Storage in music facilities for year 9–13
Ample storage is not an added extra. Secure, accessible storage should be an inherent feature of every music facility. It is as important as the main music room and should be included in the planning from the outset.
Think carefully about where to locate various storage areas. They are too important to be fitted into spare spaces after the main layout has been decided.
Think about where and how often you will use pieces of equipment and large instruments, such as the drum kit in the rehearsal room, and the recording gear in the main music room.
Remember you will need to get equipment in and out of its storage area and around the building easily and quickly. Ease of access is as important as the racks and shelves you store equipment on.
To ensure easy the movement of equipment:
- avoid steps and ridges in doorways between spaces inside the facility
- make all internal and external doorways double-width and stud-height
- remember you will need to move equipment to other parts of the school and off the school grounds at times, so ramps may be needed.
Bi-fold doors are useful on large storage cupboards opening into classrooms – they can open right back to provide quick and easy access to instruments. Sliding doors may also be a possibility.
Planning for future
To 'future proof' your storage, consider the following checklist. You will (eventually) need places for:
- teaching resources
- sound equipment
- small instruments for frequent in-class use
- large instruments for bands and orchestras – large and unwieldy percussion and string instruments need capacious storage rooms
- miscellaneous instruments not on issue, and space for more at the end of each year
- a music library, containing scores, books, magazines, reference books, LPs, tapes, CDs, DVDs, videos – maybe separate collections for staff and students
- textbooks
- assessment archives
- other material for teachers.
Tips for storing instruments
You need to be able to move instruments around a lot. Many of them are large, so you need big doorways on storage areas and throughout the facility.
Many instruments cannot be stacked, put on racks or folded down – or it will be a nuisance to have to do so every time they are used. Since instruments like double basses, drum kits, and timpani should be stored upright, they need plenty of space.
Most instruments are sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. Either provide equipment to control temperature and humidity in the storage areas, or locate storage in cool dry parts of the building.
Most instruments are valuable and fragile. Lockable rooms or cupboards are essential to keep them secure.