The effect of modular acoustics on a performer's perception in multi-use (symphonic and operatic) concert halls

Abstract

This thesis studies the varying degrees in a performer' s perception of the difference in the adjustable acoustics of a specific performance hall, namely, what is the difference between the opinions of instrumentalists and vocal musicians? Reverberation times in the Rogers Center auditorium in Andover, MA were taken onstage with the hall's acoustical curtains either hidden or exposed. Performers in the school musical and in a local symphony group were given surveys after doing two rehearsals in the hall, one in each configuration. The results from the reverberation time measurements show a clear difference between reverberation times perceived onstage. Performer surveys, however, show that neither group of performers noticed a strong contrast between different configurations of the curtains. They did, however, respond strongly when acoustics were changed that affected reflective surfaces directly surrounding them.