Hello all! I’d like to start by thanking Drew for inviting me to participate. I’ve known Drew online for many years, going back to a series of animated but friendly discussions about Executive Director compensation right here at Adaptistration. I was happy to meet Drew in person for the first time recently at the League of American Orchestras’ conference in Chicago.
Year: 2009
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, last time blogger. We come to Friday and the end of Drew’s absence from these pages. I have really enjoyed my time here (Thanks, Drew for providing this forum!) and look forward to possible future exchanges.
This being my last day, I thought I’d try something different by offering a series of short thoughts, one or more of which might spark some interaction from the readers. These will range from discussing acoustical misconceptions to the difference between acoustic measurements and what we hear. And, please, if you have a question about a topic that has not appeared here this week, go ahead and ask using the comments section. So now, welcome to “Open Line Friday!”
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Beware the Seductive Model
Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, 4th time blogger.
Before anyone gets excited, I am talking about acoustical models here (sigh), but even these can produce dangerous results.
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Avery Fisher Hall
What went wrong, and how to fix it Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, 3rd time blogger. “For me the evening can’t end soon enough. I head back to my hotel with a splitting headache triggered by the blare of the orchestra and that spot in the Mahler where a percussionist strikes a rail with a sledgehammer….There’s enough blame to go around, of course, but by now I’ve become …
Orchestral Acoustics 101: Vineyard vs. Shoebox
Are visual intimacy and sonic-envelopment mutually exclusive? Christopher Blair – full time acoustician, part-time conductor, 2nd time blogger. Following up on our previous discussion of acoustic conditions for orchestral players, comes a discussion of the two most popular ways of arraying the audience for concerts, along with the acoustical and visual advantages and disadvantages typically encountered in each. The question for today’s exploration is how many of these positive and negative …