Acousticity - an emerging music performance concept
For "Acousticity" from the ALBION BAND - https://mainlynorfolk.info/guvnor/records/acousticity.html#:~:text=Acousticity-,The%20Albion%20Band,5%20Chris%20While%2C%20Ashley%20Hutchings
For "Acousticity" from the DAVID GRISHAM ALBUM - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acousticity_(David_Grisman_album)#:~:text=David%20Grisman%20%E2%80%93%20mandolin%2C%20mandola,Jesse%20Ehrlich%20%E2%80%93%20cello
July 2025
I have always been fascinated by music directors' repertoire choices in specific performance venues. Living in the US island territory or Guam, concert venues conducive for symphonic performances are identified accidentally. Some of my favorites include:
Crystal Ballroom - Lotte Hotel Guam - for large instrumental concerts (bands and orchestras)
KAHIDA - Guam Plaza Hotel - superb for choral performances, a decent recital hall for vocal and instrumental chamber music
Episcopal Church of Saint John the Divine - great for choral performances, a decent recital hall for vocal and chamber music
Saint Joseph's Church, Inalahan - decent performance venue for both choral and instrumental music
Center Court - Agana Shopping Center - one of the venues in Guam that matches the acousticity of the world's best concert venue when empty (no audience) - great for training if you can rehearse when it's closed.
ZEFIRO - Leo Palace Resort - If you don't mind a scenic drive into central Guam, this venue is ideal for instrumental concerts. With the right sound reinforcement set up, this venue can also facilitate choir concerts.
Applying the suffix "-ity" to the term "acoustic" results in the word "acousticity." AI (Google Gemini) has synthesized the available definition of acoustics to date and defines it broadly as:
For "Acousticity" from the DAVID GRISHAM ALBUM - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acousticity_(David_Grisman_album)#:~:text=David%20Grisman%20%E2%80%93%20mandolin%2C%20mandola,Jesse%20Ehrlich%20%E2%80%93%20cello
July 2025
I have always been fascinated by music directors' repertoire choices in specific performance venues. Living in the US island territory or Guam, concert venues conducive for symphonic performances are identified accidentally. Some of my favorites include:
Crystal Ballroom - Lotte Hotel Guam - for large instrumental concerts (bands and orchestras)
KAHIDA - Guam Plaza Hotel - superb for choral performances, a decent recital hall for vocal and instrumental chamber music
Episcopal Church of Saint John the Divine - great for choral performances, a decent recital hall for vocal and chamber music
Saint Joseph's Church, Inalahan - decent performance venue for both choral and instrumental music
Center Court - Agana Shopping Center - one of the venues in Guam that matches the acousticity of the world's best concert venue when empty (no audience) - great for training if you can rehearse when it's closed.
ZEFIRO - Leo Palace Resort - If you don't mind a scenic drive into central Guam, this venue is ideal for instrumental concerts. With the right sound reinforcement set up, this venue can also facilitate choir concerts.
Applying the suffix "-ity" to the term "acoustic" results in the word "acousticity." AI (Google Gemini) has synthesized the available definition of acoustics to date and defines it broadly as:
I further contend that the acousticity - quality of a performance space - can be further informed by:
- the performers (person and/or instrument(s))
- the audience
- the construction quality of the performance space (aka structure)
- the repertoire
Having conducted outstanding choral and instrumental groups from Guam at some of the world's prestigious concert venues such as:
- Sydney Opera House
- Sydney Town Hall
- Chatswood Concourse - NSW, Australia
- Angel Place Recital Hall - Sydney
- Verbrugghen Hall - Sydney Conservatorium of Music
- Carnegie Hall - New York City
- Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center - Northern Virginia Community College
- Elizabeth City State University Auditorium - North Carolina
- Musikverein - Vienna, Austria
- MuTH - Vienna, Austria
- Harmony Hall - Zama, Japan
- Gamagori City Public Hall - Gamagori, Japan
through trial and error, I have compiled repertoire that would work at each specific venue. Informed by the four dimensions above (performer, audience, structure and repertoire), other conductors can also develop their preferred repertoire for any venue based on the intent of the performance.
Are you performing to an adjudication panel?
Are you performing masterworks of centuries past? a broadway revue? or an eclectic repertoire spanning recent decades?
Is the performance being recorded?
These type of questions help conductors leverage the acousticity of a specific space to bring to life the music chosen for performance.
Going forward, I intend to engage with various engineers, physicists, fellow conductors, performers and audiences to further understand what kind of music is best performed in certain venues so that all participants find satisfaction. In doing so, I intend to formally establish the term acousticity and expand its growing definition with the intent of providing music leaders more confidence in their repertoire choices.
Maximo Ronquillo, Jr., Ph. D.
President
Through the past 20 years of hosting the Tumon Bay Music Festival, we have identified performance spaces in Guam that provide musical satisfaction for both performers and audiences in the absence of intentionally built concert venues.
The Guam Philharmonic Foundation, Incorporated seeks to engage with philanthropic families, foundations, and individuals who desire to partner with us in our quest to provide more proper venues to realize our vision - until all in Guam and Micronesia can artistically express freely.
- the performers (person and/or instrument(s))
- the audience
- the construction quality of the performance space (aka structure)
- the repertoire
Having conducted outstanding choral and instrumental groups from Guam at some of the world's prestigious concert venues such as:
- Sydney Opera House
- Sydney Town Hall
- Chatswood Concourse - NSW, Australia
- Angel Place Recital Hall - Sydney
- Verbrugghen Hall - Sydney Conservatorium of Music
- Carnegie Hall - New York City
- Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center - Northern Virginia Community College
- Elizabeth City State University Auditorium - North Carolina
- Musikverein - Vienna, Austria
- MuTH - Vienna, Austria
- Harmony Hall - Zama, Japan
- Gamagori City Public Hall - Gamagori, Japan
through trial and error, I have compiled repertoire that would work at each specific venue. Informed by the four dimensions above (performer, audience, structure and repertoire), other conductors can also develop their preferred repertoire for any venue based on the intent of the performance.
Are you performing to an adjudication panel?
Are you performing masterworks of centuries past? a broadway revue? or an eclectic repertoire spanning recent decades?
Is the performance being recorded?
These type of questions help conductors leverage the acousticity of a specific space to bring to life the music chosen for performance.
Going forward, I intend to engage with various engineers, physicists, fellow conductors, performers and audiences to further understand what kind of music is best performed in certain venues so that all participants find satisfaction. In doing so, I intend to formally establish the term acousticity and expand its growing definition with the intent of providing music leaders more confidence in their repertoire choices.
Maximo Ronquillo, Jr., Ph. D.
President
Through the past 20 years of hosting the Tumon Bay Music Festival, we have identified performance spaces in Guam that provide musical satisfaction for both performers and audiences in the absence of intentionally built concert venues.
The Guam Philharmonic Foundation, Incorporated seeks to engage with philanthropic families, foundations, and individuals who desire to partner with us in our quest to provide more proper venues to realize our vision - until all in Guam and Micronesia can artistically express freely.