School AVL

  In the dynamic world of live performances, the distinction between a memorable show and a forgettable one often hinges on the utilization and transformation of the performance space. The stage, far from being a mere platform, serves as a canvas for artists to weave their narratives, emotions, and artistic visions. The magic lies in

  By Jessica Irvine LEDs (light-emitting diode) lights offer homes and businesses several benefits. The bulbs are energy-efficient and durable and improve lighting quality. LEDs also offer flexible lighting solutions. K-12 schools also see these and other benefits. Students often improve academically after school’s upgrade to LED lights. It’s a cost-effective solution to lower energy

  By Zac Morton The primary function of a school is to provide an optimum environment where teachers can communicate with students. In fact, up to 60 percent of classroom activities involve oral communications between teachers and students or between students. Speech intelligibility is critical in schools. But, very often, acoustic design is overlooked, and

  By Chris Byrne For all the pros and cons, whether we like it or not…we live in a technology-driven world. Classrooms are no longer limited to analog methods of communication/teaching, and educators are able to use a number of digital technologies to engage and disseminate information to their students. One of the most widely

  Located just southwest of Atlanta, Trinity Christian School is a fully accredited private school that enrolls more than 1,200 students. Since 1991, they have experienced significant growth thanks to families who appreciate their holistic approach to student preparation and shared their satisfaction with their students’ education with others. While the expansion of the school

  There is no question that participating in high school theater teaches students a broad range of life skills including teamwork, problem-solving, and multitasking, regardless of whether they are audience-facing or working behind the scenes. Providing high school students with high-quality theater technology and equipment allows them to learn the difficult but rewarding job of

  Our kids deserve a sound education, and classroom acoustics can help. School buildings should be designed to help students, teachers, and administrators achieve positive learning outcomes. Proper acoustics play an important role in reaching students. The way a student learns depends on what they hear and how they hear it. Schools face unique challenges

  By Eric Pederson When looking to upgrade classroom AV, it’s no longer as simple as looking at what everyone else is doing or to the industry standard. Instead, this choice requires a series of in-depth conversations with EdTech experts that are best had as early as possible. Ideally, the plans start by identifying the

  Sound systems for schools are designed to ensure that everyone in the building is capable of hearing a message loud and clear, whether it is delivered to an entire school or focused on the occupants of a particular room. As your school considers installing a new system or upgrading its current sound system, it

  By Zachary Marvel Your school’s projectors play a critical role in the education of students. When a classroom’s projector malfunctions, it not only impacts lesson plans but also impacts the ability of pupils to absorb pertinent information. If your school has a projector that is on the fritz, try these hacks to remediate the

  By learning more about the advantages that LED lighting can bring to both your school and the students attending, you can make an informed decision for future generations. LED Lighting and Its Value When reviewing the use of LED lighting and considering its impact on your facility, you may note that LED has several

  By Mark W. Knox In 2022, the need for educational institutions everywhere to build effective digital and hybrid learning environments will continue to be top of mind. Digital classrooms are embracing integrated technologies that help facilitate student learning and connectivity throughout the school day, while also helping simplify tedious aspects of a teacher’s experience

  By Scott Kinnebrew Be it a school-wide gathering, student performance, leadership meeting, or community-related event, the stages in our schools serve a multitude of purposes. The essential parts of an effective stage are lighting, sound, video, power, soft goods and expendables, with each category responsible for making sure the audience feels as connected as

  Today’s kids are bombarded with distractions from the moment they get up in the morning to the moment they fall asleep at night. We like to blame devices, video games, and the unlimited access to a myriad of shows and movies that come along with the numerous streaming services many of us subscribe to.

  By Chad Filipiak Every large and small venue will need some level of sound amplification. While microphones are readily available, the options can be overwhelming. In this article, we will do our best to lay out how to select the right microphone, where to place the microphones and how to find the right balance

  Schools are increasingly looking to add more technology to their classrooms. When it comes to looking at your projection setup, all the attention can end up focused on what projector to buy. The screen you match with your projector is just as important! A good combination will have a major effect on performance, especially

  By Mitch Montrose Auditoriums, cafetoriums, gymnasiums and multipurpose rooms. You certainly have one or more on campus, and each space comes with its own character. In older schools, not much thought was given to audiovisual equipment beyond loudspeakers in these rooms. To this day, as AV integrators, we’re still battling form to achieve function.

  By Jeff Carey We’re (hopefully) nearing the end of a worldwide pandemic and some are still recovering from last summer’s Derecho storm that tore through many of our schools in the Midwest. These misfortunes have also created opportunities for administrators to pay closer attention to their bottom line and expenditures and prioritize projects that

  By Ryan Pitterle As administrators and teachers prepped classrooms for the 2020-2021 school year, they were forced to reimagine everything. From removing unnecessary furniture from the classroom to putting desks 6 feet apart, there was no handbook for how to set up a socially distanced classroom. Yet, teachers had to make it happen, and,

  By Don Roth We’ve come a long way from the days when the best way for a public speaker to be seen and heard was to stand on a soap box and loudly project his or her voice. Stages – and staging – long ago became standard for school events, but today we are

  By John Calder In the beginning was the Word… It was followed many years later by the realization that room acoustics affect listeners’ ability to clearly hear spoken words. Christian schools, houses of worship and meeting rooms have progressed over many centuries from caves to cathedrals, from small groups to mega-churches and large educational

  By Don Roth Thankfully, we’re long past the days when the only way to speak to a large group of people – or have them hear you from a distance – was to shout louder. Imagine how hard that can be on your voice after doing it for a period of time! And, if

  By Amanda Caraway The stage is an important place in any Christian school, whether you have a space dedicated to theatre performance, a small stage at the back of the gym, or a large stage in an auditorium. There is typically a place where all students gather to receive valuable information and enjoy performances.

