Page 58 - Spring 2007

Associates, Inc. was provided to uni- versity students by Charles M. Salter Associates. Advertising and marketing assistance was provided by the ASA Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics and the National Council of Acoustical Consultants.
The clear air and magnificent views in Aspen proved invigorating, and the tradition of friendly networking, social- izing, and sharing of information at CHRG summer institutes was contin- ued. Institute Chair Carl Rosenberg “handled” the week-long event. Past summer institute coordinators Bill Cavanaugh and Tim Foulkes (CHRG Tanglewood, 1999) and Chris Jaffe and Robin Glosemeyer (CHRG Saratoga Springs, 2003) joined the Institute as invited VIPs and faculty.
Faculty members Jack Bogan, Bob Coffeen, Tim Foulkes, Dana Hougland, Chris Jaffe, Larry Kirkegaard, Vance Larson, Ron McKay, Chris Savereid, David Schwind, Gary Siebein, Rick Talaske, Harry Teague, George Wilson, and Michael Yantis presented material supporting two general concert hall design themes—variable acoustic design and special design for sound isolation and noise control. In addition to “classroom” study, participants toured three concert halls and attended multiple concerts and rehearsals at the Aspen Music Festival and School. On Tuesday morning, architect Harry Teague led tours his projects, the Harris Concert Hall (along with project
acoustician David Schwind) and the Benedict Music Tent (along with proj- ect acoustician Dawn Schuette). On Tuesday evening, participants attended a recital by Apollo’s Fire in the Harris Concert Hall in Aspen. On Wednesday afternoon, project acoustician Ron McKay and project theatre consultant Jack Bogan led a tour of the Vilar Center for the Arts in nearby Beaver Creek, where the performance space is located directly under an ice-skating rink (with obvious sound isolation challenges). On Thursday night, par- ticipants attended a concert by the American String Quartet at the Benedict Music Tent in Aspen.
CHRG Aspen introduced a number of “new features,” including presentations of listening notes, a design challenge, and a formal accompanying persons program. On Wednesday morning and Friday morning (after each of the previous evening’s concerts), a panel of partici- pants presented their impressions of each musical performance, spurring lively dis- cussions. On Wednesday morning, small groups of faculty, professionals, and stu- dents participated in “The Robert Bradford Newman Student Award Fund Design Challenge,” planned and orches- trated by Bob Coffeen and Gary Siebein on the subject of performance space/concert hall design. At the end of a two hour design charrette, each team’s sketches and written results were taped up on windows around the meeting room and team leaders were given time to pres-
ent their impressive results. After these presentations, it became obvious to the coordinators that all teams had to be declared “the winners.”
After the first CHRG Summer Institute, participant David Egan wrote a follow up report for JASA in which he mentioned: “It is anticipated that future institutes will be organized in the years ahead to build on the enthusiasm and student-researcher-consultant-architect links established during CHRG Tanglewood 99.” David was correct. All three of the CHRG summer institutes have generated “enthusiasm” in the field of concert hall design, testing, and evalu- ation, and many, many “links” have been generated. As at CHRG Tanglewood and CHRG Saratoga Springs, the key to success at CHRG Aspen was participa- tion, and the coordinators wish to thank all participants and sponsors for con- tributing their time, resources, and enthusiasm to the Institute.
Planning for the fourth CHRG Summer Institute (2009 or 2010) is already under way. Locations on the West Coast, in the Chicago area, and in Europe have been proposed and are under consideration, as are possible “themes” for the Institute. Anyone interested in helping to plan or coordi- nate (or in attending) the next institute should contact Bill Dohn, Dohn and Associates, Inc. Acoustical Consulting, 551 Embarcadero, Suite A, Morro Bay, CA 93442 bill.dohn@gte.net, 805-771- 8434. (Written by Bill Dohn).
Benedict Tent Tour- Group
56 Acoustics Today, April 2007