We also refer to this area as the music suite, and it includes rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, offices and storage space. The specialized equipment needs and activities of the music suite make it unique within a school, and construction costs reflect this averaging twice the cost per square foot of other school areas. The factors driving this cost difference include the need for additional room volume, sound isolation, acoustic treatment of walls and ceilings and quieter mechanical systems. To maximize the investment in a music suite, administrators and music educators should clearly articulate special requirements, the size of the music program and the music program s educational philosophy very early in the construction or renovation process. This is best accomplished during the programming phase, when the architect is defining the requirements of the spaces to be designed.
Administrators can help by ensuring that music educators have the chance to provide input.
Acoustics More than any other subject, music is learned by critical listening. Musicians must be able to hear even the smallest variations in pitch, dynamics, tone color, articulation and balance. Therefore, acoustical considerations are a primary consideration in a music suite s design. Cubic Volume . The most basic acoustical requirement in the rehearsal room is adequate cubic volume, which equals floor area multiplied by ceiling height.