Busy time installing Sound Isolation Rooms

We’ve had a very busy few months at MusicPracticeRooms.com – so busy in fact that we haven’t had a chance to share our latest installation photos with you! Here are a couple of pictures from some of our recent installs. We’re proud of the results.

 In addition to the University of West London and Farnham College rooms pictured below, we have successfully completed installations at the following companies and institutions: 

Goldsmiths University – a suite of Music Practice Rooms in addition to a diverse acoustic treatments in the music department. 

Eton College – a dedicated sound-isolation room for bagpipe practice. 

WCM, Essex – an isolation booth for testing industrial components for installation in luxury cars.

Spirophoto Photography Studio – we installed a sound-isolating Music Practice Room in the studio to enable the professional photographer to use the studio as a multi-purpose space. 

Surrey University – a suite of isolation booths for the psychology department to run psychometric testing. 

Surrey Arts – a Music Practice Room for use by arts and music organisations across Surrey. 

Brigitte helps review Wenger’s new French catalogue

Brigitte Downs - Black Cat Music

Customers who have contacted Black Cat Music are probably already aware of the team’s linguistic capabilities, in addition to their knowledgeable product advice of course. 

So it is no surprise that Wenger Corporation turned to Brigitte Downs when it came to a final check of their new catalogue in French. Brigitte explained, "I have lived in England for over 30 years, but French is still my mother tongue. I have a keen eye for spelling and grammar, and I am always happy to give the Wenger catalogue a final proofread to ensure the quality of the catalogue reflects the superb quality of the Wenger product offering." 

Wenger added, “thanks to Brigitte Downs of Black Cat Music for translation and “proofing” work on our French language catalog. The French music education catalogue is now available on our website in electronic version or via CD-Rom. Merci beaucoup.” 

FSC certified green option for Wenger Storage Products

Black Cat Music, distributor of Wenger products, are pleased to announce that many Instrument Storage cabinets can now be supplied to schools, certified with green credentials. 

Wenger introduced the FSC certification - Forest Stewardship Council – as a new core option for instrument storage cabinets in 2011. The Forest Stewardship Council ( www.fsc.org ) certifies that wood products have been harvested responsibly. Many Wenger storage products can be FSC certified if schools specify these “green initiative” requirements. Wenger can certify to customers that we have used specially harvested wood. 

Music Folders quick delivery impresses School’s Director of Music

We recently asked our customers to imagine the visual impact created by a set of smart new matching music folders to give a great identity to their orchestra, chorus, band or choir. 

Iain Donald, Director of Music at Hampton School not only turned that imagination into reality, but thanks to the team at Black Cat Music, they took the waiting out of wanting as well. Iain told us, “I put in an order for 155 choral folders in three different colours, with three different set of gold blocking at 4.30pm on Friday evening. I was immensely impressed when the folders were delivered the following Wednesday. Such an impressive service, thank you very much.” Iain added, ”The senior boys are very happy with their new 'Voice of Lions' folder by the way.” 

But wait. There is more good news. Black Cat Music are offering a 10 per cent discount for the whole of May on music folders. But hurry, the offer must close at the end of the month, so go to our web site now to place your order. 

Music Education Expo Awards night moves to new venue

The Awards dinner associated with the Music Education Expo show will be held in the Wren Suite of the Grange St Paul’s Hotel, in 2015. 

Black Cat Music and sister company MusicPracticeRooms.com have been quick to sign up once again as sponsors of the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’. 

Previous winners of the Black Cat Music sponsored award were Christine Crowshaw and Vivienne Price in 2014 and Peter Dunkley in 2013. 

MMA proves popular

Myke Millward & Alice Dagger

Commenting on the MMA Conference at St George’s College, Weybridge, which ended Sunday [May 18th ] Robert Dagger, Chairman of Black Cat Music summed up the event. "We were pleased that our products continue to be popular with music teachers - and deservedly so. No music stand for instance matches the Wenger Classic 50 for quality, durability and ease-of-use. Our choral folders continue to be hugely popular. Our sound-isolating music practice rooms and our Wenger staging and instrument cabinets help a music department to organise the space and the time they have available, so they can concentrate on teaching and making great music." 

Sales Executive, Myke Millward added, "It was great to meet and chat to music teachers from across the UK. St. George's College Weybridge was a beautiful venue, and we loved the Douglas Fox Concert performed by students on the Friday evening. The standard of playing was incredible." 

Discount Voucher offering savings when next buying products from the Black Cat Music range, plus free Conductor’s Batons proved popular with MMA visitors. 

And a final word from Alice Dagger, Marketing Manager, "I particularly enjoyed this year's conference. It's always a pleasure to catch up with members of the MMA. I was also able to attend a few of the conference sessions and learn a bit about singing in schools, world music and songwriting. I'm still perfecting the lyrics for my 'Ode to an iPod plug'." 

Have you checked our clearance offers lately?

We want to let you into a secret. From time to time we have items we need to clear from our stock and these can be a great bargain. 

