My most recent gig was the last one for our bass player, and I decided to tape it for posterity. It was a dance in a good-sized room at a 'down at heel' provincial hotel. The tape revealed that the acoustics were more dire than was apparent from the stage end; in fact, they could have used it to record 'swimming pool' drum samples. What we know as the 'toilet bowl' effect.

When I polled my nearest local authorities about their needs in the acoustical remedy department, I was told that they had never had a single complaint about room acoustics in any of their theatres or village halls! My experience has been that 90% of venues that I have been in as a performer or as a punter have adverse acoustics for music or speech, 8% have inappropriate or ineffective treatment, and 1% have good acoustics due to a series of unrelated decisions in the history of the building. The remaining 1% (a purely emotional statistic, unfounded, without any scientific proof) were designed for the performers to be heard properly and did the job.

So what is the problem here, and what is the remedy? First, there is an almost universal ignorance and misunderstanding of acoustics (dictionary definition: 'of the sense of hearing'). You can't see it, feel it, or taste it. There are certainly health related issues, but acoustics are never life threatening, although exposure to excessive sound levels might be health threatening. Even trained architects are lucky to get a rudimentary introduction to the subject. There is plenty of scope in the National Curriculum to incorporate acoustics into physics and music lessons, but who is asking for it? Ignorance may be bliss, but I know that I feel short-changed when playing in an echo chamber.

The Building Regulations, which mainly address themselves to health and safety issues, do contain a section on 'airborne sound'. This was undoubtedly drafted to try to protect people from their obnoxious, noisy neighbours. Councils have been logging complaints about noise since they got into the housing business, and I'm sure they have lobbied hard for legislation to cut down on this vexing problem. But what about 'airborne music'? Do I have to continue to be underpaid to travel 50 miles, hump in all the gear, and then get to play in a toilet bowl?

While I'm moaning about health and safety, let's talk about air pollution, which is directly linked in some cases to noise control. Several places we play in regularly, including pubs, have their windows sealed to avoid complaints from neighbours about the lovely music they provide for their punters. This means that the band are required to filter the smoke of hundreds of cigarettes with their own lungs. One thoughtful pub-owner provided not one but two ventilation fans, which blew cold outside air from behind the stage directly onto the sweaty backs of the band; if the cancer don't get us, the pneumonia might!

It is perfectly possible to get both good ventilation and proper sound isolation, but it costs money — which doesn't actually sell more beer — so it must be required by law to make sure it is put into practice. Current licensing laws are vague about ventilation, but it is usually a condition of the licence. Without getting on a high horse, England currently lags behind the US on legislating for fresh air (and handicap access, but I'll save that for another time). There are even bars in the States, which feature pure oxygen on tap for that extra boost of airborne goodness.

The ancient Greeks put the theatre at the centre of the community, in both physical and symbolic senses. They valued the spoken word, and the ceremony attached to the Tragedy was an important social glue. The village hall of today serves the same function, providing a place for pantomimes, ceilidhs, public meetings, and jumble sales alike. So why do we approach the design and building of these places so casually? Has our sense of ceremony and community fallen so low that we are satisfied with a poorly heated concrete block echo chamber with fluorescent lighting as our own Greek Theatre? If you know the answers to these questions, please send them on a postcard.

Studies into the value of music have revealed two interesting results. A study at Oxford University showed that the activity rated "most joyful" was dancing. Rave-goers and country dance enthusiasts alike can support this contention, I'm sure. Another area of research has shown definite benefits of listening to music for students of all ages, with Mozart apparently providing the best results. These elusive, intangible benefits are probably counter-intuitive to all but dancers and musicians, but music is surely the most under-valued art (after poetry), except in the Top 40, where it is usually grossly overvalued. As musicians and sound technicians, we must work continually for improvements to our workplace and recognition of the value of music to society.

So get vocal about music! Complain loudly and often when playing in acoustically sub-standard venues. Point out the benefits to customers of being able to hear the music comfortably. Lobby for better acoustics and better sound systems. Make sure that everyone you know, who doesn't enjoy an atmosphere of dense smog, demands more clean air in pubs and clubs.

If we don't value what we do, who will?

Robert Rickey is an architect and musician who cares deeply about acoustics.