Our Mission
- Will your friends and family seated in your beautiful home theater be able to hear the movie over the spirited squeals of children overhead?
- Will the brilliant tones and subtle chords of your favorite music be lost to the constant hum of your heating or air conditioning system?
- Will visitors to your state-of-the-art exhibit hear the exceptional audio narration or the unwelcome chatter and commentary of other museum patrons?
We worry about these things so you won’t have to. It is our attention to every detail and our complete understanding of the needs of every individual client that sets SH Acoustics apart from our competitors. We will be there to offer professional assistance and support through every phase of your project, from conception through final design and implementation. Our goal is superior sound for every space and to know that we’ve exceeded the expectations of every client.
Meet the Team
SH Acoustics’ core staff is comprised of a team of highly creative and impassioned acoustic/audio designers who, together with a myriad of design and fabrication specialists, go to great lengths to meet the needs of all clients regardless of project size, scope, or budget.
Steve Haas
CEO / Principal Consultant
With a great-grandfather who was a mason that worked on some of Europe’s finest concert halls and a grandfather who was a concert pianist and violinist that played with numerous orchestras, including the world-renowned Cleveland Orchestra, Steve was destined to make his mark in the field of music and acoustics.
Steve now has more than thirty-two years of experience in residential and commercial acoustic design, and has been lead acoustic consultant on numerous award-winning projects such as the Newseum (Washington, DC,) Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and hundreds of other museum & performing arts projects.
He is equally proud of his design and renovation of many private theaters, listening rooms and a vast plethora of some the most unique and unexpected spaces to be found in many serene, welcoming homes throughout the world. An accomplished musician and inventor of Concertino, the world s first acoustic enhancement system design specifically for private performance, presentation and recording environments, Steve is often sought out as an industry expert, and has been invited to speak at seminars and conventions all over the world.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, with an emphasis in Acoustics and Music. In his free time, Steve enjoys playing keyboards, mixing live sound, boxing and pretending to be better than he actually is at basketball and tennis.
Alan Graham
Managing Director / Partner
Alan is a multi-dimensional executive with proven expertise in delivering operational efficiency and streamlining business processes. He has led several organizations through substantial growth stages and innovative transitions. His many years in consulting providing C-Suite expertise has given him a broad spectrum of experience in proven business methodologies.
Alan brings expertise focused on customer success, long-term business relationships, and building environments that support successful collaborating amongst all stakeholders.
He has been involved in several start-up organizations as well as taking established firms to the “next level” in terms of market presence, revenue & profit growth, talent acquisition & development while focusing on continuous improvement and risk management.
Some of Alan’s previous experience as a senior executive include a Tier I International Consulting Firm, a Virtual Reality Product Company, a Crypto-Currency Blockchain Financial Firm, a major investment firm, and more.
Alan is excited to join a quality firm in SH Acoustics, and looks forward to bringing his talents of building high performing teams.
Alan graduated from one of the oldest engineering universities in the world, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in three years with honors.
In his free time, Alan enjoys spending time with his wife and children, and is an avid sportsman with a Black Belt in Taekwondo. He is constantly reading and expanding his experience & knowledge in business methodologies for operational efficiencies, digital marketing, & technical areas.
Matthew Tomao
Director of Business Development
Matthew, an Army veteran, brings 20 years of consulting and design expertise in the luxury residential security and artificial intelligence fields to the growing SH Acoustics team. Responsible for spearheading SH Acoustics’ burgeoning business-development efforts, Matthew serves as the first point of contact for many of the
company’s valued clients and partners. He has called into play the same creativity that drove him to become a published writer to drive double-digit sales growth at various organizations across a broad spectrum of disciplines. In his free time, Matthew enjoys spending time with his family and writing his next screenplay, and is an avid weightlifter.
Kevin Peterson
Senior Acoustical/Audio Consultant
Kevin enjoys designing quality spaces where music and sound can be fully appreciated by the listeners. He’s worked on countless music recording studios, broadcast studios, listening rooms, home theaters and performance venues. He appreciates many different types of projects and the challenges that each of them present.
Even at a very early age, Kevin had always possessed a curiosity for engineering and a passion for music. In fact, in a 5th grade writing assignment, he wrote of his desire to be an acoustic engineer. Many years later, in a (successful) attempt to combine both the art of music with the science and engineering of acoustics and noise control, he entered the field of acoustics. He prides himself on client relationships, attention to detail, and a fierce desire for delivering the best possible product to the end users. His favorite projects are ones where the answers are not initially apparent, but those that require untraditional solutions.
Outside of the office, Kevin is a musician and an avid camper / hiker / outdoorsman who doesn’t mind the snow and the frigid temperatures of the New England winters.