  By Mark Newton and Magdalena Werneke Not all portable stages are created equal, so you should do your due diligence before you purchase to help make sure you buy a stage that best fits your application and budget. Here are some helpful hints to help make your stage search easier. What Brand of Stage

  By Quincey Smail When most people hear about the Acoustic Standards in the LEED for Schools Rating System (LEED v4), their eyes start to glaze over like a pair of day-old Krispy Kremes. With over 30 pages of detailed acoustical design criteria, the ANSI Standards are a force to be reckoned with. What are

  By Jenny Fulton Many schools now have a way for teachers to connect their computers to a projector. Some even have SMART boards, Kindles, and personalized student computers. If you have access to any of these, or are able to schedule class time in a computer lab, here are ways you can use this

  By Ed Hansen Microphone technique is an often overlooked but vital part of vocalist’s skill set. A little knowledge put into practice can greatly improve the quality of performances and there are some simple ways to improve your microphone technique. You should hold the mic firmly, but not in a death grip. This will

By Mark Robinson There are many factors that play into choosing the correct two-piece projection system. To begin, make sure to maximize your projection system by specifying the best screen for your specific application. The characteristics of the room, the content to be displayed and the quality of the equipment all contribute to the performance

A classroom should be a place of discovery and intellectual development for students of all ages. However, it also can be a place of frustration and confusion if the conditions aren’t optimal. Although the strength of the teacher and the materials are the most important ingredients for success in school, the role of the physical

Buy or rent, there are options for everyone who hosts events. When the need for portable risers or staging equipment arises, the question of whether you should buy or rent your equipment always comes up. There are a few distinct things that will determine which solution you should pursue. This article will help you determine

The first steps for recording your group should be planning and organizing. The reason some recordings are not good has nothing to do with equipment; it’s poor planning and poor mic placement. You can’t decide an hour before a rehearsal that you’re going to do a recording and put mics up and hit record. You

Our school recognized several years ago that significant changes needed to be made to our classrooms, and better technology needed to be acquired, in order to help our students develop the skills mandated by today’s educational standards including effective communication and collaboration. To that end, we turned our attention to redesigning our classrooms to fit

By Rebecca Killam Schools can benefit from LED lighting in more places than you may think. Using LED technology can not only cut electricity costs, it can also help improve student learning and campus safety. Shown to improve mood, reduce eye strain, and reduces absenteeism, LED lighting has a direct impact on students, teachers, and

The purpose of music risers is to provide a secure stage and backdrop to your rehearsals and performances. The risers make your performers more prominent. What you may not know is that music risers also provide emotional and mental support for the performers, allowing them to deliver their best. The byproduct of having secure music

Quiet please! A recent study has reported that many students have difficulty understanding nearly 30 percent of classroom speech due to excessive noise and sound reverberation. Proper acoustic design in education spaces is vital for successful learning environments for teachers and students alike. So, how do you create the best learning environment? Proper Sound Management

By Andrew Glasmacher The quest for clear intelligibility in public speaking environments has been around for thousands of years. Modern technology has allowed us to create public-address systems that can cover thousands of arenas, stadiums, even Times Square. Audio engineers spend years learning to tune their systems to provide the best possible intelligibility with a

By Jason Meyer A classroom’s presentation display is often the centerpiece of the room and of instruction. So when it comes to choosing the best display technology, schools should think carefully about what they want to accomplish with the technology, and then choose the best product to fit their needs and their budgets. For example,

By Bruce Bartlett Plays and musicals are a serious challenge for the sound engineer. In these situations, it’s hard to get enough gain before feedback and to reproduce a natural sound. One reason is that some actors do not project well. Also, sound reflections from the floor can color the tone quality and give a

By Stevan Vigneaux The search for the new interactive classroom technology can be incredibly daunting. How do you know what’s right for your school? How do you differentiate between the various solutions available? Will it be simple for both teachers and students to use? And how do you find the best solution to fit your

The parts are casted, the scripts are all passed out, and the director is already giving…well, directions. That’s right, it’s the beginning of theater season at your school, and you and your thespian classmates are all a-buzz with excitement over the first play. A lot goes into making a successful school production. From rehearsals to

By Andrew Glasmacher Architects work with their clients to make sure their needs are met in a contemporary and tasteful way. Building designs can go from simple and utilitarian to grand and ornate, depending on budget and the client’s wishes. Designs often include decorative rock or brick surfaces, large plate or stained glass windows, hard-surface