The Science of Music
Vibrations!
Young
People’s
Concert
Soundwaves!
Decibels!
OH MY!
Study Guide 2013-14
Benjamin Rous,
Resident Conductor
Paul Dukas La Peri: Fanfare
Charles Ives “Country Band” March
Leroy Anderson Sandpaper Ballet
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka Russlan & Ludmilla
Overture
Igor Stravinsky Berceuse & Finale from
“The Firebird”
Ludwig Van Beethoven Symphony No. 9
mvt. 4
CONTENTS
PAGE
3
Welcome and Introduction
4
Resident Conductor Ben Rous – “Sounding Off”
5
Who’s Who in the Virginia Symphony Orchestra?
5
Getting Ready for Your Concert Trip - What To Expect At A Concert
6
Pre-Concert Etiquette Activity - Etiquette
8
Pre-Concert Activity – Instrument Identification
10 Pre-Concert Activity – Music Journals
12 About The Composers
14 About The Music You Will Hear
15 Facts About Sound
18 Study Guide Activities
29 Build Your Musical Vocabulary
30 Student Review
31 Teacher Evaluation
32 Partners in Education
33 Special Resource
33 Play-Along Music for the Recorder
34 INDEX OF VIRGINIA MUSIC STANDARDS OF LEARNING AND INSTRUCTIONAL
STRATEGIES AND CORRELATIONS
37 Why Teach Music?
2
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTION
The SCIENCE of Music
“Did you hear that?”
This is often a question asked on a daily basis when it comes
to the many sounds heard all around us. Even when some of these sounds are not those
made by music, there are often questions about how a sound is made, how far it travels,
and how its loudness or softness is produced. Music has a science all its own. How does
noise become music? What makes instruments sound the way they do? How do our ears
actually “hear” music? How does sound travel? How can sound be measured? What does
sound look like?
This season’s Young People’s Concerts, “The Science of Music,” through the
pieces performed by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, will illustrate how and what kind of
sound waves are generated, amplified and transmitted to the listening ear. Through interaction with Maestro Ben Rous, the musicians of the Orchestra, and others in the audience, the
scientific principles involved in producing sound and music will unfold. Those experiencing
the magnificent sound of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra will learn more about:
-
Timbre (the uniqueness and special features of sound or an instrument)
Decibels (how sound is measured)
Frequency (high and low sounds)
How sound travels
From country bands to sandpaper, from fanfares to kazoos and recorders, the Young
People’s Concerts will be an “ears-on” experience into “The Science of Music.”
Marsha D. Staples
Director of Education/Community Engagement
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Sarah Williams
Education/Community Engagement Coordinator
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
3
VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RESIDENT CONDUCTOR
BEN ROUS – “SOUNDING OFF”
Benjamin Rous grew up on the seacoast of New Hampshire. During the spring and the
fall, geese migrated by his house and he could hear their calls at night. In the winter,
the bay froze over and he could crunch across the salty ice all the way to the point
across the bay. During the summer nights, the insects in the woods around his house
made a thick chorus of rattles, drones, and chirps.
He began playing violin at age 6, making squeaky sounds for quite a few years; after a
while he learned to draw a more singing tone from the instrument. Listening to records
on his parents’ stereo inspired him, and after a while he started imagining music from
scratch in his head. He began writing this music down and made his first attempts at
composition.
Throughout high school, he went to Boston every weekend to play in string quartets
and youth orchestras, blending the sound of his own playing with a hundred other
young musicians. The sound of a whole orchestra playing together was so fascinating
to him that he almost forgot about the sound of his own violin, and when he first had
the chance to conduct an orchestra he realized that hearing the sound of an orchestra
was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
What is one of your favorite sounds?
There is a bird I once heard in Luxembourg who sings very complicated songs very quickly, and the songs
sound improvised. It sings almost like a jazz musician, but with the amazing purity of a bird’s voice, and, as I
said, so fast and twittery that you can hardly keep up as you listen to it. I could listen to that bird all day and
never get bored.
What is one of your least favorite sounds?
Car alarms. So annoying!
Did you like studying science in school?
Yes, in high school I was really into physics in particular.
Did you do any experiments that involved making sound?
Yes, I did a whole report on the physics of music. I researched the equations that govern how pianos are
tuned, and the way that violins work acoustically. It taught me that there are parts of art that can be measured.
What’s the most unusual sound you’ve ever heard come from an orchestra?
The first chord in Atmospheres by Gyorgy Ligeti. It’s like sinking into a swamp made of rainbows. It’s on
Youtube--you’ve got to hear it!
If you could make the sound of any instrument, which instrument would you choose?
The cello. It has the most wonderful voice. I used to play only the violin, and then I started playing viola
because I wanted to sound more like a cello.
4
WHO’S WHO IN THE VIRGINIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA?
JoAnn Falletta, Music Director
Benjamin Rous, Redident Conductor
Robert Shoup, Chorusmaster/Staff Conductor
Violin
* Vahn Armstrong, Concertmaster
- Dorothy Redwood Cooke Sutherland,
Concertmaster Chair
* Yun Zhang, Associate
Concertmaster
* Amanda Gates Armstrong,
Assistant Concertmaster
* Simon Lapointe, Principal Second
- Lee A. & Helen G. Gifford, Principal
Second Violin Chair
* Elizabeth Coulter Vonderheide,
Assistant Principal (LOA)
* Christine Allison
* Jorge Aguirre
* Andrew Bergevin
* Lesa McCoy Bishop
* Wesi Chong Boyer
* Mayu Cipriano
* Lillian Curry
* Amy Taira Danielson
* Jeanne DeDominick
* Linda Dennis
* Bill Fearnside
* Kirsty B. Green
* Joan Griffing
* Allegra Tortolano Havens
* Linda Hurwitz
* Pavel Ilyashov
* Tara-Louise Montour
* Christina Morton
* Seiko Syvertsen
* Sarah Umlauff
* Heejin Weisbrod
* Ross Winter
Viola
* Beverly Kane Baker, Principal
- Marshall Family, Principal Viola
Chair
* Amy Davis
* Annelisa Guries
* Xuan Lin
* Anastasia Migliozzi
* Satoko Rickenbacker
* Jocelyn Smith
* Matthew Umlauf
Cello
* Michael Daniels, Principal
- Elise Nusbaum Hofheimer,
Principal Cello Chair
* Rebecca Gilmore, Acting Assistant
Principal
* Lui Berz
* Jacob Fowler
* Susan Hines
* Nancy Keevan
* J. Carter Melin
* Peter Graydonus
Contrabassoon
Bass
Horn
* Scott Harris, Principal
* Christopher White, Assistant
Principal
* Jeremy Barth
* Frederick Dole
* Jason Phillips
* Thomas P. Reel
Harp
* Barbara Chapman, Principal
- The Benton Family, Principal Harp
Chair
Harpsichord
Gift of the Chrysler Museum of Art from Newell H.
