Computer Music Laboratories
Alden Memorial and Sanford Riley Hall
These laboratories support creative and research activity in a variety of music- and sound-related applications including real-time virtual orchestra design and production techniques. The lab contains hardware and software for multi-track digital recording and editing, signal processing, algorithmic composition, sound synthesis, MIDI sequencing, music notation, and music programming. The computer music classroom is located in the basement of Alden Hall.
First Baptist Church
The Choral Department is housed in the First Baptist Church, located on the north corner of WPI’s campus. Each of the four choirs (Glee Club, Alden Voices, Festival Chorus, and Chamber Choir) hold their weekly rehearsals at the church, along with many a cappella groups. The ensembles regularly rehearse in the spacious and versatile Gordon Hall, while giving three performances a year in the resonant sanctuary. The office for the Director of Choral Activities and choral library are also located within the church.
Alden Hall Theatre Spaces
Alden Memorial: First Floor
Alden Hall houses many of the performance activities at WPI, both academic and extracurricular. The Green Room serves as a space for rehearsals, meetings and other academic projects of the theatre community. It holds various public resources for the WPI theatre community, including plays and reference books. The Great Hall is used for VOX Musical Theatre performances as well as choral and instrumental performances. In addition, the Hall is sometimes used for festive and gala campus functions.
Alden Memorial: Sub-basement
The sub-basement of Alden Hall houses a scenic workshop, as well as storage for props & costumes.
Jazz History Database Lab
The Jazz History Database lab, located in the basement of Alden Hall, is an interactive multimedia museum focused on artists deserving of wider recognition and dedicated to the preservation of “at-risk” jazz artifacts. The rare and unique materials on this website have been contributed by individuals, academics, institutions and media from the U.S. and Internationally. The Jazz History Database is hosted by Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) under the direction of Professor Ben Young, Director. Academic credit is awarded to students working in teams to preserve materials for archiving and inclusion in the database.
The Little Theatre
Sanford-Riley, Lower Level
Made possible with a major gift from the George I. Alden Trust, the Little Theatre is the University’s first dedicated academic theatre facility. With a combination of flexible and fixed seating, this 80-111 seat facility has a permanent lighting grid and sound system, a control booth, and a green room/dressing room. The Little Theatre is the laboratory for the Theatre division of the Department of Humanities and Arts.
Music, Perception, and Robotics Lab
Alden Memorial: B21
The Music, Perception and Robotics Lab explores how creative expression can be inspired by and enhanced through technological tools and understanding of human auditory perception. The lab designs, builds, composes for and performs with musical robots. It conducts psychological research that examines human musical perception and creativity. It synthesizes these efforts by developing software that allows human musicians to interact with robotic ones.
Spaulding Recital Hall and Other Rooms for Rehearsal and Performance
Alden Memorial: Lower Level
Alden Center for the Performing Arts houses the Spaulding Recital Hall, Perreault Chamber Rehearsal Room, the Janet Earle Choral Rehearsal Room, three practice rooms, and the Knight Lecture Room. Available for practice are Steinway grand pianos and the Three Manual Aeolian-Skinner pipe organ in the main Concert Hall. There are three concert grand pianos for recitals, ensemble work and concerts. WPI has some instruments that can be made available to students upon request.
Other Music Facilities
Music facilities also include The Janet Earle Room, The Perreault Chamber Rehearsal Room, the music classroom, practice rooms, computer music labs and storage facilities.