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I have just completed my freshman year majoring in Music Education and Music Performance in French Horn. I am also enrolled in the Honors Program. After college I plan to teach high school band and, after earning a graduate degree, I would like to begin teaching at the university level. My dominant interest is music, whether it be listening, performing, or creating. I am involved in several ensembles at UK, including the Wildcat marching band, Symphonic Band, and Symphony Orchestra.
This project has helped me to gain an understanding of acoustics and the science of music that many other teachers do not possess. It was unlike anything I had undertaken before. The depth and follow-through took a large amount of motivation and energy. Dr. MacAdam was very understanding and helpful in my work on this project, and was never hesitant to take a moment of his time to sit down and help me.
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Abstract
The objective of this project was to find the best seat in the Concert Hall of the Singletary Center for the Arts, here at the University of Kentucky. While subjective factors often determine a patron's favorite place to sit, I decided that an objective scientific approach could prove useful when I, or anyone, next attended a concert. Using only a keyboard amplified by speakers placed at center stage and a sound level monitor, I measured separately the volume of six different frequencies (at intervals of an octave) at twelve different seats throughout the Hall. Defining the best seat as the one at which all frequencies would have the most consistent volume, I then averaged and compared the data. Somewhat to my surprise, the “best seat” turned out to be near the middle of the auditorium, with the next two being in the front and in the back. This project, although simple in nature, might provide insight into the acoustical tendencies of the Concert Hall and enable audience members to enjoy the best musical experience possible.
When first given the opportunity to complete a project in the experimental course “How Things Work,” I immediately began to think of something I could do that could have a practical use either for others or myself. I also thought it would be nice if I could work it into my field of interest — music. The resulting ideas dealt largely with the field of acoustics and, thus, my thoughts turned to the Singletary Center Concert Hall. As an audience member at numerous performances in the Hall, I have often wondered where exactly the best seats were. Many of my fellow musicians and I felt the best seats were generally in the back, but the ticket office prices would suggest otherwise. This assignment provided me the opportunity to get a rough idea what the true answer was.
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This work was proposed and carried out by Matt Williams in connection with an experimental course “How Things Work,” A&S 100-401, first taught at UK in Spring 2003. The project is a significant miniature of experimental scientific investigation in architectural acoustics, and it was done with only distant advice and supervision by myself and with the loan of a small piece of equipment from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. In class, the nature of sound and the physics underlying music and harmony were among the topics discussed, catching the interest of several students. Mr. Williams was a freshman, and his technical and mathematical background for this study were accordingly limited. Consequently, some aspects are missing that would be necessary for professional research. But it is superb as a student investigation in the context of a 100-level class, and it could represent a pilot study for a new extensive — and expensive — professional acoustical study of the SCFA Concert Hall. With proper follow-up there could be significant benefits to the Singletary Center and its patrons as well as to Mr. Williams. I am delighted to give it my endorsement. |
