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ORCHESTRA ROOM: STUDENT MUSIC POSTURE CHAIRS, CLASSIC 50® MUSIC STANDS, CELLO RACKS, CONDUCTOR’S CHAIR AND PODIUM

THE EXTERIOR OF AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL’S RENOVATED BUILDING

AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOLAUSTIN, MINNESOTA PROJECT PROFILE

“We wanted a space that allows MacPhail and our school to reach more people through music. We already had excellent music programs, we just needed room to grow and the technology to flourish.” - Cheryl Berglund, Austin Site Director for MacPhail

CHALLENGEAn old building housing the music department at Austin Public High School in Austin, Minnesota, was inadequate, worn down and could not accommodate the growing program.

WENGER SOLUTIONWenger Corporation, along with partners MacPhail Center for Music, the Hormel Foundation and Austin Public Schools, provided Virtual Acoustic systems in the newly built band, choir and orchestra rooms along with additional acoustical and storage equipment to revitalize the entire program.

“The students are stunned because it’s so much better. It’s not just a space, it’s a whole facility.” - Christoph Dundas, Director of Bands

A beautiful newly renovated building housing band, orchestra and choir rooms as well as auxiliary space at Austin Public High School in Austin, Minnesota, is the result of a unique partnership between Austin Public Schools, the MacPhail Center for Music, and the Hormel Foundation.

The $14.5 million “MacPhail project” – created after a feasibility study revealed a community desire to partner with MacPhail – included a renovation of the existing building and a second-floor addition for new band, choir and orchestra rehearsal rooms, along with a music library, practice rooms and storage rooms. MacPhail had previously rented space at a local community college but now moved into this facility to operate their student and adult music education programs. The Hormel Foundation, known for its community involvement, provided $8.4 million in additional funds.

“We do a lot of work with schools throughout the state, but this is the only location where we’re fully integrated with the entire district. It’s the first site MacPhail has ever developed outside of the metro area, and it is unique in the country to have a community music school housed inside a high school music site,” says Paul Babcock, MacPhail President and Chief Operating Officer. “Together, we can make something really special for the students and surrounding community.”

“We wanted a space that allows MacPhail and our school to reach more people through music,” says Cheryl Berglund, Austin Site Director for MacPhail. “We already had excellent music programs, we just needed room to grow and the technology to flourish.”

The project team included Austin High School (AHS) administration, architect ATS+R and construction partner, The Joseph Company, who created a plan to renovate and renew the school’s music program, and partner with nearby Wenger Corporation to install first-rate acoustic upgrades to refresh and reinvigorate the entire music program.

Improved AcousticsAHS serves 1,450 students in grades 9-12, and the MacPhail programs reach 1,500 students of all ages, including adults. Increased enrollment in both the high school and the MacPhail programs necessitated a bigger space. With such a diverse student base, it was important for the music faculty to supply adequate practice and rehearsal space as well as the latest technology to advance their music education.

The AHS music department is housed in an annex, across the street from the main school building. The music annex was built in the 1940’s and had never received any major renovations.

The old choir and band rooms were in the basement of the annex building. It was determined that the new choir room would be on the main floor, but the shallow, 8-foot high ceiling didn’t provide enough volume to be an effective space. Architect ATS+R suggested digging a hole in the center of the room to create more volume. Lowering the floor was no easy task. Joseph Construction first cut a hole in the side of the building to bring a back hoe in to carve out the floor.

HIGHLIGHTS

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AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOLAUSTIN, MINNESOTA

CHOIR ROOM: STAGETEK® SEATED RISERS AND VAE® REHEARSAL

They removed 1,500 square feet of concrete floor and three feet of soil to lower the floor elevation, leaving an 8-foot perimeter around the edge of the room. That way they could add risers which they needed to properly rehearse.

“Students were still in school when we punched 38 holes in the second-floor roof to insert steel columns,” explains Jeff Ryks, Project Manager for Joseph Company. “Then we cut a 20 by 30-foot hole in the roof which became the learning staircase, an area used for congregating and performing depending on the day.”

“Lowering the floor helped create more cubic volume. A combination of acoustically transparent and absorptive ceiling tiles helped to further control sound levels in this room,” says Matt Hildebrand, Acoustics Product Manager at Wenger Corporation.

“This was a really fun project,” Ryks says. “It involved great communication and coordination among everyone involved.”

Look, Listen and LearnAHS staff had been considering an active acoustic system for their choir room. Wenger Corporation leadership invited them to their Owatonna headquarters for a tour to hear for themselves what their systems sounded like, and to learn more about the technology benefits of virtual acoustics for practice and performance.

