How Can I Change That Sound?: Exploring the Physics of Music

Children playing instruments
Child playing with a drum
Child playing with a tin can
Child listening to the sounds of a jar

A great way to learn about the physics of sound is by experimenting with materials that can be manipulated in different ways to make a sound.  Children enjoy music and are responsive to sounds within music. Children who go on to play musical instruments not only reap the aesthetic benefits of collaboratively producing music with other players (not just listening to music), they actually develop neurophysiological distinction between certain sounds that can aid in literacy and improved academic performance. Using everyday objects such as tin cans and rubber bands, children can learn how to control different aspects of sound such as pitch, loudness, timbre, and duration.

Participants will learn how to take musical instrument-making from a craft to a high-quality STEM experience when they have the opportunity to play with the materials they will introduce to young children and view photos and video from classrooms where these materials have been part of the curriculum.

Workshop format:  face-to-face

Length of workshop:  3 hours

Number of participants:  limited to 24

To view the experience sheet for this workshop, please click here.