Noisy Band Rooms Can Be Real Headaches

The school band room is one of the most magical places in any school. It’s where budding young rockstars go to hone their skills and prepare for life on the big stage. Pupils look forward to the time of day when they can take a break from the arithmetic and geography while letting their creative muscles really stretch.

Yet there is an inherent difficulty that most schools face when it comes to their band rooms. The noise leaking into the adjacent classrooms can make for very difficult teaching or learning environments. Many schools were not built with soundproofing in mind and the sound from the band room travels through the thin ceilings and walls. Imagine listening to dozens of beginner students playing as hard as they can for eight hours a day!

To further complicate things, the sound bounces off the windows and flooring in the room, making it tougher for the students to hear what they are playing. This is a problem for the teachers who need to listen carefully to ensure their pupils are hitting the right notes. Not an ideal situation for someone trying to learn or for the person attempting to offer advice for improvement.

Perhaps worst of all is the risk that this extremely loud environment poses to the hearing of everyone involved. Students can leave class with severe headaches and the teachers who are exposed for hours a day over many years can develop permanent hearing loss. This is a serious health hazard that is often overlooked or ignored by the administration.

Solving the Sound Problem in Your School Band Room

If the above description is familiar then there is most likely a sound problem in your school’s band room. Fortunately, there are some simple things that you can do to improve the acoustics and overall safety of your music space.

Acoustic Curtains Increase Absorption Levels

If a room is too noisy it is an indication that there is not adequate sound absorption. There are a few ways to reduce reverberation noise. Acoustic curtains and panels are one method used to lessen the impact of higher sound frequencies. Panels reduce the intensity of the sounds and dampen reverberation, which makes the music easier to hear and enjoy. These panels are available in a range of colors providing a more pleasing visual appeal.

The absorption material features 2.5″-thick cotton batts that are an eco-friendly alternative to fiberglass or mineral wool acoustic insulation. The natural cotton fibers are 100 percent recyclable and are made from at least 85 percent post-industrial recycled content
Partitions Improve Sound Diffusion

Increasing the sound diffusion in the room may also help the acoustics. Diffusion allows the band leader and the members of the band to hear all of the unique notes in the room. Sound deadening partitions enable the teachers to split the room into sections and control which students to focus on. This helps instructors better judge the overall quality of the band’s sound. As an added bonus, the partitions have the double effect of dampening noise for those who do not need to hear the music.

Retractable acoustic curtain panels are vertically joined every 13.5” to create an accordion. The soft side faces the noise source and dampens it before the unwanted sound is further diminished against the hard outside surface. The strength of the sound absorbency is determined by fabric choice. Mounted on a track system, these noise barrier curtains are retractable and can be configured to form a complete acoustic enclosure to effectively contain the sound within the enclosed space.

Some Other Important Considerations

Reducing the noise level in your band room significantly improves the work environment and also lowers stress. The ability to hear better also improves communication between teachers and students. Less reverberation in the room makes it easier to hear individual instruments which means a better atmosphere for both learning and teaching. Finally, lowering the noise levels in your school band room reduces the health risks that arise from prolonged exposure to high sound pressure.

QSD Offers Unparalleled Customer Service

At QSD, Our entire team is dedicated to providing you with enjoyable customer experiences. Since 1987, we’ve been working with schools of all sizes from both the private and public sectors. With these years of experience comes a team of reliable manufacturers and installers.
Before we even start a project, we’ll walk you through the available options to ensure that we’ll be supplying the right product for your school. After supplying and installing your order our team will be available to answer any questions you might have about school band room acoustics.