No-one wants to live next door to a musician. That's an unfortunate fact of life. Many years ago, I had a neighbour who started drilling every time I opened the piano. I can't quite believe how much drilling a one-bedroom flat in east London could produce.
The same is true for music departments. Some of us are fortunate enough to be housed away from other buildings. Some of us have to fit our timetables around Modern Languages' listening class, Drama workshops and English closed reading, and hope that we don't upset our neighbours as much as I used to!
Within the department space, ensuring that individual practice spaces, recital rooms and teaching areas are simultaneously functional can be a nightmare in regards to timetabling and logistics – acoustically isolating spaces is rarely at the forefront of planners' minds when laying out learning environments.
Definitions
Isolating our workspaces to minimise the sound leaking into surroundings is daunting, but it does not need to be prohibitive. Soundproofing, in essence, is the practice of preventing sound from entering or exiting a particular space. It involves the use of specialised materials and construction techniques to block or absorb sound waves at different frequencies, reducing noise transmission and creating an acoustically-isolated environment.
It's worth noting that the terms ‘soundproofing’ and ‘acoustic treatment’ are often used interchangeably. For our purposes, they have very distinct meanings: soundproofing focuses on minimising noise transmission between spaces, and acoustic treatment aims to enhance the sound quality within a workspace. Acoustic treatment typically involves controlling sound reflections, reducing unwanted reverberation and creating a more balanced and pleasing listening experience. While there is crossover, we are mainly looking at ways of reducing the sound escaping from a musical workspace.
Air gaps
One of the most effective ways to isolate a space from its surroundings is to create an air gap. Air gaps can effectively isolate a space, particularly in the troublesome mid-frequency range (500Hz – 5kHz) in a processing known as ‘decoupling’. The shorter the wavelength of the sound, the more susceptible it is to being scattered and absorbed by the air molecules within the gap.
Air gaps can be achieved quickly by utilising mobile soundproofing panels, or even heavy curtains across walls. A trip to the local hardware store will reveal a range of options to suit even the most squeezed of budgets. For the more adventurous, a plasterboard wall with a 3–5cm gap is amazingly efficient at reducing the sound transfer between two spaces. The reduction in decibels is proportionate to the gap, so a 1cm air gap would reduce the sound level of a 1,000Hz sound wave by about 10dB.
Quick fixes
An easy and often overlooked approach to creating an air gap is to utilise furniture. Large furniture pieces, such as bookshelves, cabinets and sofas, can effectively absorb sound waves and reduce noise transmission. Placing them against walls or in strategic locations can create functional and cost-effective sound barriers. Books, in particular, are overlooked air traps, which can provide significant reductions in sound transfer between spaces.
Another common source of sound leakage is through windows and doors. These are rarely air-tight and can frequently release up to 10 times the volume of sound which transmits through walls and floors. Employing weatherstripping and door seals can have a surprising impact on minimising noise transmission, for a pleasingly low cost.
Amplified sounds
For those of us working with amplified music, the problem may be slightly more difficult to deal with. The reason for this is that low-frequency sound has longer wavelengths, which diffract far more easily. This makes air-gapping and sealing a much less effective approach. Amplified basses, DJs or studio monitors happily transmit low frequency (−100Hz) through walls, floors and ceilings, and respond less well to air separation.
MLV, or Mass-Loaded Vinyl, is the first weapon in any arsenal against noise transmission. This thick, flexible rubber material, familiar from drum mats, effectively absorbs sound waves and reduces noise transmission between spaces. It can be applied to walls, floors and ceilings with an adhesive or mechanical fasteners.
At the other end of the budget spectrum, isolation pods or booths are available in an ever-increasing range of sizes and designs. These can be dropped into existing spaces in order to create flexible working-spaces, with varying levels of sound reduction – some designs offer up to 70dB reduction with less than a 5cm wall! The big advantage of this approach is that a modular pod does not impact on the fabric of the building. These pods can be easily reconfigured or relocated as needs evolve, offering a dynamic and adaptable approach to workspace design.
Two case studies:
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
The Duke Ellington School in Washington DC is a space which exemplifies the transformative impact of soundproofing. The school, which is renowned for its vibrant music programme, faced challenges due to excessive noise from its practice rooms. To address this issue, the school implemented comprehensive soundproofing measures, including installing specialised soundproofing materials, decoupling walls and ceilings, and upgrading doors and windows. As a result, the school has significantly reduced noise transmission, creating a more peaceful and productive learning environment for its students.
Investing in effective soundproofing is an investment in the quality of music education. By minimising noise disruptions, enhancing the learning environment and protecting hearing, soundproofing empowers music departments to foster a musical community where students can flourish and explore their musical talents without constraints. As the Duke Ellington School demonstrates with its sci-fi spaces, soundproofing is not just a means of preventing noise; it is an essential tool for creating a harmonious and supportive space for music education to thrive.
Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance
Back in the UK, Trinity Laban may be London's most picturesque conservatoire. Nestled on the banks of the Thames between the Cutty Sark and the expanse of Greenwich, the conservatoire takes up King Charles Court, part of the Old Royal Naval College complex. The college has recently taken in the third cohort of BAMPI students – Trinity's BA in Music Performance and Industry, masterminded by the incomparable Joe Townsend.
Aimed at commercial music performers and producers, the BAMPI course, in one of London's most historic spaces, brings its own challenges. As part of the lease agreement, Trinity Laban faces restrictions on what it can do to the material fabric of the Naval College, a listed building. Rehearsing, assessing and scheduling performances for a largely amplified course within an acoustically-focused conservatoire could be a recipe for disharmony. Somehow, Townsend has balanced the requirements of his three cohorts of musicians with the needs of the wider community. One of the initiatives is a longstanding partnership with The Premises Studios in Hoxton, which provides BAMPI students with isolated and treated rehearsal spaces while allowing them to rub elbows with the likes of Ezra Collective, London Grammar, and a host of other artists from the professional scene.
Trinity Laban is currently in the process of fundraising for a new in-house recording studio, to upgrade the existing facilities. The space, which will be isolated from the rest of the complex, will also double as a music production teaching space. The new studio will be supplied with state-of-the-art equipment, providing students with a professional-standard recording environment.
The new studio will be a valuable resource for BAMPI students, allowing them to record their music in a professional setting, engage with the fundamentals of signal flow and learn about the latest music production techniques from industry leaders. The studio will also be used to facilitate recording and production across the conservatoire, creating opportunities for students from all pathways to work together and collaborate on music-making in a state-of-the art facility.
Looking at the innovative approaches of Trinity's BAMPI course and the Duke Ellington School, soundproofing can have a significant impact way beyond immediate practical considerations. Managing sound will improve the quality of the learning environment, protect hearing, and foster a thriving musical community where students can flourish and explore their musical talents without constraints.
