Summer SAVY Session 5, Day 3 Math and Music
In today’s convergence of math and music, we learned about geometry in music, sound delay, and the art of conducting. This blog post chronicles a day filled with excitement, exploration, and a newfound appreciation for the hidden mathematical beauty within music.
The day began with an insane amount of rain and storms, which gave us time to play some games and musical instruments while we waited for the lightning to clear out! We even got to perform snippets of music for other classes at SAVY! It was a very fun way to show off our talents and what we have been learning this week. The storm also helped us learn about sound delay and the fact that light moves faster than sound!
Once we safely made it back to our classroom, we discussed aspects of geometry — shapes, rays, lines, and more. We then wanted to see where we can find geometry within music. We found shapes and correlations in marching bands, dances, and visual art.
As the day progressed, the students transitioned to the art of conducting. They went on a journey to understand the importance of gestures, patterns, and communication in leading an ensemble. We demonstrated how seemingly subtle movements could shape the flow and dynamics of the music. The students then got to practice the conducting patterns on their own and try to convey emotion, pace, and more with their conducting.
Finally, our banjo performer blew us away with his lesson on music and science! We learned about the parts of banjo, as well as his take on vibrations and waves throughout music and our world. He knew so much about his craft and all the incredible moving elements that make up banjo and playing as a bluegrass group.
Today, we realized that geometry serves as the foundation to music, unveiling the inherent symmetry and order within musical compositions. The students began to grasp that music, like mathematics, is a language of its own, with its own set of rules, structures, and expressions, but despite all that order, it’s also filled with limitless opportunities for unique self expression.