My creative project is inspired by the maker movement. I wanted to create a kit for students where they can create little representations on how instruments get their sound. I have always been interested in science and music so thought of a way where you can get really into the basics of the science of how instruments work but there is still room for further elaboration if that is your interest. I wanted to create this kit out of easily accessible materials which is why I'm using paper spoons, pins, elastic bands, balloons and toilet rolls all pinned down to a cork board to keep it in one place. The cork board allows for a playing field where the elements can interact with each other, for example the piano hammer can actually hit a string. I definitely went through different iterations of this project which eventually got more elaborate and expansive going from one "instrument" to five. The instruments I chose were the ones I and most other public high schools have access to, being guitar (electric and bass) piano, drums and your voice.
I found it easier to draw out my plans so with the help of Good Notes on my iPad, I got drawing. This is what I came up with!
Started with wanting to make a representation of a guitar string
Thought the easiest way would be to use elastic bands
Pin the elastic to a block of cork then you can stretch the elastic band
Challenges
How do I stop the cork from moving?
Will the pin be able to get through the elastic and into the cork?
Will a square of cork be easy to find or is a cork stopper easier to get?
Came up with more ideas for different instruments
Decided I would do instruments found in a music classroom
Went back to the idea of a cork square, I can always cut it out of a cork board.
Still a bit unsure of how you can pull the elastic and not have the cork move.
Balloon is easy to replicate voice
Challenges
The balloon will be SUPER noisy, so might be hard in a classroom setting
How am I going to create the piano hammer????
Decided to put everything on a big cork board
Two different thickness elastic bands to replicate electric and bass guitar strings
Challenges
Piano hammer seems a little simple and not exactly how one works
Elastic bands stayed the same
Piano hammer got a makeover: made out of wooden spoons
Piano hammer was also placed under one of the strings to show how it hits the string
Toilet roll and balloons make a drum with another wooden spoon being used as a "drumstick"
Balloon got readded to mimic the voice
All put on a cork board so it doesn't move about too much
Challenges
You have to hold the cork board a little bit still but it's much easier than the little cork block.