Using Technology to Teach Connections between Math and Music
Posted by Sam Glass on Tue, Aug 14, 2012 @ 02:03 PM
Researchers at Drexel University have teamed up with the Philadelphia Philharmonic to help students conceptualize music in mathematical terms. The team designed a software program,
iNotes, to accompany live musical presentations at the Philadelphia Philharmonic. The technology also can provide cultural, historical, and technical information about the score. For example, a student using iNotes to accompany Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture" might view information about Napoleon’s failed invasion of Russia in 1812, the event that inspired the score. Or iNotes may provide information on the type of drum used in a live performance that emulates the characteristic cannon fire of the overture.
In addition to the development of this application, the team has created the Summer Music Technology program (SMT) at Drexel University. This program uses technology to teach middle school and high school students the connections between mathematics and music. For example, students are exposed to technology that enables them to "see" music as a graph or an algorithm. This information is then applied by showing how web-based music services such as Pandora use the mathematical interpretation of music toidentify a user’s musical taste and make corresponding song recommendations.
This is not the only program that explores the mathematical interpretation of music. The website "Musicalgorithms," hosted by Eastern Washington University and funded by the Northwest Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC), allows users to upload audio files and receive algorithms that correspond to components of the music.
Linking music and mathematics may help students see the relevance in math education, may increase the "fun" factor while learning about algorithms, and in this blogger’s opinion – is downright interesting. Share your thoughts below.
