MHS parent group donates sound equipment

A nearly $5,000 donation of equipment and services from a parent booster group should improve the sound in Mundelein High School’s aging auditorium.

Two subwoofers, an amplifier and cabling have been added to the auditorium, which opened with the school in 1961. The donation — from the Mundelein High School Choral Boosters — covered the labor required to tune and optimize the equipment, too, officials said.

The gear will amplify sound emanating from the entire stage and improve the performance experience for audiences, said John Neubauer, the school’s choir director.

“You’ll be able to hear things clearer,” he said.

The money was raised in November at a dessert-themed concert that included a raffle and pastries from local stores and bakeries, Neubauer said.

Although the donations came from a booster club for the choral programs, all groups that perform in the auditorium — and all events staged there — will benefit from the new equipment, Mundelein High spokesman Ron Girard said.

That goes for the annual Mundelein Idol talent show, the Mr. Mustang contest, variety shows and other events, Girard said.

“We appreciate all the hard work that the parent organizations do to help provide added opportunities for our students,” Girard said in an email. “(This) will provide long-lasting improvements well into the future.”

The high school board will formally accept the donation with a vote during its meeting Tuesday. The meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at the school, 1350 W. Hawley St.

The equipment will be put to the test for the first time Saturday when the school hosts a show choir workshop that includes public performances. Admission to the 7 p.m. show is $8 for adults or $5 for children.