Porter in honor of his wife
Piano/Keyboard
The Fannie G. and Milton Friedman Piano Keyboard
Chair
Flute
* Debra Wendells Cross, Principal
- H. Lee Kanter, Principal Flute Chair
* Joanne Meyer White
Piccolo
TBD
Oboe
* Sherie Lake Aguirre, Principal
- Virginia Symphony League Principal
Oboe Chair
* George Corbett
* Michael Dressler
English Horn
* George Corbett
Clarinet
* Patti Ferrell Carlson, Principal
- Anna Lee Van Buren, Principal
Clarinet Chair
* Scott Boyer
E-flat Clarinet
* Scott Boyer
Bass Clarinet
* William Thomas
Bassoon
* David Wick, Principal
- Kriner Family, Principal Horn Chair
* Hazel Dean Davis
- Colonel Malcolm Conner Hamby
USAF, Horn Chair
* Wilford Holcombe
* Kimberly Gilman
* Dennis Herring
Trumpet
* David Vonderheide, Principal (LOA)
- Marc & Connie Jacobson,
Principal Trumpet Chair
* Matthew Ernst, Acting Principal
* Stephen Carlson, Associate
Principal
* Ryan Barwise
Trombone
* R. Scott McElroy, Principal
* John Sipher
Bass Trombone
* Rodney Martell
- Olga & Henry Bensel, Bass
Trombone Chair
Tuba
* Peter DuBeau, Principal
Timpani
* Michael Laubach, Principal
- D. Ralph & Barbara Stephens, Principal
Timpani Chair
Percussion
* Robert W. Cross, Principal
* Tim Bishop
* J. Scott Jackson
Librarians
* Hitomi Tsuchiya, Principal
* Paula Bonds, Assistant
Personnel Manager
* James Nesbitt
Stage Crew
* Will Bishop, Technical Director
* Laura Leisring, Principal
* David Savige
5
GETTING READY FOR YOUR CONCERT VISIT
PROPER CONCERT ETIQUETTE-
DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT!
What is Etiquette?
It’s a set of rules for the way we act. For example, when you chew with your mouth closed at lunch, you
are displaying proper dining etiquette. Or when you walk down the hallway quietly in line as a class, you are
displaying proper hallway etiquette. But etiquette is more than just a set of rules or using good manners, it’s
about making the people around you feel comfortable. After all, chewing food with your mouth wide open
probably doesn’t look too nice to your fellow classmates and might be kind of gross. In the concert hall, just like
in the lunch room and in your school’s hallways, there is a set of rules for the way the audience should act. This
is called proper concert etiquette.
Here is a list of things to remember for your trip to the concert hall. If you put the words to a melody or use
them in a rap, you’ll never forget them!
Don’t forget your concert etiquette:
It’s about listening with the due respect.
Please don’t talk or whisper, tap or sing
Unless the maestro asks for that very thing.
Don’t eat or drink while musicians place.
Keep your gum and candy far away.
Turn off alarms on electronic things,
Like cell phones and watches, so they won’t ring.
Don’t bring toys to play with or jingly blings.
They might distract the woodwinds, or even the strings.
Sighing, crying, sleeping too…
The percussion section might stop to stare at you.
And should you clap when the music stops?
Yes. But only when the conductor’s hands drop.
When it’s time to clap, he’ll turn around,
Ready for all of the applause to sound.
And most of all, keep an open mind
To remember the sights and sounds you’ll find.
6
PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITY - Concert Etiquette
Teaching Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding of appropriate audience behavior in a variety of settings.
Pre-Assessment
Ask students how they would behave at a symphony concert.
Teaching Sequence
1. Ask students to describe places where they were members of an audience. Answers could include attending
a movie, a theater, a sports arena, at home watching television, a concert hall, etc.
List the answers on chalkboard/smartboard.
2. Discuss the appropriate audience behavior for each of the settings listed above. For example, how would
audience behavior at a golf tournament be different from a football game? How would the audience behave at a
rock or rap concert compared with a classical concert or a recital by a single person?
3. Choose students to act as performers in at least three of the settings listed above. For example, they
may pretend to be playing a sport like golf or ice hockey; or they could pretend to be playing instruments in
an orchestra or a rock band. Allow the students to perform while the rest of the class pretends to be in the
audience.
4. Before and after each performance, review with the class where they are pretending to be and help the class
evaluate the appropriate audience behavior for each location. Point out that some behaviors that are fine in one
setting are considered inappropriate in another. Ask performers if they felt that the audience’s behavior was
appropriate for their performance and why.
Culminating Activity
Tell students that they will soon be going to a concert where they will see and hear a symphony orchestra.
Help students create a rubric for correct behavior at a symphony concert. See example on next page. Have
students use their rubric to evaluate their behavior after the concert.
Evaluation
Did student responses indicate an understanding of appropriate audience behavior in a variety of settings?
ACTION
Talking
Body
IDEAL
BEHAVIOR
Needs Improvement...Outstanding
1...10
Talks softly before and after concert,
but does not talk once concert begins.
Keeps body still, with little movement
during the performance.
Listening
Actively listens during the performance.
Clapping
Claps when the concertmaster and
conductor enter and at the end of each piece
of music. Claps as part of audience participation.
7
PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITY - Instrument
Identification
Teaching Objective
Students will demonstrate an understanding that orchestral instruments are grouped into families based on their
similarities and differences.
Resources
Pictures of orchestral instruments
Small pieces of paper or cards with instrument names and/or pictures on them.
Pre-Assessment
Show students a picture or a seating chart of an orchestra. Be sure that the chart shows pictures of the instruments of
the orchestra. Ask students to look at the chart and tell you what they know about the orchestra. Answer the following
questions:
-Which instruments do you recognize?
-Who leads the orchestra?
-How are the instruments of the orchestra grouped?
-Why are they arranged in this manner?
Teaching Sequence
1. Tell or remind students that orchestral instruments are divided into four groups or families based on how their
sounds are generated. Brass instruments are played by “buzzing”, or vibrating one’s lips into a mouthpiece; woodwind
instruments are played by blowing into a mouthpiece with a reed, between two reeds, or across an opening in the
instrument; percussion instruments are played by shaking, scraping or striking the instrument; and string instruments are
played by plucking or pulling a bow across a string.
2. Tell students that even though each instrument has distinct characteristics, it also resembles the other instruments in
its family - much like you resemble the other members of your family. Have students take turns describing similarities and
differences between themselves and the other members of their families.
3. Show students pictures of the families of the orchestra. As pictures of each family are displayed, have students take
turns describing similarities and differences they see in the instruments in that family.
4. Give each student or team of students, a picture of an orchestral instrument. Ask the students or teams to identify their
instrument and determine the family to which their instrument belongs.
Culminating Activity
Play a short excerpt of symphonic music as the students move into instrumental family groups. If appropriate for your
students, designate a place in the room for each family to stand, otherwise allow students to work that out on their own.
This game can be played several times until students become proficient with all instruments.
Evaluation
Did students demonstrate an understanding that orchestral instruments are grouped into families based on their
similarities and differences?
