Building the Dream
Brown County Music Center
” We consulted with Steven Durr, a worldrenowned facility designer, to be sure everything would be right. He told us that the two keys to attracting topnotch performers are great sound and great accommodations.”
— Jim Schultz
Jim Schultz, chair of the facility’ s Construction Committee. photo by Ryan Stacy
looking at the building, and they’ re impressed,” says Jim.“ There’ s going to be wooden fixtures that trap the bass frequencies that can drown out the music, and there will be reflectors up above the crowd that bounce the higher frequencies back down. There won’ t be a bad seat in the house.”
The acts the Music Center books, which as of press time include Vince Gill, Tesla, George Thorogood, Here Come the Mummies, and Peppa Pig, represent a wide range of genres and performance experiences. They’ ll be expertly illuminated onstage thanks to Bandit Lites, another industry leader for venues of the Music Center’ s size.
Although the journey to getting the Music Center up and running has seen its share of challenges, Jim attributes the overall success of the project to the relationships forged long ago by its various partners and volunteers.“ It’ s a trust network,” he says.
Between the big-name draws and the stunning sights and sounds of the venue itself, the County is confident that the Music Center will have no problem paying off its construction loan with ticket sales, Jim explains. After that, ownership of the facility will be transferred to Brown County, and the Music Center’ s success will directly benefit the community.“ Under the formula we’ ve worked out, 25 percent of revenues will go to the county’ s general fund, and 75 percent will be distributed as grants to local
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