Nature's Symphony

In this lesson we are going to dive into music and the mechanics on how it is related to nature. So get tuned up, tuned in, and ready to join the chorus!

Music Basics

In the world of music we have a few terms and definitions that we have to learn in order to understand what our music teacher is trying to ask us to do.

Beat - The main accent or rhythmic pulse.
Rhythm - A pattern of long and short sounds in music.
Tempo - The speed or pace of music.
Pitch - The highness or lowness of a musical tone.
Composer - A person who writes music, especially as a professional occupation.
Musician - A person who writes, sings or plays music.
Composition - A work of music, literature, or art.
Hertz - is a unit derived from time which measures frequency in the International System of Units.

Describe What You Hear

Music is an art form, and cultural activity, whose medium is sound. General definitions of music include common elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. So can nature create music on it's own? Well it can but not in the same way we make music. If you step outside for a moment and listen you can hear it. Stand outside for three minutes and record all the sounds that you hear with a piece of paper and pencil. After you are done with the activity take a look at these questions.

How many different type of birds did you hear?
Did you hear the same sound more than once?
Was there anything that sounded unusual?
Can you replicate the sounds that you heard?

Songs of the Wild!

Birds have played a role in Western Classical music since at least the 14th century, when composers like Jean Vaillant quoted birdsong in some of their compositions. Among the birds whose song is most often used in music are the nightingale and the cuckoo. Insect names have also appeared in music from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" to such popular songs as "Blue-tailed Fly", and the popular folk song "La Cucaracha" which is about a cockroach.

Bird Call

Calls tend to serve such functions as alarms or keeping members of a flock in contact.

Bird Song

Songs are longer and more complex and are associated with territory and courtship and mating

The Ocean Blue

Marine mammals, such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises, are much more dependent on sound for communication than are land mammals, because other senses are limited in water. Sight is less effective for marine mammals because of the way in which light is scattered across the water. Smell is also limited, as molecules diffuse more slowly in water than in air, which makes smelling less effective. However, the speed of sound is roughly four times greater in water than in the atmosphere at sea level.

Odontocetes whales produce rapid bursts of high-frequency clicks that are thought to be primarily for echolocation. Specialized organs in an odontocete produce collections of clicks and buzzes at frequencies from 0.2 to 150 kHz (kilohertz) to obtain sonic information about its environment. Lower frequencies are used for distance echolocation, due to the fact that shorter wavelengths do not travel as far as longer wavelengths underwater. Higher frequencies are more effective at shorter distances, and can reveal more detailed information about a target. Echoes from clicks convey, not only the distance to the target, but also the size, shape, speed, and vector of its movement.

Make your own Shaker! (0:28)

You can make our vary own Music Shaker! Now the shaker has many different names. But the main one is called a "Rumba Shaker" or better know as the maraca from Latin Percussion instruments. Check out this video and try to make one yourself! Try out different things and see which one sounds good to you!

Instruments Made from Nature

So when we hear music, some of our favorite songs and artist use real instruments. They either you them when they are recording in a studio or when they are performing live. Sometimes artist and performers will use digital instruments as well. Digital instruments are sound patches that are made to sound like real instruments when they are not available. Did you know some of the instruments use today are made from nature? Take a look at the pictures below and try to look back at a time you may have seen these instruments.

String instruments

Recorder

Guitar

Marimba

How to make a instrument out of wood (Start at 2:24- 4:19)

Check out the process on how recorders are made. Think about these questions as you watch:

What era does the designer style the recorder?
How long does it take to cut and shape the three sections of the instrument?
How many holes are on the front side of the middle joint?

Grass Blade Instrument

So we have been saying that music is all around us. From the trees to the wind. Did you know that you can use a piece of grass to make a whistle! Check out this how to video and try it in your backyard!

Compose Your Song

Do you ever wonder how your favorite artist write such amazing songs? I know I do, so let break it down into small chunks. First when you are writing a song you have to have an outline. Most of our modern songs today have two verses, a chorus, and a bridge. Check out the video below about what each of those are and how all of the parts flow together.

I Dreamed a Dream

Writing lyrics to a song can be difficult but can also be easy. Do you rhyme? Do you have to the right punctuation and grammar? So many different questions start to form and it can be scary but all you need is to remember that it is your song not anyone else's. If you are having trouble coming up with something from scratch take a look at what i did with one of my favorite musical numbers!

Congrats!

Awesome job! Music is a powerful tool that is able to connect people from many different cultural backgrounds and countries. Music is also something that can be done anywhere and with ANYTHING! From the birds chirping to the wind howling as it moves on by, music is all around us all you have to do is turn on your ears and listen!

Based on what you did today, consider the following questions and share your answers with anyone who will listen!

Why do you think we as humans find music relaxing.
Do you think music sounds different underwater than what we hear on land?
Could you find your way home from school with only using you sound frequencies?

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