Virginia Demske Roth
Senior Acoustical/Audio Consultant
As Senior Consultant, Ginnie collaborates with all parties to work through acoustical challenges by way of deliverables, meetings, and analysis. As a trained musician, Ginnie has a passion for room acoustics and how people interact with sound in the built environment.
She has worked on many cultural institutions, private residences, and hospitality spaces. Each project has its own unique challenges and Ginnie rejects the “one size fits all” approach. She genuinely appreciates her client relationships and works with the project team to find realistic and applicable solutions.
Ginnie volunteers for the ACE Mentor Program, a nationally recognized non-profit organization which pairs design and construction professionals with high school students to teach them about architecture, construction, and engineering. Outside of the office, Ginnie finds great pleasure in running and has completed the NYC Marathon. Ginnie loves to bake and frequently makes Ina Garten’s “Beatty’s Chocolate Cake”.
Peri Chain
Acoustical/Audio Consultant
With the technically oriented mind of an engineer, eye of a designer, and heart of a musician, Peri always aims to create the greatest aural experience possible for her clients, without compromising function or aesthetics. As an acoustical / audio consultant, she is able to accomplish just that by tackling challenges head on with creative thinking and team collaboration.
As a trained musician in several genres with several instruments, Peri is especially passionate about
creating spaces where music and other content can truly be appreciated. Her ideal project usually
involves designing room-isolation and noise-control solutions to achieve true quiet and then optimizing
room acoustics and audio format within the space to blow the audience away—plus plenty of challenges
along the way to keep things particularly interesting!
Outside of work, when she is not playing guitar, piano, saxophone, or any of the other instruments in her repertoire, Peri enjoys composing and arranging music, playing video games, snowboarding, and hiking.
Tessa Kopec
Acoustical/Audio Consultant
A recent graduate of the University of Hartford’s Mechanical Engineering and Acoustics program, Tessa
strives to create an acoustic environment where people can enjoy their space and learn about the aspects behind the design.
While completing her undergraduate degree, she had the opportunity to work on a capstone design project researching a new wood-fibrous solution, specifically in sound absorption, as well as a private study in sound travel through the auditory system. Through these experiences, her passion for architectural acoustics grew to a deeper understanding of how impactful our environments are. She finds great joy in building relationships with others and guiding them through the background of acoustically challenging environments.
On the personal side, Tessa enjoys playing guitar, hiking mountain ranges, and tending to her many
plants and garden.
Ryan Delaney
Acoustical/Audio Consultant
With a background in audio engineering and physics, Ryan is intimately familiar with the importance of acoustic engineering in music and the performing arts. But he also has a passion for the development of everyday acoustic environments like work places, homes, and public transit.
The effects of poor acoustic environments on our everyday lives is important to Ryan. Whether it be for an artistic experience or an everyday conversation, Ryan wants everyone’s experience to be focused and enjoyable.
In his free time, Ryan is a music mixing engineer, where he works with artists across rap, dance, and pop genres. He is also passionate about music education and art consumption/presentation.
Sheryl Patten
Accounts Manager / Administrative Coordinator
As the Accounts Manager and the Administrative Coordinator at SH Acoustics, Sheryl brings her many years of experience combined with an ability to find more efficient, and creative ways of helping the office while creating a friendly work environment for all of the SH Acoustics employees.
Sheryl enjoys a balance of spending time with her family, and spending time at the gym. As a vegetarian, she maintains a healthy diet to stay active. Sheryl has enjoyed traveling to many destinations such as England, France, Ireland, Yugoslavia, Mexico, and Spain as well as many states in the USA.
Jacob Jacobson
Lead CAD Designer
Jacob has been SH Acoustics’ Lead CAD Designer for over five years, and plays a significant role in creating and maintaining high-quality standards for SHA’s drawings and documentation. He trains and instructs other engineers in the office to properly and consistently convey projects to our clients. Jacob is also involved in research and development of unique audio technologies and often plays an important role with project site inspections.
Prior to SH Acoustics, Jacob attended the Porter and Chester Institute of Technology where he received a certificate for Architectural Drafting and Design. He is also currently in school and set to earn his degree in Engineering.
Jacob has been a proud musician for the large majority of his life. With talents spanning from the guitar, violin, banjo, mandolin, piano, lap steel and ukulele, it’s clear that Jacob belonged in the world of sound. In fact, it was while he was on a national tour with his band that Porter and Chester called him to see if he’d be interested in the position at SHA. Besides work and music, Jacob enjoys a good board game, movie, or fantasy and sci-fi book, but mostly just enjoys spending time with his wife and newborn son.
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