11 minute read
Music Room Hits High Note
When singer/songwriter Jan Edwards expanded her property in Plymouth, MN, to include the Moonacy Music Room performance space, aesthetics, a state-of-the-art sound system, and optimized acoustics were vital. Designed to represent the four elements—earth, water, air, and fire—the Moonacy Music Room is a collaborative venue for songwriter workshops, video conferencing, house concerts, fundraising for music-related nonprofits, and private events. To achieve optimum acoustics, the design and engineering team incorporated Fabritec wall panels and willtec strips from pinta acoustic inc., Minneapolis, into the art and décor.
The concept for the room began to take shape when Edwards purchased an 18 x 9-ft. colorful Native American painting created by Rabbett Before Horses Strickland, an Ojibwa artist from northern Wisconsin. Called The Right to Consciousness, this artwork was central to the space. The creative process evolved during a brainstorming session between Edwards, architect Alex Haecker of AWH Architects, Minneapolis, and interior designers Shelly Reihl David and Carl David of CIH Design, Los Angeles. Edwards introduced a magazine tear sheet with a quilted wall. This was the impetus behind what has been named the magic wall.
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The music room was designed with angled walls, exposed metal trusses, a shiplap ceiling that increases in elevation from 11 to 17 ft., and an epoxy-coated concrete floor. The wall behind the stage contains a 98-in. digital display flanked by large twin guitar cabinets made with glass and reclaimed wood from a tobacco barn in Virginia. Reclaimed wood was also used to build the stage, wide baseboards, and wainscoting. To allow natural light in, the space includes a wall of windows opposite the stage. The wood of the stage, cabinets, and the wood instruments symbolize the element earth.
The shape of the space, along with many hard, reflective surfaces, posed acoustical challenges. To address them, Nelson brought in audio engineer and classically trained cellist Charles G. (Skip) Kahane from PGS/Broadcast Media Services, Missoula, MT. Kahane recommended pinta acoustic’s Fabritec wall tiles, willtec panels, and willduct HVAC ductwork thermal and sound insulation for the room.
“The increasing rise of the ceiling, and ending in a glass wall, gave the space a megaphone-like characteristic,” explained Kahane. “In music venues, we typically treat the stage first and the wall opposing the stage second. We were unable to do that because of the guitar cabinets and large display on the stage and the facing glass wall.”
Above. Fabritec panels form the ‘magic wall’ on the right, addressing the shape of the music room space, along with many hard, reflective surfaces, and providing acoustical equilibrium.
Right. The glass wall facing the stage gave the room a megaphone-like characteristic. Panels from pinta acoustic solved the problem.
Fabric wall panels deliver studio-quality sound without sacrificing design.
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To treat the space, Kahane specified 15 1/2 x 15 1/2 x 1-in. Fabritec acoustical panels for the magic wall. The magic wall contains almost 400 squares of custom tiles wrapped in 11 different textured and colored fabrics. Made of willtec foam core, the panels offer outstanding acoustical performance, absorbing as much as 85% of the sound directed toward them. Available in custom and standard sizes, Fabritec panels are impact resistant and have a tackable surface. The panels are lightweight, making them easy to install with adhesive and/or hook and loop material.
The Fabritec tiles were custom-wrapped in the materials selected by interior designer David. Willtec strips, faced with a superwhite HPC coating, were directly applied using acouSTIC adhesive in a pattern to blend with the white shiplap ceiling. Additional willtec acoustical panels were nested in the frame behind the artwork using string tacked in a zigzag pattern across the back of the frame. Testing after acoustical treatment revealed a reverberation time of 0.74. The willtec foam is Class 1 fire-rated and available in natural white or light gray with an optional HPC coating in standard and custom colors. Panel sizes can be any dimension to 48 x 96 in. and typical thicknesses range between 2 and 3 in. Willduct was also used to absorb background noise caused by HVAC fans and blowers. Resistant to mold and mildew, willduct passes UL 18 and installs in HVAC ductwork to provide thermal and sound insulation.
To add movement to the wall, Luke Nelson from Acoustic Vision, Missoula, MT, recommended incorporating 19 digital screens, intermixed with the acoustical panels. The digital screens are programmed to display atmospheric images, such as the murmuring of starlings or a rolling storm. The video images on the magic wall represent the element air.
“We couldn’t have done it without pinta acoustic’s product,” said Kahane. “Fiberglass wall panels were not an option. The acoustical performance of Fabritec and willtec and the ability to custom cut the product in the field allowed the freedom to provide a simple solution.”
“Many of the panels were shipped with the custom fabric fully wrapped on the top and edges,” said Devin Jackson, acoustical engineer and owner of Jackson Sound Management Productions, Lolo, MT. “Additional panels were supplied with the fabric secured only to the top. This allowed us to custom cut the tiles to fit the ceiling and wall lines. Once cut to size, panels were finished by wrapping and adhering the fabric to the edges. Each tile was direct applied to the wall using pinta’s acouSTIC adhesive. The willtec strips on the ceiling were also cut in the field to fit around the metal trusses and other fixtures.”
“The fourth element, fire, is depicted in the bar that was created by a local sculptor, James Lamis. Also a light display casts the image of fire onto the draperies behind the bar. Unique hanging light fixtures simulate charred tree branches,” explained Edwards. “One of my favorite features is the aquarium that’s on the same wall as the painting. It exhibits specimens of beautiful koi and a replica of the Moonacy Music Room on a cliff. The painting by Rabbett, the aquarium, and the powder room symbolize water.”
All elements combine to form the extraordinary performance space. CBP
Want more information? The resources below are linked on our website at cbpmagazine.com and our digital magazine at cbpmagazine.com/digital/sep2015.
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Read The Science of Better Acoustics white paper.
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