Frequently Asked Questions

My school is considering a bond issue to build a new school. What can I do to prepare?

Before the Bond Issue—5 steps to Success
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Research Success – Tour successful facilities recently built in your area and ask key questions: Is your space adequate? How is it acoustically? How is storage? What would you change? What can't you live without? Use their stories, positive and negative, to illustrate your case.
Determine Space – Wenger can help guide you through the estimation of space and provide data on safe dB levels for educators and students, in-depth storage analysis, traffic patterns, HVAC concerns and much more.
Anticipate Limitations – Understanding roadblocks up front will help you find ways around them. Issues include state-mandated restrictions, cookie-cutter designs, footage standards, and LEED certification.
Justify Costs – Know what additional costs your needs require and be able to substantiate them with strong, simple statements of benefits and value.
Offer Solutions – Wenger can help you estimate how much money you need to achieve your goals and where you can find additional sources of funding.

How can I make my marching band more effective logistically?

Effective Equipment Logistics for Marching Bands
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Creativity – Sharing ideas to find solutions.
Coordination – Improving organization helps promote responsibility.

How do I make my Rehearsal space better?

Solving Acoustical Problems in Rehearsal and Practice Spaces
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Sound Isolation – Proper Sound Isolation creates a musical "island" in the midst of busy environment outside it's doors.
Interior Room Acoustics – Most classrooms are designed for lecture-based education, which often hinder music education and practice.
Mechanical Noise – A wide variety of building systems and equipment within or nearby a rehearsal room can generate unwanted noise and masking frequencies.
Practice Room Problems – The best practice rooms are heavily sound-absorbing, balancing sound across a broad frequency range.

How can I justify Acoustical shells and/or Choral Risers?

Making the Case for Acoustical Shells and Choral Risers
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Advocacy - Getting Involved – Many directors believe that a strong, quality program comes first.
Acoustics - Sounding Good – Award-winning programs focus first on acoustical considerations because music is learned, and experienced, by listening.
Aesthetics - Looking Great – " It's important that the audience can see the faces and hearts that go with the music. The interaction between the audience and singers gives life to a performance." –Matthew Wanner, choral director at Muskego High School, Muskego, WI
Assurance - Feeling Secure – For musicians to feel completely poised on stage, their choral equipment should not compromise their safety in any way.

How do I make my Performing Arts program exemplary?

Arts Awakening in Michigan
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Follow one principal's story as he turns his substandard music program into an exemplary program—and discovers how it affects the rest of the school's academic results.

How do I design a Music Education Suite?

Music Education Suites
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Publication detailing options to design and equip a music education suite for use in instructing choral, band and orchestral disciplines.

Sound Effect: Texas High School Plans Successful Music Suite
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See how one Texas High School effectively planned out and implemented their music suite.

How do I plan out a successful Music Facility?

Music Facility Planning
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Laying the Groundwork – Before you can even start on your new music facility, you have to look at the big picture.
Proper Acoustics – Acoustical considerations are crucial in designing a music facility. In order to learn, students must be able to hear the slightest variations in pitch, tone, articulation and balance.
Effective Floor Plan – Musical student require more square footage per student than any other educational environment.
Specialized Storage – Music facilities require storage that must accomodate all types and sizes of instruments, as well as sheet music, uniforms, robes and other equipment.
Suitable Equipment – When planning out the music facility, you must not only consider what you currently need, but what you may need in the future.

Symphony in San Antonio
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The San Antonio School District opened their doors to music education. Read how it all came about.

How do I store everything in my Music Facility?

Trouble-Shooting Storage Problems in Music Facilities
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Instruments – Identify instruments that are only used infrequently or seasonal.
Sheet Music – Purge infrequently used material, then organize the rest in high-density storage systems to minimize required space.
Robes/Uniforms – Robes and uniforms require ventilation and climate control to maximize their lifespan.

How do I evaluate seating options for my congregation and its needs for years to come?

The Judgment Seat: Choosing Wisely for Worship Facilities
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Configurability – Because of their linear nature, pews do not offer as many flexible layout options as theater seats. The semi-circular or tight-radiused arrangements possible with theater seats help create more intimacy and sense of community than pews can.
Capacity – Although it may be counterintuitive, theater seats offer greater seating capacity than pews for the same floor area.
Cost – For cost comparisons, Chegwidden’s rule of thumb says theater seats cost 2.5 times more than wooden pews. With any such major purchase, long-term factors such as durability and maintenance should be considered along with the initial price.

What considerations do I have to take into account for my Rehearsal Room?

Higher Ideals: Ceiling Considerations in Rehearsal Rooms
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Article detailing the factors to take into account when planning the acoustical requirements for your Rehearsal Room.

How do I plan out an efficient Athletics Facility?

A Winning Approach for Auxiliary Athletic Spaces
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Optimize Space – To organize space efficiently, you first need enough space to work with. Our Guide features a rule-of-thumb chart listing recommended equipment storage space for different boys' and girls' sports, such as baseball, ice hockey and wrestling. For example, the storage needs for a typical girls' basketball team might range from 75 to 150 square feet, depending on program size.
Improve Traffic Flow & Availability – Minimizing congestion and related confusion saves time and reduces frustration. Maximizing the flow of people and equipment can save 5-10 minutes each day, quickly adding up to hours of preparation time gained over a season.
Enhance Security – Schools that track inventory well can spot pilferage quickly, and easily quantify the annual dollar value of these losses. That number is usually high enough to command the administration's attention.
Protect Athletes – With school athletics, liabilities are significant and litigation is likely if an equipment failure leads to a serious injury. Protective equipment used in contact sports – including helmets and shoulder pads – should receive regular independent, off-site inspection, often by the supplier. This helps ensure safety for the athletes and reduces liability risk for the school.
Ensure Sanitation – In team rooms and locker rooms, adequate airflow starts with lockers and their open, breathable surfaces. Perforated, pressed-metal lockers can provide up to 50% airflow, metal tube and grille lockers more than 80%. An open grid locker bottom allows dirt and debris to drop through to the floor; mounting options should facilitate easy cleaning underneath.
Foster Pride – Team rooms should be designed to celebrate past achievements and honor top athletes; such rooms often merit higher-end locker solutions than regular gym lockers.