Acoustics is a vital and fundamental part of music. It is essentially studies in physics, related to sounds. An acoustics consultant will use their knowledge of physics, such as molecular structure and transfer of energy, in relation to how sound travels through air and through certain materials. Without the study of acoustics, there would likely be no sound-proofing in recording studios, or any special acoustic designs in concert halls, theatres and clubs. Acoustics aren't just limited to sound-proofing though. In fact, they cover a very broad area of sub-categories. The most commonly known is architectural acoustics, which involves designing buildings or rooms to sound good inside, or to project sound to the back of the room (for theatres or concert halls). Buildings also need to be designed in order to keep sound in as well, to avoid noise leaking out - otherwise known as vibration control.
The subject area can also cover sonic sound, which is underwater acoustics. As well as this, musical acoustics are a specialty, covering how musical instruments make sound and how they amplify it. Speech and hearing acoustics is a popular choice, which is more unusual than other areas. This delves into how speech is understood, even down to the very basics. The outcome of this is to try and aid those with disabilities hindering communication. The human hearing system is also covered under this area. This looks mainly into how sound travels through the neural pathway, as well as the inner workings of the ear. Objectives here include learning how better to treat aural illnesses and disabilities, studying different techniques of making hearing aids and finding out more efficient ways of treating problems with the aural system.
This link gives a list of the different kinds of acoustic studies, with some more detailed explanations.
The salary of an acoustician can vary as well. According to ehow, found on this link, the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) categorises acousticians as physicists, due to the nature of their work with atomic structure and energy transfer. This meant that they can use physicist statistics to state salaries. In 2010, physicists earned an average of
Hours also depends on the acoustician. As acoustics consultants are often freelance, hours solely depend on the individual. Obviously, salary depends majorly on the hours worked, so the more contracts taken on, the more money that can be earned. Taking this into account, it is vital that an acoustician has excellent time keeping and organisation. For example if too many contracts are taken on, it may mean that none of them are finished. So an acoustics consultant needs to know their limit in order to be successful.
Presentation skills are also a key area, as often an acoustics consultant will need to present ideas and designs (especially within architectural acoustics) to whoever is contracting the building work, so they can approve or disprove the work. Finally, people skills are important to be able to effectively talk to clients, causing them to pick you over other candidates to hire.
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