Music Classrooms (Instrument Classrooms)

A music classroom, as the name suggests, is a teaching space for learning and training music-related knowledge and skills. Music classrooms are a broad category, including classrooms for vocal training and classrooms for training students in various Chinese and foreign musical instruments. A good learning environment in a music classroom refers not only to the teacher's patient guidance and active interaction with students in the classroom, but also to the physical conditions of sound propagation. An environment with significant echoes and pronounced sound coloration is detrimental to students' music learning and training.

A qualified acoustic design aims to create a good acoustic environment in the music classroom, helping students have a good foundation for learning. Music education and training largely revolve around two categories: "vocal music" and "instrumental music," namely, human voices and instrumental sounds. Based on the timbre, pitch, and other sound characteristics of these two categories, the acoustic design of the classroom is largely similar. For example, the human voice's frequency range falls in the low to mid-range of commonly used frequencies, so most areas of the room can consider installing low-to-mid-frequency sound-absorbing materials. Musical instruments exhibit vastly different frequency characteristics. Some, like the double bass and flute, focus on specific frequencies in either the low or high range; others, such as the piano, have a wide frequency range, from a low of 27Hz to a high of 4000Hz. In these cases, materials with different sound-absorbing properties should be designed for each instrument. For classrooms where both vocals and instruments are used for training, full-range sound-absorbing materials, such as full-range spatial sound absorbers, can be considered.

Dance Studios

Dance studios are teaching spaces used for dance training or rehearsals in schools or training institutions. Dance is a performing art that perfectly combines visual and auditory elements. While visual elements are paramount, dance without music and sound effects is rather monotonous and dull. Sound plays a crucial role in the overall performance, even being a key factor in bringing the performance to a climax. Therefore, the acoustic design of dance studios must be carefully considered.

The floor plan of a dance studio is typically a standard rectangle, with one wall featuring a large floor-to-ceiling mirror, and the other three walls decorated according to the room's style. Because the classroom has a rectangular floor plan, without special design, it has two large parallel surfaces. Combined with a large floor-to-ceiling mirror that strongly reflects sound, the classroom is prone to echoes, flutter echoes, and has a significantly longer reverberation time. To address this, sound absorption should be prioritized on the classroom walls. One or more walls should be fitted with strong sound-absorbing materials. To prevent accidents caused by people accidentally hitting the walls during vigorous dancing, soft sound-absorbing materials such as upholstered panels are suitable. The ceiling can be adorned with decorative sound-absorbing materials, such as spatial sound absorbers, to absorb excess reverberation energy generated by conversations and multimedia playback.

Practice Room (or Music Room) 

A practice room is a small, well-designed musical space. As the name suggests, it's a room for a piano, used for daily practice and learning of the piano or other instruments. These are typically found in music schools or training institutions, but some music professionals or enthusiasts also have this type of room in their homes. Initially, practice rooms were simply small rooms specifically designed for piano practice, occupying only a piano and space for two or three people. With improved living standards and a richer arts and culture, practice rooms have become larger and more comfortable. They now house not only pianos, but also guitars, guzheng, violins, and even drum rooms for jazz drums.

While practice rooms are small in size, they serve a distinct function. To ensure their functionality is fully realized, proper acoustic design is essential. The primary sound in a practice room is the sound of the instruments. The acoustic design approach is similar to that of a music classroom. Different instruments have significantly different frequency characteristics. For example, a piano has a wide frequency range, from 27Hz to 4000Hz, so full-range sound-absorbing materials such as fabric acoustic panels or full-range spatial sound absorbers can be considered. Other instruments, such as basses and violins, have specific frequency ranges, operating in the low or high frequency ranges. In these cases, different sound-absorbing materials or structures are selected based on their frequency characteristics, such as porous sound-absorbing materials or panel resonant sound-absorbing structures.