Extension Activities
1. Instrument “Who Am I” game - Tell students that they are to pretend that they are the instrument pictured on the piece
of paper. Have students take turns giving clues to the other students or teams in the class. Remind students that they are
pretending to be that instrument. Some examples of clues could be, “My family has very long necks. Although my family
gets played two different ways, they are mostly very similar in appearance. I am the smallest member of my family. I have
the highest voice in my whole family, etc.”
Answer: violin. Allow students to play until everyone has shared their clues.
2. Have students bring pictures of their own family and discuss in class how they are similar in appearance to other family
members as well as the characteristics that make them individuals.
8
9
PRE-CONCERT ACTIVITY - Musical
Journals
Teaching Objective
Students will record how their response to music changes after repeated listenings.
Resources
Music Journal worksheet for each student or notebook paper
Pencils
Recordings of the music that will be played at the Youth Concert
Pre-Assessment
Ask students if they have ever tasted a new food. With repeated tastings, did their opinion of the food change?
Ask students if they have ever been introduced to a new student at their school. After they got to know the
other student, did their opinion of that student change? This happens with music...the more you listen, the more
you hear. Sometimes a musical piece that you first hear becomes a favorite after hearing it repeated a number
of times.
Teaching Sequence
1. Pass out the Music Journal worksheets and pencils. Play one of the pieces that will be heard at the concert.
Ask students to list the name of the piece and the composer.
2. After the initial hearing, ask students to record their reactions, any emotions they may have felt, and anything
else that they hear in the music.
3. Over a period of time, listen to the music repeatedly. After each hearing ask the students to record their
reactions in their Music Journals.
Culminating Activity
Compare students’ initial reactions to their latest reactions.
Evaluation
Did students’ recorded reactions change over time after hearing the music a number of times?
Extension Activity
1. Have students write a paragraph essay before attending the symphony concert, titled “I Imagine an
Orchestra Concert…” in which the students describe what they expect at the concert.
2. Immediately after attending the concert, have the students write a paragraph essay titled “My Orchestra
Experience,” in which students write about their reaction to the concert and how their expectations were or
were not met.
10
Musical Journals Worksheet
Listen to one of the musical selections that will be performed at the upcoming “Sounds and Stories” concert.
After you listen to the piece, record your reactions and any emotions you feel as you listen to it.
11
PAUL DUKAS
Born October 1, 1865 in Paris, France
Died May 17, 1935 in Paris, France
Nationality: French
Style/Period: Romantic 1820-1910
Famous Works: L’Apprenti Sorcier
(The Sorcerer’s Apprentice)
Paul Dukas was born in Paris,
France on October 1, 1865.
He was a student at the
Paris Conservatory where he
studied piano, harmony, and
composition. He won the Prix
de Rome for a counterpoint
and fugue in 1886 and again in
1888 with the cantata, Velleda.
He was the music critic for the
Revue Hebdomadaire and Gazette des Beaux-Arts and
at the same time, he was a professor of orchestration
at the Conservatoire. His strong critical sense led him
to destroy a number of his compositions and only allow
a relatively small number of works to be published. He
remained influential and respected as a teacher.
By far the best known composition by Dukas is the
symphonic scherzo L’Apprenti Sorcier. The music was
recently popularized by Walt Disney, when he included
a pictorial version of it in Fantasia with Mickey Mouse as
the naughty apprentice.
Did You Hear?
How the sound travels in Dukas’ Fanfare?
How he used echoes to let the sound of the music
travel to your ears?
What causes the echo to come back to your ear?
CHARLES IVES
Born October 20, 1874 in Danbury, Connecticut
Died May 19, 1954 in New York, New York
Nationality: American
Style/Period: Modern
1920-Present
Famous Works: The
Unanswered Question,
Three Places in New
England, Variations on
America, and Concord
Sonata
Ives was a truly original American composer. Although
he played piano, organ, cornet, violin, and drums, he
never made a living as a composer or a musician. In
fact, he ran a very successful insurance agency by day
(he invented the concept of estate planning), and at
night he would hurry home to write music. He also was
a huge baseball fan and played many sports such as
baseball, football, track, and tennis. He often tried to
12
recreate the everyday sounds he heard both in the city and
the country.
In one part of his favorite piece, Holiday Symphony, the
sounds of a small-town celebration are heard: competing
marching bands, political discussions, fireworks, and even
women unloading picnic baskets. Ives loved to borrow
material from other people such as old hymns, cowboy
songs, Christmas carols, spirituals, and even the theme
from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, and use them in new
ways. He was famous for composing music for solo piano,
orchestra, chamber music, and songs for voice.
Did You Hear?
How the beginning of Ives’ Country Band March sounded
like noise at first?
How the noise became music to your ears?
LEROY ANDERSON
Dates
1908-1975
Nationality: American
Style/Period:Modern
1920-Present
Famous Works: Sleigh Ride, The
Syncopated Clock, Jazz Pizzicato,
and Blue Tango
The music of Leroy Anderson is
firmly entrenched in American
popular culture. A composer
of distinctive and delightful miniatures, he wrote nearly all
his pieces originally for orchestra and then transcribed
most of them himself for band and often for other groups
of instruments as well. His music is so catchy, lyrics were
sometimes added to his music after the pieces were
written.
Many people consider Anderson to be one of America’s four
greatest 20th century composers of instrumental music,
alongside George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, and Charles
Ives.
Leroy Anderson was born on June 29, 1908 in Cambridge,
Massachusetts, and fell in love with music at a very
young age. His musical gifts were so great that in 1919
(at age 11) he began piano and music studies at the New
England Conservatory of Music. In 1925 he composed,
orchestrated, and conducted the Cambridge High and Latin
School orchestra in the class song for his graduation. He
was in high school when his father bought him a trombone
so that he could play in the front row of the Harvard
University Band where he would be going to college.
In the early 1950’s, CBS-TV chose The Syncopated Clock
as the theme for its new program “The Late Show.” CBS
Did You Hear?
How the timbre of the sandpaper blocks is different from
other instruments?
MIKHAIL IVANOVICH GLINKA
Born in Novosspaskoye, Russia, June 1, 1804
Died in Berlin, Germany, February 15, 1857
Nationality: Russian
Style/Period: Romantic 1820-1910
Famous Works: A Life for the Tsar, Ruslan and Lyudmila
(both are operas)
Glinka is considered to be
the father of Russian Music,
and his operas are said to
mark the beginning of musical
nationalism in Russia. He
grew up in St. Petersburg,
Russia, and studied music with
teachers in Russia, Italy, and
Germany. He was especially
interested in the folk music
of his native Russia, as well
as the operas of composers Bellini and Donizetti, all of
which became large influences on his later compositions.
Glinka decided that he wanted to write an opera of his
own in the 1830’s and looked to Russian royalty and
Russian folktales to come up with an idea for the story
for his opera. The result was his first opera, A Life for the
Tsar, which was a celebration of Russian patriotism. The
Russian public loved this opera and it became a huge
success.
