Injury Prevention

Music unit policies, protocols, and daily operational expectations

Recommended practices for the care, maintenance, and handling of instruments, including sanitization, cleaning, and carriage of instruments are addressed in lessons and master classes on a weekly basis.

Our Band Graduate Assistant addresses the needs of instrument repair and maintenance at partner music stores as advised by faculty. Heavy equipment, including choral risers, pianos, recording equipment, and sound reinforcement equipment (speakers, amps, and mixing consoles), and percussion instruments, are moved under the supervision of faculty or authorized personnel.

1. Promoting musician’s health:

Faculty supervision ensures student safety and health when moving large equipment. Faculty encourages using gloves, lifting in teams, using dollies and rolling carts when appropriate.

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2. Maintaining the fitness and safety of equipment and technology:

The fitness and safety of equipment and technology is maintained through our Coordinator of Music Technology and our Director of Technology for the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media, James Sewing. Concerns are addressed in a timely manner.

3. Addressing the acoustic and other health-related conditions present in practice, rehearsal, and performance facilities:

Acoustic and other health-related conditions present in practice, rehearsal, and performance facilities are addressed through advising students to use ear plugs when appropriate, and using care to underplay in small spaces. Additionally, in our Music Technology courses, we emphasize to the students the need to follow hearing protection measures.

The students are encouraged to monitor their material through speakers and headphones at a level that will not lead to hearing damage. As students are also responsible for creating a mix to send to a performer’s headphones, or through loudspeakers to an audience, they are taught best practices for ensuring hearing safety in such environments.

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About the Strauss Performing Arts Center

The SPAC was completed in 1973 and careful attention was given to soundproofing with sand placed in between many of the walls.

The Recital Hall is equipped with acoustical features that include adjustable acoustic curtains and an adjustable acoustic cloud on the stage.

The new addition is taking into account acoustical measures to insure hearing health.