The La Honda Voice

The Face of Local Music - Todd Novak

How do you fit a books worth of material into a small article? Todd Novak this month's Face of Local Music interview could easily be several pages long. Todd was born in Pennsylvania and lived his early years in Ohio. He started playing guitar at 11 years old and started playing professionaly at 12 years old. He picked up the electric guitar his brother's friend would leave at their house and learned to play right handed since that was all he had to play. He would have probably learned left handed if he had access to a lefty. Todd has toured all over the country with different bands. Todd was with an Ohio based band Ronald Koal and the Trillionaires that toured opening for the likes of Billy Idol, The Blasters, Berlin and Joan Jett. In the early 80's he was with a Countryish band called Ricky Barnes and the Hootowls where he did a lot of background singing building his vocal abilities. The Hootowls opened for Richard Thompson and Buckwheat Zydeco among others. When asked who his favorite musicians are he says he likes anyone that has created something unique and new. Django Reinhardt, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards are some of his favorites. Todd has always been a fast learner and plays so many different styles that he has made lots of friends in the music biz. Todd moved to La Honda about two years ago with his wife Jasmine. They picked La Honda mostly due to the beauty of the area. I asked Todd to think back and tell me his most memorable musical moment.  He said that without a doubt it was the moment that Pete Seeger called him and asked if he wanted to come over and jam. Todd's current band is the Cowlicks and can be seen once a month at the San Gregorio General Store and also at the Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood City. Todd's latest recording project Raspberry Moonshine is a mix of styles, and believe it or not includes Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys amoung other great players. He is especially excited about this project because it just might be the last recording Ralph Stanley does and Clinch Mountain Boy Steve Sparkman is quiting the band to persue a career in law enforcement. You can get your copy of Raspberry Moonshine at the La Honda market. You can find him at toddnovakmusic.com, thecowlicks.com. as well as The Cowlicks Facebook page

Treating the Restaurant Acoustics, or “Why Can’t I Hear Myself Talk In Here?”

By Neil Panton

I wasn’t the only one unable to hear conversations at my table.  There were echoes of others with the same problem.  Conversations from tables near and far were louder than the one at ours.  It was nearly impossible to hold a meeting in either of the rooms.  A quiet, romantic dinner was out of the question. When music started, you could either leave or listen, unless you enjoyed shouting into your companion’s ear.

Looking around the restaurant, it was easy to see why the acoustics were poor: windows, walls  – reflective, wood floor – reflective, bare ceiling – reflective.  There were no absorbent surfaces to help diffuse sound waves.  In homes, performance venues and recording studios, surfaces are treated with materials such as curtain, carpeting, foam, baffles, diffusers, egg cartons etc. Costs range from free to ridiculously expensive. My first studio utilized layers of discarded carpeting and large cardboard egg flats from a local restaurant (unlimited supply).  They were layered three deep on one wall, and allowed us to record loud electric guitar into the wee hours without disturbing the neighbors.

So, what could be done here?  The windows are wonderful, don’t want to cover them.  The walls display beautiful artwork from local artists.  Don’t want to disturb that.  Carpet the floors?  Not so good for a restaurant, definitely not good for a bar.  So, the ceilings, maybe some corners and a few bits of wall were available for treatment. 

Beginning in 2010, I spoke with individuals knowledgeable about acoustics and studio construction as well as people familiar with this particular space. I also consulted with Charlie and Jane, owner and restauranteur respectively, to make sure they were onboard with the idea.  I was interested in making this a community project utilizing reasonably inexpensive materials, simple design and volunteers.

The project was renewed this summer and first went public in July 2011 to the La Honda Yahoo group. Immediately, offers of help and donations came in. A small committee was formed, more information was gathered, and a simple but cost effective design was created to build and suspend acoustic panels from the ceiling.

A total of 7 were built, covering 28% of the ceiling surface area with absorbent material. In addition, Charlie repainted the ceilings and some walls, in some areas with acoustic paint (Thanks for the idea, Dana). Charlie also provided a roll-away carpet for the musician area.

The response was immediate: “I can actually hear myself talk!” was heard over and over. Acoustic measurements were taken both before and after treatment to attempt to quantify the changes, and provide a basis for any future treatment.  (See Peter Chupity’s accompanying report.) In the meantime, we will try out the new acoustics for a while and see if more needs to be done.  Although initial response to the room is quite good and there is no doubt that positive changes have been made, there may be room for improvement.

So, for those interested, here is a bit about the construction of the panels.

1)    Design: Lightweight wood frames, covered with acoustic fabric and filled with semi-rigid fiberglass boards. Suspended 1-1/2 to 2” from the ceiling with hardware hooks and eyes.  Can be removed for cleaning or painting the ceiling.

2)    Materials: Wood was provided by Charlie, who also built the frames. The acoustic fabric came from Acoustical Solutions, approx. $26 yd. The insulation boards are Owens-Corning 703 and 705, 2’x4’x1-1/2”, approx. $1 and $2 sq.ft.  Misc. materials came from Jo-Ann’s Fabrics.

3)    Construction:

    a. Charlie delivered the completed frames to the Café: five were installed in the bar area followed by two larger panels in the dining area.

    b. The empty frames were fitted to the ceiling before covering as they were easier to handle.

    c. Craig and Jack E., with Neil P. covered the frames with fabric and stapled in place.

    d. The insulation was installed in the frame and covered.

    e. The frames are suspended from the ceiling.

All in all, more than 25 people assisted in this project in one form or another. Beginning July 22^nd, with the post to form a committee, to November 7^th, it took 16 weeks to design and complete the panel installation. A huge amount of credit goes to Charlie, who enthusiastically participated in all phases of the project. In addition to contributing all the materials for the acoustic treatment and building the frames, Charlie has invested in a number of other Café improvements; painting, lighting and outdoors. Check out the changes in the patio area!!

A huge thanks to all. The rewards of living in a small and close community are huge!

 

December Edition of the La Honda Voice

Here it is:Download TheLaHondaVoiceDecember2011

Happy Holidays!