"We couldn't do the band until after five because we were in an area where businesses are open nine-to-five. And we couldn't do lessons while the bands were going because the place was so small."
That was Ruth Wyand, co-founder and program director of the Mustang Music Outreach Program, talking to the Outer Banks Voice about the program's old home. For years Mustang ran out of a corner spot in the Seagate North Shopping Center. It had two offices that doubled as lesson rooms, plus a practice space. The program now works out of 1634 N. Croatan Highway, a building on the town's main corridor that once served as Kill Devil Hills Town Hall.
A Building on Its Third Public Job
A June 8, 2026 memo from the town calls the space "former Kill Devil Hills Fire Station administrative offices and training room and former Town Hall." Mustang's lease makes this the building's third public use.
| Date | What happened on this stretch of N. Croatan |
|---|---|
| Earlier years | 1634 N. Croatan serves as Kill Devil Hills Town Hall |
| Later years | The building houses fire station uses, including Fire Department administrative offices and a training room |
| May 10, 2023 | Groundbreaking for the new William E. Gard Fire Department Station 14 next door at 1630 N. Croatan |
| August 5, 2024 | Ribbon cutting and open house announced for the new Station 14 |
| March 9, 2026 | Commissioners vote to give public notice of a possible lease of the old building |
| June 8, 2026 | Commissioners unanimously approve a five-year lease to Mustang Music Outreach |
| October 2026 | Mustang is operating in its new home |
When Station 14 opened in 2024, a building in the middle of the town's main commercial corridor had less to do. You can see the two buildings side by side on the drive along Croatan Highway, the same corridor our after-dinner loop through Kill Devil Hills follows.
How a Firehouse Became a Music School
The Voice traced the match back to a conversation. Chris Sawin, CEO of the Outer Banks Relief Foundation, told Wyand about a talk he'd had with Mayor John Windley about town priorities. By Sawin's account, the mayor named "things for kids to do" as one of them. "We mentioned the Mustang program…and he mentioned the fact that the firehouse was available."
The timing mattered. Mustang's lease at Seagate North ended in May. According to Wyand, the program's gear went across the bridge into the Theater of Dare's storage area, and "it took five trucks to get there." The Voice reported that Mustang had another location available, but it would have had limited space.
The lease terms changed between the first notice and the vote. The original public notice listed rent of $850 a month, or $10,200 a year, with building costs allocated on top. The final agreement is a single payment of $14,400 a year, which works out to $1,200 a month. That payment covers electricity, water, pest control, fire alarm maintenance, HVAC maintenance and replacement, and insurance. The lease covers about 3,402 square feet for an initial five years and includes options for two more two-year terms. That means the program could stay at this address for up to nine years.
Public comment at the June 8 meeting was strongly in favor. Speakers included Wyand, First Flight High teacher and musician Ted Mitchell, grandmother Cathy Weeks, and Laura Willingham, who has two children in the program and volunteers there herself. Commissioners then approved the lease unanimously.
Rooms Built for Meetings, Now Used for Bands
The building was laid out for municipal work, and that layout now shapes the program. According to the Voice, the new space has several practice and lesson rooms, a classroom, and a small stage and performance room. That performance room used to be a meeting room with a small stage area.
The old meeting room also brings an occupancy limit. "The town's only going allow us to have 22 people in here at a time," said Shelli Gates, the board president. Twenty-two people is too few for a recital, but it works for a band rehearsal or a master class. Gates said that's how the program plans to use it: "to do master classes and workshops in here and have the bands [rehearse] in that space."
Some of what Seagate North couldn't offer comes with the building:
- A recording studio. There's room to set one up, and Wyand said it's "100%" in the plans.
- Storage. For the first time, the equipment Mustang has collected over the years can stay on site.
- Daytime scheduling. Lessons and bands can run at the same time in separate rooms, so the old after-five limit no longer applies.
The Grown-Up Side of a Youth Program
Mustang was founded in 2012 by Ruth Wyand and Mike Dianna. It teaches young musicians ages 8 to 17, offers scholarships, and puts on concerts. Those young musicians are still the main focus. Sawin, whose son Joe went through the program, told the Voice: "I saw his self-esteem skyrocket from working with Ruth."
The bigger building also gives the program room to work with adults, and that's the change most likely to reach residents with no child in the program. Music Director Amanda Williams described what she has in mind:
"We want to set up times for more beginner-ish adult bands [where] people can play, enjoy going to open mic…but are not necessarily feeling confident enough to start their own band."
The program is also asking working musicians to help. "The main things we would like to see would be more musicians in the community that are interested in mentoring and being teachers to step up," Williams said. Gates runs a stage-management company, Boss Lady Productions, and plans a class on backstage production. Wyand said it would cover how to "make a stage plot, how to read a stage plot." Gates summed up the goal: to become "the prominent, nonprofit, all-inclusive, nonprofit music school here on the beach."
Getting In the Door
Mustang's website says "The 2026 school year is here!" and that enrollment is open. It directs families to Ruth Wyand at [email protected] or 252-441-4612. Some program pages still list the Seagate North address, so treat the details below as published figures and confirm them for fall 2026.
- Instruction. Voice, guitar, keyboards, drums and percussion, music theory, recording, sound engineering, and stage management, plus weekly one-hour bands grouped by skill level.
- Ages and band fees. Third grade, age 8, through 12th grade, age 17. Band sessions are listed at $20 each for elementary and middle schoolers and $15 for high schoolers. High school band students commit to at least two volunteer hours a month.
- Scholarships. A limited number of band-session scholarships are available to students who meet National School Lunch Program guidelines.
- Private lessons. These run separately from the program, weekly, for 30 to 45 minutes. The site doesn't list a student rate.
- Ways to help. A $25 donation sponsors one 30-minute lesson. Instructors and mentors go through a background check, and event volunteers are welcome too. Inquiries go to [email protected].
The program's online calendar lists entries for November 2 and November 24 but gives no year for either one, so check with the program before you put a date on your calendar.
Next Door on Tuesday
The station that replaced the old firehouse is holding an open house this week. The Kill Devil Hills Fire Department is holding an open house at Fire Station 14, 1630 North Croatan Highway, on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m. Visitors can tour the station, meet the crew, look at the equipment, and join activities for all ages. Fire Station 14 sits right next to the old building, so one visit covers both chapters of the story: the fire station at 1630 and the former Town Hall, now a music school, at 1634.
At Luxury Realty OBX, we pay attention when Kill Devil Hills finds a new public use for an old building, because changes like that shape daily life in town. If you'd like to talk about this stretch of Croatan Highway or anything else on our Kill Devil Hills page, schedule a consultation with Jessica.
