2008 Woodie Awards
Success conceals departments' needs
James Spung, Managing Editor
Issue date: 12/5/06
Last Updated: 12/29/07
In response to the needs of the music and theatre departments, improvements may finally be on the way for Cowles Memorial Auditorium.
A committee of administrators and faculty are close to finalizing the process for hiring an acoustic consultant to evaluate possible improvements on the 56-year-old auditorium in terms of sound quality and seating capacity.
"We're in the process of settling on an acoustic consultant to give us an idea of how we can improve the hall," Richard Strauch, associate professor of music and member of the committee, said. "If they say that we can improve all we can and still have a substandard facility, we would look at other options."
Possible improvements could include a higher ceiling or a smaller general space to improve acoustics, Strauch said. While no specific consultant has been hired yet, Strauch hopes that the evaluation process would begin this spring.
For the music and theatre departments, who use the auditorium the most, the building has posed a variety of problems in the past in terms of sound quality, seating and necessary theater features, Rick Hornor, professor of theatre, said.
"The problem with the auditorium for us is that theatre needs a more intimate space," Hornor said.
Hornor said the auditorium does not have wing space, fly space (an area above the stage to which large sets can be lifted with pulleys), costume shops, dressing rooms or loading doors for sets and backdrops - all conventional needs for a theater.
Additionally, the auditorium's capacity of about 1,250 is much too large for both theatre and music programs, Hornor said, adding that the department would like a space that seats about 500 people.
The music department has experienced similar difficulties, particularly with the auditorium's acoustics.
"It's the design," professor of music Dan Keberle said. "It has a low ceiling, and it's long and narrow, so sound comes out dead. There isn't good ring or reverb."
A committee of administrators and faculty are close to finalizing the process for hiring an acoustic consultant to evaluate possible improvements on the 56-year-old auditorium in terms of sound quality and seating capacity.
"We're in the process of settling on an acoustic consultant to give us an idea of how we can improve the hall," Richard Strauch, associate professor of music and member of the committee, said. "If they say that we can improve all we can and still have a substandard facility, we would look at other options."
Possible improvements could include a higher ceiling or a smaller general space to improve acoustics, Strauch said. While no specific consultant has been hired yet, Strauch hopes that the evaluation process would begin this spring.
For the music and theatre departments, who use the auditorium the most, the building has posed a variety of problems in the past in terms of sound quality, seating and necessary theater features, Rick Hornor, professor of theatre, said.
"The problem with the auditorium for us is that theatre needs a more intimate space," Hornor said.
Hornor said the auditorium does not have wing space, fly space (an area above the stage to which large sets can be lifted with pulleys), costume shops, dressing rooms or loading doors for sets and backdrops - all conventional needs for a theater.
Additionally, the auditorium's capacity of about 1,250 is much too large for both theatre and music programs, Hornor said, adding that the department would like a space that seats about 500 people.
The music department has experienced similar difficulties, particularly with the auditorium's acoustics.
"It's the design," professor of music Dan Keberle said. "It has a low ceiling, and it's long and narrow, so sound comes out dead. There isn't good ring or reverb."
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