“They showed us this fantastic technology that can make

our practice rooms sound like Knowlton Auditorium, our performance space at the high school,” Berglund says. “That kind of technology makes such a difference in the way we practice and perform. There’s never enough time to practice in the actual performance hall, so this is a great alternative.”

AHS leadership chose to install several of Wenger’s Virtual Acoustic Environment (VAE®) systems. They now have three VAE Rehearsal systems in their band, orchestra and choir rooms, as well as four VAE Studios for individual and small group practice sessions.

The Rehearsal Systems include an array of microphones and speakers that can mimic the acoustics of a broad range of performance venues — from a large recital hall to a cathedral to a small auditorium. The goal is to help performers hear what they’ll sound like at a venue they’ll be performing in.

“The system adds acoustic energy back into the room and provides a truly unique teaching tool for the instructor,” Hildebrand says. “When the system is off, the classroom is quiet and ideal for spoken instruction or teaching music theory.”

“The VAE system allows us to do things we couldn’t do before, like record a performance and then play it back so the students can get instant feedback and make adjustments,” says Christoph Dundas, Director of Bands. If only half of the band is in class together, they can record themselves so the other half can listen and play along at a later date.

AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOLAUSTIN, MINNESOTA

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BAND ROOM: STUDENT CHAIRS AND CLASSIC 50® MUSIC STANDS

AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOLAUSTIN, MINNESOTA

800.4WENGER (493.6437) wengercorp.com

“It encourages them to play like there are 40 people in the room instead of 20, which boosts their energy level,” he says. “They are motivated not only because it sounds so much better, but because they know the community built this specifically for them.”

The original plan called for a single VAE system in the band room only. As the project progressed, however, school district officials decided to dip into a contingency fund, and finance VAE Rehearsal Systems for the choir and orchestra rooms, too. The thought is that having this technology available throughout the facility creates consistency among all programs.

“For singers, the acoustics of a room are like the body of our instrument: we need it to help us sound our best,” explains Kalle Akkerman, AHS Choir Director. “When the music sounds good, it makes us feel good. It brings us a sense of togetherness that we never really got – aurally – in our old choir room.”

Akkerman says students tell him that they can now hear all of the parts in the chorus, compared to the old space, where they couldn’t.

“When we can hear each other, we can fine tune our sound and evolve into more focused music-making,” Akkerman says.

They also use the record and playback feature for sharing or performing accompaniments, or for submitting material to state competitions.

“I will often record rehearsal, and then play it back for my own personal teaching reflection. I can also record the choir singing something two different ways, allow them to hear both examples and make a decision about how they want to perform it.”

“We’re happy to have a partner to work with to support the local community,” says Justin Winterhalter, Regional Sales Manager for Wenger. “We wanted to create a state-of-the-art music and fine arts facility in southern Minnesota to offer something new and exciting to enhance music education and performance.”

Storage SolutionsThe band and orchestra rooms both have complete storage rooms located on the second floor, directly outside their classrooms.

“The storage spaces have revolutionized things for us as well,” offers Dundas. “The Wenger cabinets really allow us the best use of our space. The room is bigger, but the cabinets are designed specifically for our instruments, making it a more efficient use of the space.”

Grand OpeningWith the renovations finished and the upper addition completed, the MacPhail Center for Music moved into the former orchestra and band rooms on the main floor. AHS will share some common spaces such as a centrally located gathering/performance area that opens into a large “learning staircase.” The staircase serves as both an area for students to congregate, and a place to listen to performances. Additional practice rooms of different sizes and four more VAE Studio systems were installed on the second floor for individual private lessons and ensemble training. Rounding out the space is an area for music therapy, early childhood music classes and staff offices. The 2020-2021 school year is the first year of operation for the new music annex.

STUDENT MUSIC POSTURE CHAIRS AND STAGETEK® SEATED RISERS

MUSIC LIBRARY SYSTEM

ABOUT WENGER | J.R. CLANCYWenger and J.R. Clancy provide the widest array of innovative, high-quality products and services for the performing arts industry. Their advanced products provide the highest levels of safety, reliability and aesthetics, helping transform performance venues and engineer unforgettable experiences.

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PRODUCT LISTWenger: Student Music Posture Chairs, Classic 50® Music Stands, Conductor’s Equipment, Ensemble Stools, Folio Cabinets, UltraStor® Instrument Storage Cabinets, Percussion Workstation, Music Library, Cello Racks, Rack-n-Roll® Garment Racks, StageTek® Staging, VAE® Rehearsal Systems, VAE® Studio, Acoustical Doors

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