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Challenge
Outfit music suite and auditorium in new high school
Wenger Solution
Assisting in selection of proper equipment to suit facility, program needs and budget. Installing acoustical shell and eight Sound-Isolating Music Practice Rooms, including two with Virtual Acoustic Environment™ (VAE™) technology.
Benefits
Highlights
“Even 18 months before the bond election, I started a spreadsheet listing all the music equipment we were going to need at our new school,” says Thomas Hassig, choral director at Prior Lake High School in Prior Lake, Minnesota.
Hassig, named the 2005 Minnesota Music Educator of the Year, believes this homework step was key for getting a budget because he was well-prepared when his principal later asked for capital requests. “The day after the bond passed, I volunteered for the design committee and contacted Wenger about my equipment needs,” Hassig recalls.
Throughout the entire process, he communicated frequently with the principal and planning committee. “I told the administration that investing in a Diva shell was like buying upholstery for a new car,” comments Hassig. “A car will run without it, but people notice the upholstery because it completes the finished look.”
Hassig lobbied successfully for the Diva shell and practice rooms to be considered building fixtures and equipment, instead of part of the music department budget, which he says was a tremendous help. From the beginning, he also insisted on dedicated storage areas in the auditorium for the shell, Signature risers, Versalite platforms and grand piano.
If someone questioned his choice of the more expensive Wenger products, Hassig would explain that choosing high quality is a wise investment. “We needed equipment to last 20 or 25 years, because money won’t be available for replacements anytime soon,” notes Hassig. He says he would rather wait several years to accumulate enough money to buy high-quality equipment, rather than settling for inferior products that will not last.
As a director, Hassig says having high expectations and the right equipment helps the kids raise their own standards – how well they sing, how they walk on stage, and even how they stand tall and proud.
Even after three years, he says all the Wenger equipment is still in excellent shape. “We’re going to keep it this way – we’re only stewards of it.” When his school needs something else in the future, Hassig says, “I’ll invite the decision-makers to see all our existing Wenger equipment — how well it’s holding up and how well we’re taking care of it.”
Product List
Diva® Acoustical Shell System, Signature® Choral Risers, Sound -Isolating Music Practice Rooms with Virtual Acoustic Environment ™ (VAE™) Technology, Versalite® Staging System and Music Library System.