Glinka continued to use Russian history, folktales,
poems, and folk music as influences on his later operas,
symphonic poems, chamber music, piano pieces,
and songs, making his music distinctively Russian. He
moved to Spain in 1845 and began using influences from
Spanish dance and native music in his works, writing the
overtures Jota Aragonesa and Night in Madrid.
Did You Hear?
The high and low sounds and notes in Glinka’s Russlan
and Ludmilla?
What happened to a vibration to make a note sound
high or low?
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Born June 17, 1882 in
Oranienbaum, Russia
Died April 6, 1971 in New
York, New York
Nationality: Russian
Style/Period: Modern
1920-Present
In his long life, Stravinsky
saw tremendous changes -and, in his music, he created great change. Stravinsky’s
father, an opera singer, wanted him to become a lawyer,
so when he went to college he studied law and music
at the same time. The music for the ballet The Firebird
made him famous as a composer, and he gave up
law. When his piece The Rite of Spring was first played
in public, it caused a riot -- the audience made so much
noise arguing about the music that the orchestra was
drowned out!
In 1925 Stravinsky first visited the United States. He finally
moved here in 1939 and later became an American citizen.
He continued to write music, including a polka for the
Ringling Brothers Circus elephants to dance to and an
arrangement of The Star Spangled Banner -- which no one
liked! Because he created music that was different from
anything that had been heard
Did You Hear?
The different decibel levels in the Berceuse and the Finale
of Stravinsky’s Firebird?
Which one had the highest decibel level?
Which one had the lower decibel level?
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Born December 16, 1770 in
Bonn, Germany
Died March 26, 1827 in
Vienna, Austria
Nationality: German
Classical 1750-1820
Famous Works: Symphonies 1
through 9, Moonlight Sonata,
Fur Elise, Fidelio, and Missa
Solemnis
Beethoven grew up in Bonn,
Germany in a very unhappy home. He was forced to
practice the piano by his father, an abusive alcoholic who
would punish him mercilessly when he made mistakes.
By the time he was twelve, he was earning a living for
his family by playing organ and composing. He was
eventually known as the greatest pianist of his time. One of
Beethoven’s favorite foods was macaroni and cheese. He
also loved strong coffee - exactly 60 coffee beans to one
cup.
Beethoven never married even though he proposed
to plenty of women who rejected him (he wasn’t very
attractive and he had a rather nasty temper). Yet in spite
of his unpleasant personality, Beethoven is best defined by
his music.
Although Beethoven gradually lost his hearing, he
continued composing. He composed many of the most
famous musical works of all time, such as his Ninth
Symphony, after he had become totally deaf.
Did You Hear?
How your instrument produced vibrations and sound when
you played it?
YOURSELF playing with the Virginia Symphony
Orchestra?
13
ABOUT THE MUSIC YOU WILL HEAR
La Peri: Fanfare by Dukas - Paul Dukas’ last major work was the ballet La Peri about a man who reached the
Ends of the Earth in a quest to find immortality and comes across a mythical Peri (an imaginary fairy-like being
in Persian mythology), holding The Flower of Immortality. He steals it from her only to fall in love with her later on
and lose the flower and his immortality with one kiss from the Peri. Dukas added the fanfare at the last minute
before the piece was performed for the very first time.
“Country Band” March by Ives - The Country Band March is about amateur musicians trying to play
their best. Some of the players haven’t learned their parts very well and can’t always stay in tune, so they
start playing a tune that they do know instead. The result is a crazy hodge-podge of sound that includes
recognizable tunes such as “London Bridge” and “Yankee Doodle” along with passages in which the marchers
get out of step and lose their places. Listen at the end for the saxophone player who forgets to cut off with
everyone else!
Sandpaper Ballet by Anderson - Composed for orchestra, Sandpaper Ballet was written 5 days before it
was recorded on June 25, 1954. The composer, Leroy Anderson, had this to say about it: “Many years ago
while the soft shoe dance was still popular in vaudeville, sometimes dancers would sprinkle sand on the stage
to create a crackling sound while performing. The drummers imitated this sound by attaching sandpaper
on wooden blocks which they rubbed rhythmically against each other. This was the background for . . .
“Sandpaper Ballet.” The sandpaper covered blocks are in this case imitated by two drummers. They use sandpaper in three different strengths, coarse, medium and fine, to create different effects.”
Russlan & Ludmilla Overture by Glinka – Is the second opera written by Glinka. The story of Russlan &
Ludmila concerns itself with the magical abduction of the beautiful Ludmila, engaged to Russlan, from her
wedding bed, by the sorcerer, Chernomor, whose supernatural powers are beyond belief. Ruslan and three
knights at the wedding, gallop off in all directions to rescue her. The story and music describe all sorts of
encounters of the knights with witches, wise hermits, sirens, seductresses, magic castles, magic hats and
swords, enchanted gardens, precious jewels, bewitched creatures, etc.
Berceuse & Finale from “The Firebird” by Stravinsky - Based on a Russian folktale, The Firebird tells the
story of Prince Ivan’s encounter with “a fabulous bird with plumage of fire.” The bird gives Ivan a magic feather
that he may use in the face of danger. Afraid of being turned to stone by an evil King, Ivan uses the magic
feather and the Firebird appears to help him. In the “Berceuse and Finale”, the Firebird frees all who have been
turned to stone, and Ivan wins the hand of a lovely princess.
Symphony No. 9 mvt. 4 by Beethoven - This is the final movement of Beethoven’s Ninth and last Symphony.
The German composer was increasingly aware of his declining health and spent seven years working on this
symphony, starting the work in 1818 and finishing early in 1824. Beethoven was completely deaf when he
embarked on this masterpiece, and it’s a tragedy that he never heard a single note of it except inside his head.
This movement of the Symphony is written for orchestra and chorus.theme, but the notes are changed. The
second theme is played by two different instruments. The instruments playing the themes perform in different
octaves until they come together with the same notes. The tempo speeds up as the theme grows.
The melody of “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” can be heard as the piece finishes.
14
FACTS ABOUT SOUND
What is sound?
When you hear any sound – even a CRASH! or a BANG!, it is made by air that is moving back and forth or
vibrating. The same is true for sounds made by musical instruments. The difference between NOISE and
MUSIC is that musical sounds are organized into patterns that have pitch and rhythm. Noise is unorganized
sound or sounds. Sounds are made and travel in the same way whether they are musical sounds or noise.
Sound is a type of energy made by vibrations. When any object vibrates, it causes movement in the air
particles. These air particles are called molecules. These particles bump into the particles close to them, which
makes them vibrate too causing them to bump into more air particles. This movement, called sound waves,
keeps going until they run out of energy. If your ear is within range of the vibrations, you hear the sound. Picture
a stone thrown into a still body of water. The rings of waves expand indefinitely. The same is true with sound.
Irregular repeating sound waves create noise, while regular repeating waves produce musical notes.
How does Sound travel?
Sound travels through air that moves or vibrates. These vibrations are called waves. Sound waves can also
travel through the vibration of water, wood or any other material. A musical sound is called a tone. It is produced
by air that vibrates a certain number of times per second. These sound waves must be controlled in some way
that the performer can manage the loudness, the special feature of the tone, and how long it plays.
Most musical instruments have a reed, a string, or some other device that creates sound waves when moved.
Sounds are different because of harmonics, which are higher and quieter sounds mixed in. Harmonics are not
heard separately, but add to the tone of the sound. This is what makes the instruments sound differently from
one another.
What is frequency or pitch?
The number of times that a sound wave vibrates in a second is called its frequency. Another word that can be
used for frequency is pitch. Pitch indicates whether a note is high or low. Scientists even have a name for how
they measure the frequency of sounds. They measure it in cycles and call it hertz.
High notes have a higher frequency than lower notes and this changes their shape. Different types of sound
waves have different shapes. Sounds waves can be seen, heard and measured on a special scientific
instruments. One such instrument is a sound level meter.
When the vibrations are fast, you hear a high note. When the vibrations are slow, it creates a low note. The
sound waves in the diagram show the different frequencies for high and low notes after one second of
vibrations. When the oboe tunes the orchestra, the pitch he uses is vibrating at 440 vibrations per second.
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What is a decibel?
A decibel is the unit used to measure the power of a sound. Just as a ruler can use inches, feet and yards to
indicate how long or short something is, a decibel indicates how loud or soft a sound is.
On the decibel scale, the smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is
10 dB. A sound 100 times more powerful than near total silence is 20 dB. A sound 1,000 times more powerful
than near total silence is 30 dB.
Here are some common sounds and their decibel ratings:
Near total silence – 0 Db
A whisper – 15 dBNormal conversation – 60 dBA lawnmower – 90 dBA car horn – 110 dBA rock concert or a jet engine – 120 dBA gunshot or firecracker – 140 dBDistance can affect the power of sound. If you are far away, the
power is greatly reduced. All of the above ratings were taken while
standing near the sound.
A DECIBEL METER MEASURES
THE LOUDNESS OF SOUNDS.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE.
What is Timbre?
The same note will sound different when played on a piano or on a violin. The special feature or character of a
sound that sets it apart from other sounds is called “timbre”. It is pronounced “tam-ber”. It is also called “tone
color”. The pitch and loudness of a sound are not usually considered part of its timbre because a violin still
sounds like a violin regardless of what notes it plays or how loudly they are played. Some of the words used to
describe timbre are:
Bright
Warm
Harsh
Wavering
Noisy
Nasal
Pure
Gradual
Metallic
Wooden
Breathy
Weird
If frequency is the number of vibrations per second, then you can think of timbre as the shape of the wiggle,
and how the shape changes over time.
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Sound and Hearing
Did you wonder how you were able to hear the beautiful music that was played by the orchestra for you today?
Well, it’s all related to those sound waves you’ve read about. When sound waves reach your ear, they pass
into the ear through a funnel-shaped passage called the ear canal. The ear canal directs the sound onto a tiny
drum-like covering between the outer and inner ear. This is the eardrum. The eardrum vibrates along with the
vibrations of the incoming air. Even if the sound is very loud, the eardrum only moves slightly.
Then three bones move along with the eardrum. They push into the cochlea. The cochlea is a coiled tube in the
inner ear which is filled with fluid. The three bones cause wiggling in a tiny covering inside the cochlea. These
movements are changed into electrical impulses which are passed to nerves. These nerves send messages
to and from the brain. The pulses send information about pitch and how loud the sound is. Then you identify
sounds from these pulses.
WOW! What an amazing process.
Here are some definitions for parts of the ear seen in the diagram above:
Anvil - (also called the incus) a tiny bone that passes vibrations from the hammer to the stirrup.
Cochlea - a spiral-shaped, fluid-filled inner ear structure; it is lined with cilia (tiny hairs) that move when vibrated and cause a nerve
impulse to form.
Eardrum - (also called the tympanic membrane) a thin membrane that vibrates when sound waves reach it.
Eustachian tube - a tube that connects the middle ear to the back of the nose; it equalizes the pressure between the middle ear and
the air outside. When you “pop” your ears as you change altitude (going up a mountain or in an airplane), you are equalizing the air
pressure in your middle ear.
Hammer - (also called the malleus) a tiny bone that passes vibrations from the eardrum to the anvil.
Nerves - these carry electro-chemical signals from the inner ear (the cochlea) to the brain.
Outer ear canal - the tube through which sound travels to the eardrum.
Pinna - (also called the auricle) the visible part of the outer ear. It collects sound and directs it into the outer ear canal
semicircular canals - three loops of fluid-filled tubes that are attached to the cochlea in the inner ear. They help us maintain our sense
of balance.
Stirrup - (also called the stapes) a tiny, U-shaped bone that passes vibrations from the stirrup to the cochlea. This is the smallest
bone in the human body (it is 0.25 to 0.33 cm long).
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THE SCIENCE OF MUSIC
INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE ACTIVITIES
Creating Musical Sound
Teaching Objective
Students will learn how various pitches are created by making and playing a nail rasp.
Vocabulary
Pitch- The relative highness or lowness of a sound.
Rasp- An instrument designed to scrape or rub to create sound.
Resources
Sufficient materials to make eight to ten nail rasps.
Each rasp requires the following materials:
· Nail Rasp diagram and building instructions (see below)
· 1 block of wood 10” x 2” x 2”
· Three groups of nails of different sizes and lengths; 9 nails
· 1 large, blunt end nail for strumming
· hammer
· marking pens
Pre-Assessment
Encourage students to engage in a discussion of how they have used ordinary household
items and created sound. List their creations. Examples: rubbing the rim of a glass, blowing
through a paper towel tube, banging on metal pots with metal or wooden cooking utensils,
drumming on a box, etc..
Teaching Sequence
1. On the overhead projector, show the students the diagram of a nail rasp.
2. Ask the students to identify, discuss and list the critical attributes of the rasp that
allow it to be called a musical instrument, (constructed of wood and metal; metal nails,
grouped according to size and length produce different sounds (pitches); nail rasp is played
by rubbing (strumming) a blunt end nail across the groups of nails; the nail rasp makes a
bell-like sound)
3. Divide the students into groups of two or three; issue the construction instructions and
materials, except the strumming nail.
4. Monitor the construction process and allow approximately 15 minutes for completion of
the project.
5. Issue one strumming nail to each group of students with instructions to play their nail
rasps.
6. Tell the students that they will be expected to demonstrate their nail rasps and should
be able to respond to the following questions:
a. Why can the rasp be called a musical instrument?
b. What causes the different sounds that it makes?
Culminating Activities
1. Randomly call each group to demonstrate their musical instrument, allowing time for
questions and discussion.
2. Encourage students to write a story, in the first person, from the perspective of the
instrument.
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Evaluation
As the students played their nail rasps, did they demonstrate an understanding of how and
why various pitches were produced?
Extension Activities
1. Introduce to the class another simple instrument, such as the mbira (thumb piano) to the
students. (See illustration below.) The mbira is similar to the nail rasp in that is a handmade
instrument of wood and metal. The mbira is a culturally significant musical instrument of the
Shona people of Zimbabwe, Africa, much like the violin is to Europe and the guitar is to
Mexico.
2. Encourage students to compose and rehearse short tunes on their nail rasps and plan for
a nail rasp recital.
NAIL RASP BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Place your wood block flat on a firm surface like a table
2) Hammer the 3 smallest sized nails half-way into the block, beginning about a half inch
from the right end of the wood (each nail should be about 1/2 inch apart from the next.
3) Hammer the 3 middle sized nails about a fourth of the way into the block immediately to
the left of the small nail group.
Hammer the 3 largest sized nails only a small bit (enough to keep them in place) into the
block immediately to the left of the middle sized nail group.
NAIL RASP
MBIRA
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Finding Musical Frequencies
Teaching Objective
Students will compute the relative frequencies of pitches an octave apart by multiplying and
dividing numbers using decimals.
Vocabulary
Pitch - The relative highness or lowness of a sound.
Frequency - The number of cycles per second a sound produces. Higher frequencies produce
higher pitches, lower frequencies produce lower pitches.
Octave - The distance from one pitch to the next pitch with the same note name.
Resources
· Drawing of a piano keyboard with pitch names and frequencies written next to white keys
from middle C to its next lower and higher octave - 1 copy per student (keyboard picture
and frequencies found below)
· Piano (or some sort of multi-octave sound source if no piano is available)
Pre Assessment
1. Sound two pitches in succession--one low, the other as high as possible. Ask students to
tell which is higher and which is lower.
2. Review the operation of multiplying and dividing decimals by single digit numbers.
Teaching Sequence
1. Review the concept of vibration producing sound as it was explained at the student
concert. Help the students remember that higher sounds are heard when sound waves are
closer together, and lower sounds are heard when sound waves are further apart.
2. Show students the visual arrangement of notes on the keyboard. (Every note to the left
of two black keys is C, every note between two black keys is D, every note to the right of
two black keys is E, etc.
3. Explain that the next C lower than the C on the drawing vibrates half as fast as the
261.625 frequency of middle C (the C on the drawing), and the next higher C vibrates twice
as fast. Lead the class in computing the frequency of the lower and higher C’s. (NOTE: if
students have not yet studied multiplication and division using decimals, round the
frequencies to whole numbers and continue the teaching sequence.
4. Choose another pitch and ask students to compute the frequencies of the notes an octave
lower and an octave higher than the given pitch. When most students indicate they have
completed the task, repeat the operation as a group to check for understanding.
Culminating Activity
Using the keyboard chart and frequencies listed below, ask students to compute the
frequency of:
1. the pitches an octave lower and an octave higher than A 440 (A 220 and A 880)
2. the pitches an octave lower and an octave higher than F349.228 (F174.614 and
F698.456)
3. the pitches an octave lower and an octave higher than D293.664 (D146.832 and
D587.329)
Evaluation
Did student responses demonstrate understanding of the relative frequencies of pitches an
octave apart and the ability to multiply and divide decimals by whole numbers?
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Extension Activities
1. Display on the overhead//computer/Smartboard, or write on the chalkboard, the relative frequencies of three
octaves of the note on each white key of the piano keyboard.
a. Play the pitches in varying order; i.e, low- middle- high; middle-high-low; high-low-middle;
etc.
b. Ask students to tell or write the frequencies in the order in which they heard them.
2. Let students list five to ten sounds heard during the school day. Working individually or
as a group, let students graph relative frequencies from lower to higher.
Piano Key B: 987.766
Piano Key A: ???.???
Piano Key G: 783.990
Piano Key F: ???.???
Piano Key E: 659.225
Piano Key D: ???.???
Piano Key C: 523.251
Piano Key B: 493.883
Piano Key A: 440
Piano Key G: 391.995
Piano Key F: 349.228
Piano Key E: 329.627
Piano Key D: 293.664
Middle C: 261.625
Piano Key B: 246.941
Piano Key A: ???.???
Piano Key G: 195.997
Piano Key F: ???.???
Piano Key E: 164.813
Piano Key D: ???.???
Piano Key C: 130.812
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Pitch Games
Teaching Objective
Students will gain understanding of musical pitch.
Vocabulary
Pitch- The relative highness or lowness of a sound.
Resources
Group A.
· Piece of wood at least 12 inches long and 2 inches wide
· Long rubber band
· 2 nails
· Hammer
Group B.
· 3 identical drinking glasses
· 1 metal spoon
Group C.
· Empty plastic soda bottles (1 per student) and water
Pre Assessment
Determine if the students are familiar with how sound is produced by asking them to
discuss what they know about sound and vibration.
Teaching Sequence
1. Divide the class into three groups of students,
2. Issue one set of resource materials and instructions (A, B or C) to each group.
Group A.
1. Hammer nails at each end on the same side of the wood.
2. Stretch the rubber band around the nails.
3. Pluck the rubber band and listen to the sound it makes.
4. Have another student hold the rubber band down to the wood midway between the two
nails and pluck one end of the band.
5. Discuss what happened to the pitch when the rubber band was shortened.
Group B.
1. Fill one of the drinking glasses with 1/4 cup of water; another with 1/2 cup of
water and leave the other glass empty.
2. Using a spoon, “play” each glass by clinking the side.
3. Discuss the pitch of the sounds created by the glasses and spoon.
Group C.
1. Allow students about three minutes to experiment with the sounds they can produce by
blowing air across the opening at the top of a soda bottle.
2. Have the students fill their bottles with different amounts of water.
3. Again, let the students experiment with the sounds they can produce.
4. Discuss how the different amounts of the water affected the sounds produced.
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Culminating Activities
Randomly call each group to demonstrate their work for each other, allowing time for
questions and further discussion.
Evaluation
Do the students demonstrate an understanding of musical pitch?
Extension Activity
Perform the “Creating Musical Sound” lesson
SOUND WAVES
Teaching Objective
The student will create a visual representation of amplitude and frequency.
Vocabulary
Vibration- Rapid movement of an object up and down, or back and forth
Sound Wave- The energy produced by a sound, which emanates outward as a wave in all
directions and is carried by the air.
Amplitude- The height of a sound wave. Taller waves are louder while shorter waves are
softer.
Frequency-The number of cycles per second a sound produces.
Resources
· Long and short pipe cleaners (one each for each student)
Pre Assessment
Ask students what happens to a sound wave when the sound is either loud or soft.
Teaching Sequence
1. Review the meaning of sound waves and vibration with the students, reviewing the concept
that the frequency does not change when the sound gets loud or soft, but the amplitude, or
size of the sound wave, will change.
2. Pass one large and one small pipe cleaner to each student.
3. Ask the students to make their pipe cleaners into sound waves - both pipe cleaners should
have the same frequency. (Refer to drawing below)
Culminating Activity
Ask students to arrange themselves from higher to lower sounds based on the frequency of
their pipe cleaner sound waves.
