Summer SAVY, Session 3 Day 5, Math and Music (3rd – 4th)
I am so sad to see these Math and Music students leave! We had a great last day full of final performances and special guests!
The morning began with an engaging math session focused on measurement. The children used tape measures to measure the length of our Boomwhackers. They had to make a song using ONLY the measurements they recorded. Then, they swapped pieces and tried to perform another group’s song! The students found out how difficult it was to create and read pieces without note names corresponding to the labels on the Boomwhackers! We also learned how important precision in measurement is to create the song that our friends had intended for us.
We had a guest performer, Ms. Shira, visit us today! Ms. Shira sang an operatic piece for us in Italian and talked to us about how she views the interaction of math and music. The students asked her questions, which ranged from her experiences in middle school and high school to what her favorite musicals are! We talked a bit more about musicals today and encouraged students to look into and watch more musicals on Disney+ and Netflix!
The highlight of the day was certainly our Mathematical Compositions! The students showcased the songs they have been working on throughout the week. They collaborated in small groups to create compositions on Boomwhackers, shakers, and even their own instruments to showcase math in some way. The requirements for these pieces were that they be 25 measures long, feature mathematics in the lyrics somehow, and include all members of the group! Each group also talked a bit about their creative process and elements of mathematics in their pieces. It was evident that their dedication to class this week and talent will lead them far in life. I would encourage you to ask your students the following questions to learn more about their week and their week-long project!
- How did you use your knowledge of mathematics to compose your music piece?
- How does understanding math help you learn music? How does understanding music help you learn mathematics?
- Where can we see probability in music? Where can we see patterns in music? Where can we see measurement in music? Where can we see geometry in music?
- Do we see any examples of “tessellations” in music?
- How might we write mathematical equations to determine whether a piece of music is too similar to another? An equation for finding pitches? What other equations can you tie into music?
As their teacher, it was heartwarming to witness the growth and creativity of these children throughout the week. Thank you for sharing your gems with me! They embraced the interdisciplinary nature of their math and music class, where concepts of measurement, geometry, patterns, and musical elements intertwine. I couldn’t be prouder of our budding mathematicians and musicians. Here’s to many more inspiring and transformative experiences in their educational journey!