|
STEM(M) AT ST. LUKE'S
Featuring: STEM(M) IN MUSIC
Recently, our faculty/staff participated in a curriculum workshop. The highlight of the day was the faculty presentations on the topic of STEM(M) integration in the classroom. This week, we are recapping the lesson from our band director, Daniel Driskell. Here is a summary of what he shared:
"Music is a beautiful artistic expression that happens in time. It relates to many other subjects, including STEM(M). For example, musical notes have mathematical values.
Did you know many orchestras and instruments tune to A = 440Hz (hertz)? Lowering A by one octave, it becomes 220Hz. Lower it again by another octave, and it is 110Hz. As you can see, the notes are not random or theoretical - they are exact numbers! When a note is multiplied by 2, it results in the next octave. Hence, Low A =110Hz, Middle A = 220. Treble A = 440.
Following a fabulous explanation, Daniel conducted an activity with teachers from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades in which they hummed their assigned mathematical equivalent. The result...
They performed the melody of "Little Drummer Boy" by simply humming those 4 notes of the major scale. This demonstration proves that 1 2 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 translates to
"Come they told me pa rum pum bum pum."
As one can see (hear), any melody can also be described mathematically using the notes of a scale. Thank you to Mr. Driskell for explaining how this and other STEM(M) concepts are used in music lessons.
| 
