By BRUCE GOULD, guest columnist

Progress continues at a fast pace at the Brown County Music Center.

The sound engineering company has installed almost all of the speakers and covered them in plastic bags to protect them from dust. The initial sound test was impressive, according to an observer on site. The “clouds” have also been installed in the theater ceiling. The “clouds” are acoustical devices designed to reduce ambient noise and reverberation.

The entire ceiling, beams, and ductwork in the theater have been painted black with a product called “dryfall,” which is a very fast-drying paint so that any paint residue from spraying the ceiling is dry by the time it reaches the ground. HVAC ductwork louvers are also covered to avoid dust getting into the system.

Light fixtures will not be installed until a little later in the process, but temporary lighting has been installed since the roof was put in place. The theater appears to be getting darker inside since the ceiling is now very black and there is considerably less natural light getting into the building.

Many inside walls are in the process of being built. The building is essentially all concrete, but painted drywall will be used for smaller rooms and dividers. The dressing rooms and offices are well under construction and are on two levels. A large wall has been built along the entire back of the mezzanine level behind which HVAC equipment is housed. A 30-foot-tall wall is being built to separate the front stage from the rooms behind the stage.

The mezzanine seating area has steps and is very near completion except for seat installation. The main level of the theater will have a sloped floor without steps. That floor will be poured by the time this column reaches print, so at that point, all of the concrete work in the theater will be completed. The lobby area will be poured after that.

The seats have been ordered for some time and will begin being installed July 15. The seats will arrive in three semi trailers. Seating installation will take three weeks and the seating plan is designed so that nobody will be looking directly at the back of another person’s head. The seats will have cup holders and many of the seats on the aisles will have aisle lighting installed in the side of the seat aimed at the aisles.

Many of the door frames have been installed and several doors have been attached. Most of the lifts and other equipment that was inside of the theater are gone. At one point there were seven lifts inside the building being used by HVAC installers, electricians and other trades, but now there are only two lifts remaining.

Sidewalks and some curbing outside the building are still several weeks away. Due to budget constraints, a number of outside projects will be completed over time as funds become available. Several professional landscapers have volunteered to assist with landscape planning and installation and several other volunteers have offered to assist.

The beer garden and family garden areas will acquire more seating, shelterhouses, and other amenities as funds permit and needs are assessed. The property has many other areas that would provide attractive settings for outside artwork and sitting areas to reflect on the natural beauty that surrounds the venue. These will all be evaluated after the venue is operating and the pressure to get the music center open has passed.

Our intentions are that the Brown County Music Center will always be in a constant state of improvement.

Bruce Gould is vice president of the Maple Leaf Management Group. Any questions about the venue can be sent to [email protected].