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Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

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Dec 1986

Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S1-S128

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back to top Session JJ. Musical Acoustics V and Education in Acoustics: Music and Acoustics for the Millions
Invited Papers
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Radio as a forum for acoustics (A)

Jim Metzner

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S71-S71 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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In the context of contemporary electronic media, particularly radio, what are the challenges which face both scientist and broadcaster in presenting a scientific subject—specifically in the area of acoustics—to a general audience? The aim is to inform simply and accurately, without trivializing the subject, while taking into account that the listening audience may have little—if any—background in the field being discussed. Examples will be presented from “The Sounds of Science,” an award‐winning short‐format daily radio series produced by the author for The DuPont Company, and distributed to over 100 public and commercial radio stations nationwide. The series uses a blend of interview and ambient sound to convey an experience of scientific research and ideas. Subjects treated in the domain of acoustics include early woodwind instruments, the sound of a space launch, Tibetan chant, and sound paradoxes. The preparation and conditions for interviews, which help to establish an exchange meaningful to both parties, will be discussed. A collaboration is fostered in which the scientist often plays an active role in how best to portray his or her research in sound.
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Sound through music: Exhibit‐based teaching at the Exploratorium (A)

Thomas Humphrey

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S71-S71 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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Acoustical topics taught at the Exploratorium include speech, hearing, language, psychoacoustics, and the physics of sound. We have found that each of these topics can be reached easily by beginning with a discussion of music. The evolution of the western scale, musical composition, and the design of musical instruments involve the concepts of a vibrating string and its harmonics, logarithmic hearing, acoustic resonance, and physical beats. The broadness of this approach leads naturally to discussions of the bases of aesthetics, the ability of the sciences to contribute to an appreciation of the arts, and the natural creative relationship between artists and scientists. The exhibits used in this exploration are all hands‐on, allowing for a variety of approaches to teaching. The students use the exhibits both on their own and with the guidance of an Exploratorium teacher. Independent use allows for self‐discovery, while the guide can provide direction toward less obvious observations. Classroom discussions typically follow the floor work.
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Educating Americans for the 21st century (A)

Francis P. Collea

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S71-S71 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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Recent national commission reports have discussed a new era for science education. Unlike the sciences of the 1950s and 1960s, this new era has raised some provocative questions concerning science education for the future. The science movements of the post‐sputnik period stressed science for the elite, more science and mathematics for the college‐bound student, developing a corps of the very best engineers and scientists who could take us to the moon and let us assume the leadership in the international scientific enterprise. It was a time whose purpose was to get the most able students from our high schools into the calculus and physics courses at universities and colleges as quickly as possible. The recent report of the National Science Board's Commission on Precollege Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology represents a radical departure from the movements of the 50s and 60s. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implications of their recommendations for the future of science education.
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The CSULB Mobile Science Museum: Sights and sounds of science (A)

Michael S. Schaadt

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S71-S72 (1986); (2 pages)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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In 1980, a 27‐ft recreational vehicle was adapted to carry interactive science displays to local schools and community groups. This Mobile Science Museum (MSM) exhibits as many as 40 individual hands‐on displays both inside as well as on tables directly outside the vehicle. University science students serve as docents and pass on their enthusiasm for science while providing role models for young visitors. Most displays are borrowed from university science teaching and research laboratories, while others are developed and fabricated by faculty, staff, and students. Topics found to be particularly effective for presentation in the hands‐on mode include sound, light, and marine biology. Far more schools request visits by the MSM than can be served within current budgetary constraints. While this project is supported by CSULB, School of Natural Sciences, the majority of the operating budget comes from other sources of funding, including companies specializing in science and technology, school districts, parent/teacher associations, and private individuals.
Contributed Papers
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Inexpensive microcomputer‐based sound measurement apparatus (A)

Roger J. Hanson and Robert T. Ward

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S72-S72 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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Hardware and software kits (less than $350) have been developed which together with an Apple II computer can be used to make a variety of sound measurements suitable for educational purposes at the precollege level. Descriptions and demonstrations will be given of such systems including those developed by TERC (Technical Education Research Centers, Cambridge, MA) for junior high school science programs. The systems include amplifiers, A to D and D to A converters, and frequency analysis components all packaged in the form of plug‐in cards or modules connected to the game port. A microphone and a speaker are also included. When used with the included software, the systems can perform the elementary functions of a digital oscilloscope, a sound spectrograph, and a frequency counter. Laboratory tests of the response of the systems to various signals will be reported.
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Educational applications of microcomputer‐based sound apparatus (A)

Roger J. Hanson and Robert T. Ward

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S72-S72 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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Some educational uses of the equipment described in the previous paper [R. J. Hanson and R. T. Ward, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Suppl. 1 80, S72 (1986)] will be described and demonstrated. It can be used to study waveforms for different sounds, measure frequencies, study voice prints (simple sound spectrograms), generate various types of sounds, and measure the speed of sound in air. Experiences of its use with junior high school students will be reported. Suggestions for use with other audiences will be given.
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Computer microworlds for sound and music (A)

Gerald J. Balzano and Mark Dolson

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S72-S72 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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Computers are increasingly being used both for education in acoustics and for making music. But frequently the computer is used merely to automate an established paradigm. Thus we have the spectacle of music students using the computer as a drill‐and‐practice machine, of musicians using the computer as a sophisticated tape recorder, and of students in acoustics using the computer as a data‐acquisition‐and‐plotting tool in laboratory experiments. In a more innovative “microworld” approach, the computer is the laboratory. In the SESAME project, we are designing a set of Structured Environments for Sound And Music Exploration in which students and professionals alike can use the computer to design their own musical and/or acoustical experiments. But this is feasible only with software that shields users from the machine‐oriented details of conventional programming languages, allowing users to think and program directly in terms of sonic and musical structures. During the past year at U. C. San Diego we have begun working toward this goal, using the IBM‐PC to control both synthesizers and digital‐to‐analog converters. In this report, we present some preliminary results of several examples of computer environments for sound and music appropriate for both learning and research. [Work supported by the Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Post‐Secondary Education.]
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Laboratory and demonstration experiments with guitars (A)

Thomas D. Rossing

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S72-S72 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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Several interesting demonstration and laboratory experiments can be done with acoustic and electric guitars. Some of these deal with vibrations of the strings, some with the resonances of the body, and some with sound radiation from the guitar. Doing physics experiments with musical instruments increases student interest.
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Hands‐on musical acoustics in the elementary classroom (A)

R. Dean Ayers

J. Acoust. Soc. Am. Volume 80, Issue S1, pp. S72-S72 (1986); (1 page)

Online Publication Date: 13 Aug 2005

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The author has developed a minicourse for school teachers on how they can include acoustics in their teaching of science, with particular emphasis on musical sounds. The organizing theme is the direct, hands‐on accessibility of many basic ideas in this area. The course is divided into three units: (1) simple vibrators, covering ideas about pitch, frequency, mass, and stiffness; (2) vibrators with several natural frequencies, presenting concepts of standing waves, nodes, and techniques for manipulating the sounds from such a vibrator; and (3) sound waves themselves, with emphasis on the wind instruments. An important part of each unit is the “dessert”—a simple musical toy whose operation illustrates the ideas discussed: (1) a seven‐note, pentatonic thumb harp (African sansa or kalimba) constructed from materials indigenous to the American shopping center; (2) a tromba marina (bowed monochord), also built from cheap, readily available materials; and (3) a “flugle”—a closed/open cylindrical whistle on which bugle calls can be played. A color code for pitch makes it easy for beginners to play familiar tunes.
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