Practice Made Perfect
New technology transforms those little basement music rooms
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In the video above, hear some auditory alchemy in one of the newly renovated music practice rooms on campus.
With eyes closed, sound wafting, it’s like transporting from a cavernous concert arena to an intimate venue — while never leaving the College of Fine Arts basement. New technology in new practice spaces has transformed the way musicians on campus can hear themselves, innovations intended to better prepare them to face the music, publicly.
From May 2008 to June 2009, 120 practice rooms were fashioned along a narrow corridor that now accommodates every conceivable style of musicianship. The renovation cost $15 million and doubled the number of usable practice rooms.
“We also have all new lockers that allow for storage of instruments such as tubas and cellos, which we didn’t have before,” says CFA public relations associate Jean Connaughton. Formerly restricted areas have been added to the mix, constituting, she says, “the largest installation of Wenger modular practice studios in the country.”
The upgrade is undeniable. The proof is in the sound.
Devin Hahn can be reached at dhahn@bu.edu.
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