Techniques that can be used in a musical acoustics course

Abstract

A course in Musical Acoustics provides a unique opportunity to involve some innovative techniques in and out of the classroom. Our Physics of Music course is a thorough integration of physics and music.1 It starts with the mathematical structure of music and discusses musical styles and how they differ. After an introduction of related physics concepts, the physical structure and operation of instruments in the various groups are studied. Connection is made of the instruments and how they reproduce the mathematical nature of music. The course integrates different learning modes, some of which are not found in a typical physics course. The classes include lecture/demonstration, group discussions, in-class laboratories, guest lecturers and a final individual project encompassing many course elements. The constant connection between the physics and the music, along with varied learning techniques, including hands-on experience, provides a motivating approach for students to experience science in a familiar context. This talk will provide a brief course overview and discussion of the non-standard instruction elements used in the course. 1 For a detailed course description, see POMA18 (2014). DOI: 10.1121/1.4895817