Academy Teaching Artist Claire Allen participated in a “Science of Sound” outreach presentation to local elementary school children, as part of a STEAM initiative coordinated by Mason’s School of Music.
Many people are familiar with the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) initiatives taking place in our schools, but less well-known is the STEAM initiative, which adds crucial element of the Arts. One school working innovatively on this mission is Centreville Elementary School, where fifth graders are engaged in an international project creating their own unique musical instruments out of recycled materials. Their classes are paired with two elementary schools in Costa Rica, where it just so happens that the Academy’s “International Scholars” outreach initiative is also happening.
Last week, educators from George Mason University’s School of Music and Potomac Arts Academy, led by School of Music Director Linda Monson, visited Centreville Elementary to present The Science of Sound. Dr. Linda Monson, an accomplished pianist, began the presentation by asking the students why they love music. She opened up the piano and demonstrated how pressing the keys triggers the hammers that strike the strings and create sound. She also encouraged the students to think about the qualities of sound that evoke a certain mood by playing pieces with varying characters.
Claire Allen, Violin Teaching Artist at the Academy, gave a demonstration of the violin and explained how it produces sound by making the strings vibrate. She showed them how drawing the bow across the strings creates vibrations at different frequencies and then explained that the wooden body of the violin acts as an amplifier so that the sound is more clearly heard.
Mason Doctoral candidate and brass specialist Jeremy Cochran gave an engaging introduction to the brass family and explained the many intricacies of valves, tubing, and the importance of making the performer’s lips buzz to produce sound. He also showed off an instrument he made himself from a length of tubing and a funnel, all purchased at a local home improvement store!
Wrapping up the presentation was Mason Percussion Professor John Kilkenny, who discussed the various materials from which percussion instruments can be created – including wood, metal, goat skin, and the performer’s own body! He explained that drums are one of the instruments that every culture, no matter how primitive, has evolved and that drums have historically played crucial roles in society.
The students at Centreville Elementary and their counterparts in Costa Rica will embark on their building projects over the next few weeks. They will bring their completed instruments to George Mason University at the end of April, where they will attend a concert given by George Mason’s International Teaching Scholars and present their creations.
LEARN ABOUT THE ACADEMY’S COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS