Community United Thanks To Assistive Listening Solution

From architecture to audio “everything was handled for us,” says Valerie Sweers, performing arts director for the K-12 Grant Public Schools in Grant, Michigan. The 794-seat structure, completed in August of last year, has a state-of-the-art sound system, designed and installed by Listen Dealer, Audio Designs. Included are twenty-two assistive listening units from Listen Technologies Corporation.

“The nearest movie theater is a half-hour drive,” notes Sweers, who emphasizes that the new space, an arts center that is used by the entire community for theater, music, and special events, has brought the community together in a new way.

According to Speers, the old cavernous space was so bad from a sound perspective that some folks, especially the hard of hearing, simply stopped attending performances. They’re back now. The overall acoustics are greatly improved, of course, but thanks to Listen’s assistive listening units, more of the community can now attend without the frustration of not being able to understand what’s going on onstage. One man, in particular, returned for a performance and after using the Listen equipment. He was “ecstatic” about the crisp, clear sound and the prospect of attending more events.

The site, which has an art gallery in the lobby, affords students the opportunity to learn about the workings of a performing arts venue. In fact, student interns run the center – lighting, sound, tickets, distribution of the assistive listening devices, etc. They have adult supervisors, but it’s really their baby, creating a niche for youths geared toward the arts and those interested in the mechanics of the stage.

Listen has made life easy for the center, as it does for other customers, by providing signs and stickers to remind patrons about the availability of the assistive listening devices. Of course, in this small, rural community, like other small, rural communities, news travels fast and most now know they won’t miss a single sound when attending cultural events, thanks to Listen Technologies.