Audio/Acoustics

Ethan Adeniran

Major: Audio/Radio Production and Studies Expected graduation: May 2024 • Hometown: Freeport, NY

Project Title: Analysis of Worship Center Acoustic Quality for Audiences

Advisor: Fernando Espinoza

In basic terms, please describe your project.

My research was based on measuring the four major acoustic qualities (reverberation time, clarity, intimacy, bass ratio) and comparing them to acceptable or expected values for a church or worship center of a particular size. These values were obtained at different locations throughout the church, and from those measurements I was able to map out the best parts of the church for listening to music, being able to understand speech, and a mixture of both.

How did you become interested in this topic? What inspired you?

Although my major is in audio production, much of my fascination comes from how sound works in the physical world, and how living things interact with and understand the sounds they hear. I was fortunate to be in an acoustics class and have access to a facility where I could conduct research, and Rabinowitz Honors College gave me the opportunity to engage in that research.

What professor did you work with, and how did they support you?

I worked with Dr. Fernando Espinoza on this project. I first showed Dr. Espinoza a rough estimate of values I obtained, and he encouraged me to continue to pursue this research, both by assisting me in providing proper equipment and in the analysis of my results.

How long did you work on this research?

I worked on my research on a weekly basis from mid-February to late April.

Where do you see this research going in the future?

There are many aspects of my research that I would like to explore further. I ran into limitations in the analysis of data for intimacy that I hypothesize come from the alignment of speakers throughout the center, so I wish to find the real values after developing a new methodology. I also wish to explore more about the acoustical qualities of that worship center versus other centers, and how those differences affect the experience of audiences.

What career or educational plans do you have for after graduation?

After graduation, I intend to pursue a master’s degree in acoustics and become an architectural acoustics consultant and possibly do advocacy work to promote reducing the noise pollution that disproportionately affects poor communities and harms land and marine ecosystems.