There’s the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence. There’s the a2 + b2 = c2 of a right triangle. And then there’s the acoustically perfect concert-hall ratio known as “the shoebox.”
“It creates the perfect environment for sound to essentially enhance itself,” says Ken Hardin, artistic director of InConcert Sierra, which is building the organization’s very own shoebox as part of the new Crown Point Venues in Grass Valley. “The basics are that the ceiling is half the width [of the room] and the width is half the length, which allows the note to bellow after the sound is made, letting it live in the room for a longer time so it can make a richer sound.”
(The reverb knob on an electric guitar essentially tries to mimic what the shoebox design does naturally.)
Hardin proceeds to orate on the shoebox and acoustics at length, sounding like some Merlin of music as he spins phrases and philosophies on intervals and intonation, octaves and overtones, resonance and reverb. He speaks eloquently of the acoustic genius of the European cathedrals built in the 900s to 1300s, and how the modern shoebox design evolved from them as more of an everyman’s solution to sound.
Still, when it’s completed in the latter half of 2026, Crown Point’s shoebox concert hall will be one of only 12 of its kind in the United States, one of only two with a seating capacity under 1,000 — and the only one in a rural setting.
Crown Point Venues will be worldclass, and it will be right here in the Sierra Nevada.
A Long Journey
It was the German writer and philosopher Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who told us that if we are bold, mighty forces will come to our aid. That sure seems to be the case with the little shoebox that could.
“It’s been an ambitious project from the outset,” says Julie Hardin, InConcert Sierra’s executive director and Ken’s wife. “And there’s been serendipity everywhere.”
Crown Point Venues is the latest effort by InConcert Sierra to find a permanent home. Founded in 1946 to provide classical and choral music to the region, InConcert has gone through at least seven significant home bases over the years, starting out in the Grass Valley Veteran’s Memorial Building and moving around to local churches, schools, theaters, and cultural centers. It is currently back to putting on its concerts in a church, which does have high-end acoustics but presents limitations on scheduling flexibility, the types of music that may be presented, and overall growth potential.
Thus the continued search for the forever home. The organization got close to purchasing something in 2015 but it ultimately did not work out. Still, the effort was not without a boon — a patron saw the struggle and approached Ken to ask him what it would take to keep the dream of a dedicated concert hall alive.
“Well,” Ken joked, “if you had a million dollars in your back pocket, we could make some progress.”
The woman looked at Ken. “I was thinking more along the lines of $2 million,” she said.
After many conversations and considerations, the gift was ultimately made in 2018. InConcert continued its search for a building, and then March 2020 and the pandemic came along. Before the real estate market soared, the bottom fell out, especially in the office-space segment.
“We identified a building that had been home to a big tech company,” Hardin says of a potential home for their new concert hall. “The place was huge.”
Roughly 1 whole acre under roof, the asking price had already dropped due to the pandemic, and InConcert was able to purchase it for even less. A building that was appraised for tax purposes at $8 million was obtained for $2.1.
“It was crazy,” Hardin recounts, speaking to some of that serendipity his wife speaks of.
After cutting through the red tape, InConcert finally took possession of the building in March 2023. Seventy-seven years after its founding, the organization had finally found its forever home. Thirty-six hours later the roof collapsed.
“It was devastating,” Hardin acknowledges. “That Snowmaggedon storm hit and about 14,000 square-feet of roof collapsed under the weight. The storm kept on and 3 days later another section of about 10,000 square feet collapsed. We were reeling.”
But all was not lost. In fact, the silver lining came to shine through rather bright.
“After a while we came to see that Mother Nature had done us a big favor,” Hardin says.
InConcert was already planning to remove a portion of the roof in order to raise it and achieve the vital ratio for the shoebox. Mother nature simply accelerated the demolition and got them an insurance payout to boot. Mighty forces indeed.
Versatile Venues
In addition to the shoebox acoustic concert hall, a completed Crown Point will also feature a black-box theater with state-of-the-art lighting and sound, a 35-foot ceiling, and a moveable stage and seating.
“Any theater group can come in and do whatever they want,” Julie says. “Plays can be put on traditionally or ‘in the round’ [the stage located in the middle of the seats], and the catwalk for the lighting will be top-notch.”
Further, a designated conference center will feature an on-site kitchen and over 300 banquet seats to fulfill a need for the many area nonprofits, as well as for outside entities desiring a destination retreat. As icing on the cake, Crown Point will have ample parking, a rarity in the locale.
Tours of the in-progress venue are being offered on a reservation basis. And the shoebox has already received its share of awed visitors.
“We literally have musicians from all over the world coming by to experience it,” Ken says. “They usually walk in, talk or sing a bit, and then ask, ‘Can I go get my instrument??’”
For more information about InConcert Sierra and its new digs, visit inconcertsierra.com and crownpointvenues.com, respectively.
