University of Alabama Frank Moody Music Building

Overview

An expansion and renovation to a music building provides improved facilities for the university’s School of Music and renowned Million Dollar Band. The Band Hall allows the full marching band to rehearse indoors when outdoor rehearsal is not feasible. Adjustable acoustics, high levels of sound isolation, and virtually silent HVAC systems allow this space to be used for recording and also for some recitals. Since it was not feasible to raise the roof enough to provide sufficient volume to ensure hearing wellness, the volume of an adjacent storage room and other adjacent volumes were coupled to the Band Hall via acoustically transparent but visually opaque walls to prevent students from being exposed to harmful sound levels.
The smaller Practice Room also has adjustable acoustics in the form of hinged panels and retractable, heavy velour curtains so it can be tuned for a variety of uses, including rehearsal of smaller ensembles, sectional rehearsals, etc.