LSBU Inaugural Lecture - Professor Stephen Dance

Wednesday 30 October 2019

17:30 - 18:00 Arrival

18:00 - 18:10 Opening remarks, Chair

18:10 - 18:50 Inaugural Lecture, Professor Stephen Dance

18:50 - 19:00 Closing Remarks, Chair

19:00 - 20:00 Drinks Reception

Abstract

Hearing and the sound of performance

Since the implementation and enforcement of the European Union Physical Agents Directive (Noise) the Acoustics Group has collaborated with the Royal Academy of Music. Over the past thirteen years more than 4000 students have had their hearing tested and all instrument groups have undergone dosimetry to establish typical sound dose over a working day. The paper will compare sound levels, working hours and audiometry health surveillance results for a selection of the students that demonstrate some unusual results. We know that these highly talented artists must be able to practice, rehearse, and perform safely. Our job as acousticians is to ensure that they are able to.

Biography

Professor Dance is the Director of the Acoustics Group at London South Bank University. He is an expert in room acoustics and computer simulation. He is currently the course director for the Masters in Environmental and Architectural Acoustics. He has published more than one hundred papers in field of acoustics, in particular on musical performance spaces. He also lectures at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research and at the Royal Academy of Music, acts as an adviser to the Royal Opera House and to Henry Wood Hall. He has won awards from the Acoustical Society of America for mentoring, the Schultz Prize for architectural acoustics, the Institute of Acoustics Tyndall Medal and a National Teaching Fellowship from the Higher Education Academy. Stephen is also the lead for the UK Acoustics Network for Communication and Room Acoustics.