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It’s half price for Black Cat Music customers attending the Music Show, which runs alongside the new Music Mark conference and takes place at Manchester Central, 15 & 16th November.

Great savings of 50 per cent are on offer for “on-the-day ticket prices” for Black Cat Music customers using promotion code “BCM3009” who will have the discount applied at checkout.

There will be a great opportunity for customers in the north-west to meet the staff from Black Cat Music and examine the latest music education equipment products. Music Show event supporters, Black Cat Music, are planning to exhibit a number of products at the show selected from its comprehensive programme of music performance equipment. Examples include music stands, staging, choral risers, music folders and conductors' equipment. Black Cat Music enjoys exclusive distributorship of Wenger Corporation’s extensive product range - acknowledged as the largest manufacturer of fully-guaranteed staging and music performance equipment in the world.

The event also offers the chance to discuss any noise problems with experts from Black Cat Acoustics and sister company MusicPracticeRooms.com, who will also be in attendance at the show. In addition the company’s Mark Rasmussen and Martin Loft will be running a workshop – Simple Solutions to Noise Problems - scheduled to take place at 1.30 pm on Friday 15th November. Black Cat Acoustics provides authorative guidance to steer anyone experiencing noise problems quickly towards pin-pointing a solution. Or, if preventing noise related nuisance is the issue, then sound isolated music practice rooms can provide the answer. Discover also the additional benefits these custom built self-contained, air-conditioned acoustic spaces provide for the comfort of musicians and sound quality, not to mention the improved utilisation of space that can be achieved.

For further information about the The Music Show and for the latest announcements visit http://music-show.co.uk/cms/.

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If your choir, music group or school has previously ordered music or choral folders with your own crest or logo from Black Cat Music, now is a good time to order extra copies in time for Christmas.

When we create a die to imprint your crest on music folders using our traditional gold-blocking technique we keep the die ready for future use. Just give us a call if you need to add to your set of folders.

If you haven’t previously ordered from us you might like to know that Black Cat Music offer a gold-blocking service on all of our choral and orchestral folders, so you can add your logo or school crest to the front of the folder. We can also add gold-blocked lettering, and many customers choose to gold-block the instrument name or number in the corner of the music folder. Our choir folders and band folders from Black Cat Music are elegant, high-quality music folders to help you organise your sheet music. Whether you belong to a professional orchestra, chorus, school band or church choir, our choral and orchestral folders will give a sense of identity to your music group.

Black Cat Music is looking for a great image to feature on the company’s 2013 Christmas card by inviting entries to a photo competition.

Announcing the Black Cat Music Christmas Card Competition, Sales Manager Teresa Rogers said, “This is a great opportunity to put your school, college, music group, choir, band or orchestra in the spotlight this Christmas. The competition is open to anyone involved in music and entries can be submitted by either individuals, or on behalf of music groups. With a theme of ‘Music at Christmas’ there is plenty of scope for some exciting images. The winning photo, selected by a judging panel will feature on the official Black Cat Music 2013 Christmas card and the winning photographer will receive a voucher for £150 to be used when purchasing products from Black Cat Music.”

So whether you are a choir of angel voices, male voice choir or barbershop, soloist, band or orchestra, it is time to bring out the digital camera and create a winning entry. Church bells, tubular bells, jingle bells or cute black cats in santa hats – whatever your creative concept, send in your entries, but hurry the closing date is 25th October.

Photos entered in the competition should be 300 dpi and emailed to marketing@blackcatmusic.com . Please provide full contact details with your email including the name of the photographer, the music group, email contact, daytime telephone number and full postal address. The winner will be asked to assign copyright and confirm anyone featured in the image has given written individual approval for publication by Black Cat Music.

When it comes to planning facilities for music education there are some important differences to consider compared to the needs required for teaching other subjects. Because of the number of music students and the physical nature of music education, music activities require more space, greater flexibility, and more fresh air than other classrooms. Planning the spaces and equipment requirements is critical to a successful outcome.

Depending on the scope and ambitions for the project the planning team will typically include the head of music working with the bursar, facilities manager and for new build or major refurishment projects, an architect as well. We talk collectively in terms of all the rooms and spaces used for music education as the Music Suite.

The Music Suite is a complex environment with many different areas and unique dynamics. Learning within the Music Suite is accomplished by critical listening where design success will be measured by how well teachers and students can hear within this special environment. Every aspect of the rehearsal and practice areas must be designed to promote clear hearing. As a result, the acoustical considerations of music areas are the top priority. Sound isolation, quieter mechanical systems, additional room volume, and other specialized needs inevitably make music suite construction costs per square metre higher than that of other school teaching areas.

Four critical factors for an effective Music Suite

There are four critical factors that will determine the effectiveness of your music facility:-

• Acoustics - how well your facility promotes critical listening is directly proportional to how effective it will be.
• Floor plan - the layout of your Music Suite determines whether it is effective, ineffective, or even unusable.
• Storage - storage not only affects equipment, but also acoustics, traffic flow and security.
• Equipment - choosing appropriate equipment is the final step toward achieving a successful Music Suite.

Acoustics

The study of music is dependent upon the ability to hear and learn differences in intonation, dynamics, articulation and balance. This skill, called critical listening, can be developed only in a learning environment with suitable acoustics. To ensure an acoustical environment that promotes critical listening and effective music education, your facility’s design must pay close attention to the following elements:

• Cubic volume and room shape.
• Sound isolation between rooms.
• ;Acoustical treatments to walls, ceilings and furnishings
• Suitably designed mechanical systems.

Floor plan

What is true in other areas of the school is not necessarily so in the Music Suite. The Music Suite requires more space, per student, than any other area of your school, and your floor plan must reflect that. Space is only one concern. An effective Music Suite design must successfully integrate the following elements:

• Floor space

• Traffic flow
• Access to related areas

• Teacher monitoring
• Flexibility for multiple activities and future needs

Storage

Storage needs in the Music Suite can be considerable and varied, and your floor plan must provide adequate storage for instruments and music. Because most music equipment is fragile, expensive and prone to theft and vandalism, storage spaces must be durable and secured. You’ll also want to make these vital elements your main concern throughout the process:

• Types of storage
• Traffic flow
• Security

Music Education Equipment

The final step in planning your Music Suite is choosing equipment specially designed for your music activities. And although furniture and equipment are normally not included in the general building contract, your advanced planning will make sure you have a budget large enough to purchase the equipment you need and equip the Music Suite with everything required for quality music education.