Build a Band

Evidence of Work

This project began with the task of creating three different musical instruments to form our own "band." I was grouped with two other students and together we built a string, chime, and wind instrument. In order to meet the project requirements, each instrument had to produce 8 different notes.

When we first jumped into the process, we decided on who was going to build each instrument. Once this was figured out, we started on our blueprints and made sure to include specific measurements to ensure that our instruments would be correctly accurate and functional. The next step was to move into the maker's space and begin on the building process. Over the course of approximately 4 building days, my group was able to complete the assembly of our instruments and moved into creating the write-up description document for our instruments. This document includes design details and uses tables and pictures to enhance these specifications (this can be found linked below). The instrument that I created and described was the chime instrument. My group did not write or perform a song, but I was able to learn "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" on the xylophone, along with a few other tunes.

Content

Frequency - The number of waves (or vibrations) created or received per second

Wavelength - The distance of one wave from crest to crest

Wave Speed - How fast a wave moves

Amplitude - The height or magnitude or intensity of a wave

Period - The time for one wave to pass

Crest - A point on the wave where the displacement of the medium is at a maximum.

Trough - A point on the wave where the displacement of the medium is at a minimum.

Medium - The material that a wave travels through.

Resonance - The reinforcement or prolongation of sound by reflection from a surface or by the synchronous vibration of a neighboring object

Transverse Wave - The movement of particles is perpendicular to wave motion

Longitudinal Wave - The movement of particles is in the same direction as wave motion

Electromagnetic Spectrum - The range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends.

Constructive Interference - The interference produced when two or more energy waves that are in phase combine to create a stronger wave

Destructive Interference - The interference of two waves of equal frequency and opposite phase, resulting in their cancellation where the negative displacement of one always coincides with the positive displacement of the other

Reflection

This project was one that I enjoyed very much because I love to play many instruments and have a great passion for music. My goal for this project was to improve on the area of risk-taking, and I believe that I can say that I accomplished that goal. I improved drastically in the building process, and I built an entire instrument on my own which is something that I would not have done in the past. I also gained more trust in myself when using tools and was not afraid to make changes to my instrument if necessary. Another area that I believe I was strong in was time-management. I worked very efficiently and was able to finish my xylophone within the first two building days. This allowed me to help my other group members, or even other teams, with their instruments to ensure that I was staying productive throughout the project. When it came time to write up the instrument design document, I planned out my time accordingly so that I was able to work a little bit each day and finish the description by the time it was due.

One of the areas that I would like to improve on for next time would be the area of self-reflection. I believe that this is something I can keep improving continually throughout the rest of my STEM career. I make a lot of mistakes, and discovering how to learn from them is something very valuable in any work environment. Another area that I feel I could progress in is the area of risk-taking. Although I believe that I was able to accomplish my goal of improvement for risk-taking during this project, I always want to keep making new goals and action steps so that I can push myself to put forward my best abilities. There is always something that I can be improving on for both of these areas, and I will strive to do just that each and every day.

Overall, I am very happy with the outcome of this project. I can say with confidence that my work has grown and developed throughout this process, and that is something I am very proud of.