Spring Break
Brooke's Chapel should be restored for performance quality
Zachary Smith
Issue date: 11/17/08 Section: Opinions and Editorials
In 1982, Brookes Chapel underwent a "major renovation," as Dick Taylor, assistant VP for facilities, called it. Before this renovation, Brookes' acoustics were much more musical than now.
For its renovation, Shorter's then-current president asked for "no echo," according to Peter DeWitt. For a musical performance venue to have "no echo" is not the most helpful, but Shorter's administration had planned since 1978 to build a new performance hall to compliment the new Minor Fine Arts building.
So, when Brookes Chapel was renovated to its current state in 1982, there was the understanding that a place would be built to replace Brookes's function as a performance hall.
However, as often unfortunately happens when expanding, money ran out before all plans could be carried out. Thus, the plan for a new performance hall was dropped, and Brookes has continued to serve as Shorter's only performance venue, despite the fact that its acoustics are the exact opposite of what a performance venue's should be.
It is my opinion that, as no performance hall was nor probably will be built, Brookes' acoustics should be restored to a musical state.
There are three things that should be changed: the acoustical ceiling, the furniture and the carpet. However, my petition is only that the carpet should be taken up, and a hard, flat floor be installed. I even concede the section of carpet running down the aisle between the two pew rows, if that must be left.
But to do any less than what I request should truly be impermissible. Shorter's School of the Arts has a great faculty, but its facilities need a little help in Brookes' acoustics.
So, what exactly are the acoustics of a given place? Acoustics are what gives each place its own treatment to the sounds produced there. Hard, flat surfaces reflect more sound, whereas soft, porous surfaces absorb sound.
These places are said to be more resonant, or 'wet'. An example of a 'dry' place with very little resonance is a closet crammed with so much sound-absorbing clothing that you could clap and the sound be immediately lost.
For its renovation, Shorter's then-current president asked for "no echo," according to Peter DeWitt. For a musical performance venue to have "no echo" is not the most helpful, but Shorter's administration had planned since 1978 to build a new performance hall to compliment the new Minor Fine Arts building.
So, when Brookes Chapel was renovated to its current state in 1982, there was the understanding that a place would be built to replace Brookes's function as a performance hall.
However, as often unfortunately happens when expanding, money ran out before all plans could be carried out. Thus, the plan for a new performance hall was dropped, and Brookes has continued to serve as Shorter's only performance venue, despite the fact that its acoustics are the exact opposite of what a performance venue's should be.
It is my opinion that, as no performance hall was nor probably will be built, Brookes' acoustics should be restored to a musical state.
There are three things that should be changed: the acoustical ceiling, the furniture and the carpet. However, my petition is only that the carpet should be taken up, and a hard, flat floor be installed. I even concede the section of carpet running down the aisle between the two pew rows, if that must be left.
But to do any less than what I request should truly be impermissible. Shorter's School of the Arts has a great faculty, but its facilities need a little help in Brookes' acoustics.
So, what exactly are the acoustics of a given place? Acoustics are what gives each place its own treatment to the sounds produced there. Hard, flat surfaces reflect more sound, whereas soft, porous surfaces absorb sound.
These places are said to be more resonant, or 'wet'. An example of a 'dry' place with very little resonance is a closet crammed with so much sound-absorbing clothing that you could clap and the sound be immediately lost.
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