreline’s music program. “Through all the challenges and everything, the staff here—they’ve all been really helpful to me,” Mizuta said. “Professor Jorgensen is just so much fun. He’s always given me opportunities whenever he sees me, and I’m always really grateful for him,” Mizuta said.

While it’s hard to say goodbye to the current building, both faculty and students are excited for new beginnings in the updated Bracken Building. “This place has always been special. To come back here and teach was great. I have a lot of memories in this building as a student, but also as an instructor over the last five years, seeing students come through the program. I go to gigs and play shows, and my former students are running sound or working in the recording studio,” Jorgensen said.

The end of the 800 Music Building marks a new chapter, but the songs, laughter, and connections made within its walls will not be forgotten.