Evaluation
Did all students demonstrate an understanding of amplitude and frequency?
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Extension Activity
On the computer, use the Windows Media Player set on the “Bars and Waves” visual while
playing a CD on the computer. Watch the sound waves as the music plays. Notice how the
frequency and amplitude (shown by the waves on the screen) change as different notes are
played and the music gets louder and softer.
In the illustration below, sound waves “A” and “B” have the same frequency, so are the same
note (or pitch). Sound wave “B,” however, has greater amplitude, so is louder than “A.”
Vibrations
Teaching Objective
Students will participate in experiences leading to an understanding that all sound is
produced by vibration.
Resources
· Plastic forks or rulers
· Rubber bands of different sizes
· Rhythm band instruments
· A Bell
· Two metal cans, clean and dry (Be sure that there are no sharp edges)
· A piece of small diameter string such as kite string or nylon string 10 to 12 feet long
· (Optional) “Facts About Sound” - The Ear illustration
Vocabulary
Vibration - rapid movement of an object up and down, or back and forth
Orchestra - a group of musicians playing brass, woodwind, string and percussion instruments
together
Pre Assessment
Determine if the students are familiar with how sound is produced by asking them to
discuss what they know about sound and vibration. Ask them questions like, “How do we hear
sounds?” and “How is sound created?”
Teaching Sequence
1. Ask students to close their eyes and describe what they hear. Ring a bell. When students
have identified the sound, ask them to listen again and tell what made the sound. When the
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students have observed the clapper hitting the bell causing the bell to ring, ask what
actually made the sound. You may want to let individual students touch the bell to feel the
vibration. Introduce or reinforce the concept of vibration - rapid movement of an object
back and forth or up and down.
2. Have students to place their hands lightly on their throats and hum loudly. Ask what they
feel. Introduce the concept of vibration - rapid movement of an object back and forth or up
or down. Tell them that we have vocal cords inside our throats that vibrate when we use our
voices.
3. Explain that, when something vibrates, the air moves like the ripples when you drop a
pebble in a pond. Our ears collect the sound waves, send them to our brains and we hear the
sound.
4. Demonstrate and let students experiment with making sounds with objects in the
classroom that can be seen to vibrate:
· Hold one end of a ruler or plastic eating utensil flat against the desk and pluck the other
end.
· Stretch rubber bands between the fingers and pluck - observe that longer, thicker rubber
bands make a lower sound than shorter, thinner ones.
· Let students experiment with rhythm band instruments to find what vibrates to make the
sound
· Let students hold their hands against the soundboard of a piano as you play in the lower
range of keys.
· Let the students feel the vibration of the desk or tabletop when it is hit or struck.
Culminating Activity
1. Make a ‘Tin Can Telephone’ by punching a small hole in the bottom of each can. Each hole
should be just large enough that the string will go through.
2. From the outside, insert one end of the string into the hole in one can. Tie a couple of
knots in the end of the string so that it will not slip back through when pulled tight. Do the
same with the other end of the string using the other can.
3. With one person holding each can, stretch the string so that it is tight. One person
talking into one can sends vibrations through the tightened string to the other can. The
person with their ear to the other can will be able to hear what was said.
Evaluation
Did students’ participation demonstrate an understanding that vibration produces sound?
Extension Activity
Ask students to draw or cut out a picture of something, which produces a sound. Discuss
what vibrates in each case to make the sound.
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Teaching Objective
Vibrations EXPLORATION
Students will gain understanding of vibration through simple experiments.
Resources
· Drum and drumstick
· Small items such as rice grains or paper clips
· Ruler
· Tuning fork (see your school science or music teacher to obtain)
· Bowl or pan of water
Pre Assessment
Ask students if they have ever seen or felt vibrations.
Teaching Sequence
1. Place several grains of rice or paper clips on the drumhead. Strike the drum; ask students
to describe what they see.
2. Place the ruler against the edge of a table or desk and pluck the end. Can students
describe what they see?
3. Strike the tuning fork; allow students to touch it. What do they feel?
4. Strike the tuning fork again; hold it to the students’ ears. What do they hear?
Culminating Activity
After striking the tuning fork, tell students that you are about to stick one end in the
water. Ask students to predict what will happen.
Evaluation
Did students demonstrate an understanding of vibration?
Extension Activity
Divide the students into groups of 5 or 6, and give each group access to a digital recorder.
Tell them they are the sound effects crew for a movie, and must record the sound of as
many vibrating objects as they can find in a given time period. To conclude the activity, have
each group play their recording for the entire class.
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ACOUSTIC EXPERIMENTS
When a sound is made, the wave of sound moves out from its source.
EXPERIMENT 1
Materials: a round bowl about half full of water, ground black pepper, dishwashing soap.
Procedure: sprinkle the pepper into the bowl of water until there is an even amount floating on the surface.
Carefully allow one drop of the soap to fall into the middle of the bowl.
Observation: The pepper moves out away from the drop much like a sound wave emanates out from where the
sound was produced.
EXPERIMENT 2
Materials: A small body of water such as a swimming pool, wading pool or bath tub.
Procedure: When the water in the pool is very calm and flat, use an eye dropper to allow a single drop of water to
fall onto the surface of the pool a little ways out from the edge. Try the experiment using a marble or small pebble.
Hint: The experiment works best when your object does not make a large splash, but rather a small disturbance in
the water.
Observation: A wave emanates out, moving equally in all directions from where the water was disturbed by the
drop or object, much like sound waves of a musical instrument in a concert hall move out in all directions from
where the sound is played.
Sound waves can bounce or reflect. This reflection is called echo.
EXPERIMENT 3
Materials: A Slinky ™, preferably a metal one.
Procedure: Attach one end of the slinky to a doorknob or a hook in a wall, or have a partner hold the end
stationary. Hold the other end and stretch the Slinky ™ out until it is stretched almost to its fullest length. With your
free hand, gently strike the hand that is holding the Slinky ™. Try striking it two or three times in a row and see what
happens.
Observation: A “wave” is produced traveling the length of the Slinky ™, bouncing, or “echoing” from the other
end, and coming back toward you. After some practice, you can make the wave “echo” back and forth several
times.
EXPERIMENT 4
Materials: A hard wall outside such as the flat side of a building.
Procedure: Facing the wall, stand a few hundred feet back from the wall. Make a sharp sound such as clapping
your hands or hitting a drum sharply. Listen for the sound to come back to you a little later in the form of an echo.
Try shouting and listen for the echo.
Observation: The sound waves bounce, or reflect off the wall and come back as an echo. Extension: Make up a
musical piece by timing your sounds with their echoes so that you make rhythm patterns. Get your friends to join in
with the fun!
EXPERIMENT 5
Perform experiment number 2 again, placing the drop a foot or so from the edge of the pool. Notice that the wave
caused by the drop of water or the pebble bounces off the edge and goes the opposite way just like sound reflects
or echoes the opposite way. Now try the same experiment in the pool with the water stirred up and wavy. Note that
you can not as easily see the single wave when the drop or pebble hits the surface. This illustrates the effect you
get when you are trying to listen to someone talk to you in a noisy room. It’s hard to distinguish the sound of their
voice from all the other sounds in the room just like it is hard to distinguish the single wave in the pool from all the
other waves.
