The acoustical balancing act for music rehearsal spaces in schools.

Conflicting acoustical criteria are encountered in the design of music rehearsal spaces, particularly when a single space must serve both orchestra and band rehearsals, not to mention the situation when the space must also serve for chorus rehearsals. For example, the criterion commonly found in the literature for room volume or more explicitly ceiling height conflicts with the requirement for an appropriate reverberation time or design goal loudness level, which are also dependent on the group (band, orchestra, and chorus) that will use the space and for that matter on the individual music teacher. The degree of involvement of music teachers in the design of these spaces and their potential impact on the end result is discussed. Case histories are presented to illustrate the good, the bad, and the ugly with respect to music rehearsal spaces in schools.