IDES Sound Garden

This "Lithophone (top)" and "Mama Stonaphone (bottom)" show the historical progression of sound-making found in places like the Singing Stones of Raleigh, NC.

This area of the Sound Garden will promote the 5th Grade Curriculum of NC Studies, K-1 Math Measurement, as well as the 2nd Grade Science of Sound, and K-5 Music Curriculum.

These stone instruments are shockingly resonant and durable, and you'll no doubt have students seeing (and hearing) the rocks around them in a brand new way!

A great activity for younger students will be to use a key for letter and pattern recognition to play simple melodies on these instruments.

Adding a particularly soothing Music Therapy aspect to the Sound Garden will be the Lilypad Cymbals and Pagoda Bells. These resonating frequencies are able to be enjoyed by everyone in the community, but are particularly useful as a resource for students on the spectrum or those needing a meditative, calming space.

The contrast in vertical and horizontal placement of tonal bells creates a great discussion for students beginning to explore melody and dynamic contrasts . The exploratory nature of these types of stacked bells often challenge students' preconception of sound.

Isaac Dickson is a mindfulness school, and these instruments will support that social/emotional growth of students.

A popular addition in many musical playgrounds, "The Flowers" are a great demonstration of how vibrating frequencies are influenced by surface area. Younger students will be experiencing their Standard Course of Study, sorting items by comparing and contrasting their attributes.

The "Tenor Tree" will be one of the few low-frequency instruments in the Sound Garden, an interesting contrast, or partner, to the Pagoda Bells featured above.

These instruments provide a beautiful aesthetic and percussive quality to imaginative play, and a reminder that students are exploring and honoring an outdoor learning environment.

Of course, no soundscape would be complete without a child's most beloved instrument, the Drum! These tuned drums are an interesting way to explore perceptions regarding rhythmic and melodic textures, and are probably the most inviting for visiting parents and community members to join the outdoor jam! These instruments, like many others, will be an excellent resource to explore pattern recognition, both mathematically and rhythmically.