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ACOUSTIC EXPERIMENTS (continued)
Sound waves can be enhanced through resonance or amplification.
EXPERIMENT 6
Materials: A swing set.
Procedure: Have one person sit in the swing. Push them once and notice that they swing back and forth. Try
pushing them again as they are coming back toward you. Try the experiment again, this time pushing them just as
they start moving away from you again.
Result: When you pushed against them as they were coming toward you they slowed down or stopped. But when
you pushed as they were moving away, they swing farther.
Note: Resonance is the enhancement of sound caused when the echo, or reflection of a sound wave, arrives back
to its source and is joined by another wave. The original sound is reinforced and sounds fuller. For example, this
occurs when the sound of a guitar is echoing inside the guitar’s body while the string is producing more sounds at
the same time. In the experiment above, the swingers motion was increased, or amplified, when a reinforcing push
occurred at the correct time. When the push occurred at the wrong time the motion was not increased. Try
experiment 8 to demonstrate how high or low sounds can be selectively amplified using resonance.
EXPERIMENT 7
Perform experiment number 3 with the Slinky ™ again. This time, as the wave is going back for the second time
after it echoes, start a fresh wave by hitting your hand again. Notice that the wave becomes larger than it was
before. Try the second wave as the first one is returning and notice that both waves are canceled out.
EXPERIMENT 8
Materials: Several bowls of various sizes.
Procedure: Place a bowl over your ear and listen. Then, notice the difference in sound as you change to bowls of
different sizes. Optional: Repeat the experiment listening through hollow tubes of various lengths.
Observation: The sound is a lower pitch using the larger bowls and higher as the bowls get smaller.
Note: The ability to selectively amplify higher or lower sounds is valuable in the making of musical instruments. For
instance, the body of a violin is made to amplify higher sounds, since it is a high instrument. The double bass has a
very large body, because it is a low instrument and its low sounds need to be amplified. Notice the various sizes of
the instruments of the orchestra and decide which ones are designed to amplify higher sounds and which ones are
designed for lower sounds
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BUILD YOUR MUSICAL VOCABULARY
acoustic - music that is played without the use of electronic amplification equipment
acoustics – the scientific study of sound, especially of its generation, transmission and reception
amplify - to make louder
amplitude - The height of a sound wave. Taller waves are louder while shorter waves are softer
berceuse - a French word for a soft instrumental piece or lullaby (pronounced like “bare sirs” or (“b’sirs”)
bow - a long stick that has horsehair attached to it used to play string instruments
brass Instrument - a wind instrument, usually made of brass that produces sound by blowing into the mouthpiece of the
instrument. These instruments can also be made of wood, tusk, horn or shell. Orchestra examples are the trumpet, horn
(also called French horn), trombone and tuba.
crescendo - to gradually become louder
cycles per second - The number of sound waves produced in one second. High sounds produce more waves that are
closer together (shorter wavelength), and low sounds produce fewer waves that are farther apart (longer wavelength).
(Note: The speed of sound doesn't change regardless of its pitch.)
decibel - the unit used to measure the power of a sound (dB)
decrescendo - to gradually become softer
echo -the repeating of a sound caused by the sound waves striking a surface and coming back.
fanfare - a short piece of music played on trumpets or other brass instruments to announce an important event or arrival
finale - the last movement of a piece of music
forté - a musical term that indicates that music is to be played loudly with full force. In written music it is seen as f
frequency - the number of times sound waves vibrate in a second; also can be described as the highness or lowness of
a sound/note, it’s pitch.
harmonics - higher and quieter sounds mixed together and not heard separately
hertz -how the frequency of sound is measured
march -a piece of music written in a marching rhythm
molecule -the smallest part of a substance
noise - unorganized sound/sounds
orchestra - a large musical ensemble or group usually consisting of strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
instruments
overture - the orchestra’s introduction to a piece of music
percussion Instrument - an instrument that produces sound when it is struck, scraped or shaken. Orchestra examples are
cymbals, triangle, bass drum, xylophone, timpani, snare drum.
piano - (1) a musical percussion instrument; (2) a musical term that indicates that music is to be played softly with little
force. In written music it is seen as p
pitch - The relative highness or lowness of a sound.
pizzicato - playing a stringed instrument by plucking its strings with the fingers
resonance - The enhancement of sound caused when the echo, or reflection of a sound wave, arrives back to its source
and is joined by another wave. The original sound is reinforced and sounds fuller. For example, this occurs when the
sound of a guitar is echoing inside the guitar's body while the string is producing more sounds at the same time
sound -the movement/vibration of any matter or material
sound waves - air moving or vibrating. The energy produced by a sound, which starts outward as a wave in all directions
and is carried by the air.
timbre - The unique characteristics of a sound that can identify its source. For example, the same pitch produced by a
voice or a piano have different sound quality. This quality is called timbre.
vibration - Rapid movement of an object up and down, or back and forth.
wavelength - One wave cycle, or the distance from the crest of one sound wave to the next.
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Please have your teacher send your review to:
Young People’s Concerts, Virginia Symphony
150 Boush Street, STE 201
Norfolk, VA 23510
or FAX to: 757.466.3050 or EMAIL: [email protected]
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Please send to:
Young People’s Concerts, Virginia Symphony
150 Boush Street, STE 201
Norfolk, VA 23510
or FAX to: 757.466.3046 or EMAIL: [email protected]
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Partners in Education
Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation
The Beazley Foundation
Business Consortium for Arts Support
The Camp Foundation
The Capital Group Companies/ Home of American Funds
Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Norfolk Alumnae Chapter
Franklin Southampton Charities
Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg
Minette & Charles Cooper
Music & Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
Newport News Arts and Humanities Commission
Norfolk Commission on the Arts and Humanities
Patricia and Douglas Perry Foundation
Portsmouth Museum and Fine Arts Commission
The Pruden Foundation
Rouse-Bottom Foundation
Sandler Foundation
Suffolk Fine Arts Commission
Suffolk Foundation
The USAA Foundation
Tidewater Children’s Foundation
The J. Edwin Treakle Foundation
Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission
Virginia Commission for the Arts
The Virginia Symphony Society of Greater Williamsburg
Wells Fargo Foundation
Williamsburg Area Arts Commission
York County Arts Commission
Young Audiences of Virginia
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SPECIAL RESOURCE
This Special Resource was developed by Cindy Jones, a music educator in the
Newport News Public Schools. Although initially developed as a Smartboard
presentation, it can also be used as a PowerPoint presentation along with this
Instructional Guide to either further prepare students before coming to the concert
or to reinforce what they experienced after the concert.
It may be accessed through the VSO website: www.virginiasymphony.org under the
Education/Community Engagement menu at “Young People’s Concerts”.
Special thanks to Cindy for all her great work for this resource which enhances the
concert experience for students, teachers and parents alike.
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