A Good Venue

This week, we look at the importance of…a good venue

A cappella groups perform in order to entertain their audiences. There’s a lot they can do to prepare—rehearsing to be sure the group is in tune, in synch, and well-choreographed. But there are other elements of a show that are outside of a group’s control after they hit the stage. An audience members’ perceptions of the show are going to be affected by everything from the quality of the micing, to whether there’s gum on the seats, to whether someone tall sits in front of them, and they have to crane their necks all show long in order to see the stage. As a good as an a cappella group may be, its show will only be as enjoyable as the performance area allows. Herein lies the importance of a good venue.

Seating is an issue. For one, a performance space should have adequate space to comfortably seat the expected audience. In most cases, a group is restricted to what its college has available, which may or may not be ideal. Nonetheless, good spaces have enough seats so no one has to stand, but few enough so the space isn’t bound to be half-empty, even with a good turn out. Beyond the number of seats, positioning is also important. Stadium seating, or at least a balcony can go a long way toward maximizing the audience’s opportunity to see what’s happening.

Beyond being able to see and sit comfortably, sound quality is also, obviously, quite important for any musical performance. The acoustics of the performance space are an important consideration. Many auditoriums and music halls were built with this in mind, but banquet halls, lecture rooms and other makeshift spaces with which collegiate groups must often make do may not be set up with this in mind, and so it’s worth considering for the group organizing the performance. In addition to the quality of the space itself, technology, and the people operating it are each worth a close look. Do all of the mics work, and are they calibrated correctly for what a group will be using them for? Is someone mixing the sound, and if so, does that person know how to handle an a cappella show? For a more advanced show, is someone working the lights—how will that enhance, or potentially take away from the performance? These are all questions worth considering.

Taking the audience out of the equation, it’s also worth looking at a venue from the perspective of the performers. Is the stage large and stable enough to support what a group wants to do? I’ve seen groups have their hands tied in competition when a stage was barely large enough to fit an entire group, or was made of a makeshift platform that would not support the kind of movement the group had planned. On top of all of this, there’s value in general familiarity with a space. If a group hasn’t had the opportunity to practice or previously perform in a given space, it automatically sets the group at a disadvantage.

The performance venue is often outside the control of a group. When it is something the group controls, though, it’s important to use the space to the group’s advantage. When it’s not in the group’s control, it’s worthwhile to research the space, and learn its pros and cons. The venue is an extremely important component of a performance, and is not something a group can afford to overlook.