Right now there are staging items, storage and chairs on offer – all at amazingly discounted prices.Check them out now. 

But hurry. When they have sold that’s it! 

Organise, tidy, protect and secure valuable media and AV equipment

Wenger Fixed Media Storage Cabinets, available from Black Cat Music, are designed to bring organisation, protection and secure storage to the increasing inventory of media and AV equipment being used in schools. 

It is not just the main assets but the all important adaptors, interconnecting cables and anciliary devices that are part of the package; frustrating and wasteful on teaching time if just one item is missing. Something that can easily happen without a well thought out storage solution for diverse equipment put away between the classes for which it is required. 

Wenger’s fixed cabinets can help transform a chaotic storage area into one to be proud of. Perfect for storage rooms or in-classroom lockable storage, they come in three types -Standard, Rackmount and Organizer. Each allows a high degree of customisation through choosing which shelves, drawers and other accessories suits the requirement. 

The system offers considerable flexibility with different sizes available, mix and match interior with adjustable components, shelves, slide out shelves, file drawer, 4" drawer. Rackmount sections available for easy access to electronic components with an organiser option available for fixed storage. 
Later, should things change, other components can be ordered to reconfigure existing cabinets. 

Thanks to full-length wood doors, secured with metal lockable latch the storage units offer secure storage too. Durability comes courtesy of the their made-to-last bolt through construction on hinges and doors, polyester laminate and tested tested to withstand institutional use. 

See you at MMA

If you are attending the MMA Conference at the end of this week, then be sure to visit Black Cat Music’s stand. And make sure you collect your Discount Voucher to enjoy savings when you next buy products from the Black Cat Music range, plus we are giving away Conductor’s Batons – be sure to get yours. 

Members of the Black Cat Music team will be attending the MMA Conference at St George’s College, Weybridge, May 16th to 18th. Hosted by the Director of Music Tansy Castledine, together with MMA President Sandy Chenery and the team from St George’s, this year’s Conference promises an enjoyable and invaluable comprehensive progamme to inspire music teachers and practitioners. 

Marketing Manager, Alice Dagger summed up Black Cat Music’s anticipation of the conference, saying, “We are looking forward to the MMA Conference this year, the splendid programme of events and renewing contact with conference delegates.” 

Further details are on the MMA web site. 

Looking back at IBSA

Alice Dagger, Brigitte Downs and Martin Loft of Black Cat Music reflect on the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association Annual Conference that took place at Harrogate, 7th and 8th May. 

Marketing Manager, Alice Dagger said, 'We were very pleased to exhibit at the ISBA conference again this year. Bursars took great interest in our products and services - and our structured payments system is a useful way to spread payments and make savings for their school.”

Brigitte Downs added, “We enjoyed the ISBA conference in Harrogate - the conference dinner was especially enjoyable - a big thumbs up!'

A quick look at StageTek

Have you got 2 minutes? OK, how about 100 seconds then, because you just have to take a look at this! 

Our friends at Wenger have set up a time lapse camera to record assembling a really big area of StageTek. Follow this link to YouTube now [and see for yourself how it is done. It will only take you a couple of minutes. 

Impressed? Want to know the full story … then read on?

Portable staging that is easy to transport and store, yet is strong, safe and configurable into any combination is setting new standards thanks to the Wenger StageTek™ system, available from Black Cat Music, is a refined smart staging system resulting from extensive research, engineering and technical advancements in materials and manufacturing. These technical advances have resulted in a staging system that is 20% lighter, stronger, easier to handle and faster to set up. 

Affordably priced, when it comes to stretching investment across multiple needs like seated risers and performance stages, this new system has it all. But there is no compromise on performance, comfortably exceeding required standards on three critical loading capacity measures for uniform load, point load and dynamic load. Plus it is easy to handle, lighter to lift and with nice smooth edges for safety it is really easy to set up too. Anyone can set up StageTek in minutes, all without the need for any tools. 

Configurations including single or multi-level stages, thrust stages, choral risers, runways and many more options become possible in both scale and shape facilitated by a selection of different height, ‘plug-in’ legs. These simple to use, economical but strong plug-in legs secured by hand-turned locking knobs make hundreds of configurations possible to meet a wide variety of needs. 

When it is time to dismantle, legs can be stored on the underside of the deck and panels quickly loaded on to a storage and transport cart that fits through standard door sizes. Designed to save as much as 50% in storage space compared to other systems, StageTek can be wheeled to a storage place or transported to another venue. 

Like, Share and Post a musical moment

Share your Most Memorable Music Moment with Wenger and you could win $1,000 worth of Wenger products. 

Wenger are looking for your video or a photo of your most memorable music moment and when you post to the Wenger Facebook page you are in the running to win the $1,000 gift certificate which can be traded for Wenger products. And it is easy to enter. Just visit theWenger Facebook page, ‘Like’, share their post on your wall, then upload your photo or video clip – don’t forget to say why this is your most memorable music moment.

The competition is open to all customers of Black Cat Music so why not share your favourite musical memory and enter the competition.