A £1.2 MILLION state-of-the-art recording studio and music centre could be built at Tavistock College, if the exciting project gets the backing of community groups.

The scheme is the brainchild of Peter Jones, musical director of Stannary Brass Band. He believes it has huge potential, not just for students at the college but the whole community.

Mr Jones said: ?The idea is to have a central recording studio in the middle, surrounded by four separate rehearsal rooms plus smaller rooms which could be used for studying, toilet facilities and possibly a small kitchen, plus a library and storage space for instruments.?

He said the centre would provide an invaluable facility for the whole community.

?It could be used for employment training for the broadcasting industry, charity groups could use it to create their own CDs to sell to raise money, choirs, local groups.

?It would be for all types of music, from brass bands to African drumming ? let?s give the youngsters something to do.

?It?s a big investment but to have facilities like this would be brilliant,? said Mr Jones.

He said the next step in the project was to set up a committee which would create a business plan for the music centre. Once this had been completed, grant applications could be prepared and the scheme could be put

forward to a ?brokering table? to bid for funding.

The idea has been welcomed by Tavistock College principal John Simes.

He said: ?This is a fantastic development which would fit in exactly with our strategic plan.

?The college has an excellent music department already, which has expanded, and I think it would benefit the whole community, which, albeit very rural, is very creative.

?It would be immensely popular in terms of the performing arts ? I think it?s exactly what we need.?

Mr Simes said the college, which was already a specialist language college, was looking to the future and a facility like the music centre would provide new direction for the school.

?In terms of the site within the college, I am sure we can find a location for it.?

He said the project could carry on from a number of ?exciting? schemes being carried out at the school, including the construction of the huge new multi-million pound international centre due to be started in the next few weeks.

Tavistock and Villages Initiative group (TAVI), the organisation set up to help draw down funds, is also interested in the music centre idea.

Christopher Kirwin, TAVI chairman, said: ?I have talked to Mr Jones about this and I think it is an excellent project.

?Certainly, if it is worked up properly it is the sort of thing we would like to take forward for brokering, or point them in other directions for funding if that is more appropriate.?

TAVI development co-ordinator Andrew Young said: ?The community development process is about building on strengths and weaknesses and taking strategies and projects on to a future vision.

?We do see this as a project that fits in with this vision and what we hope to do is to provide a vehicle for partnership working to make this project succeed.?

Mr Young stressed that to see the music centre become reality, real community involvement would be required to take the project forward.

The open meeting to set up a music centre steering committee will be held in the town hall on Thursday January 15 at 7pm.

Anyone is welcome to attend, particularly members of bands, groups or individuals who will have an interest in using the centre once it is built.

For more information, call Peter Jones on 07789 814796.