COOL STUFFAbout music!

Synethsesia What does music look like? Does music taste? What does color sound like? Can I smell music?

The Golden Mean

Does music follow the proportions of the created world?

Should the peak of a music piece always occur at the golden mean?

Hearing Health

Am I in danger of losing my hearing?

What is NIHL? How loud is too loud? Are there “healthy

headphones”?

Complex Forms(choose one)

What is Sonata form? What is expected in a Symphony? What is a fugue and how does it work?

Physics & Music(choose one)

What is a theremin? How does it work? (Research & demonstrate)

Synchronizing metronomes – why does this work? Or not?

Are there patterns to sound vibrations? How can we see?

Chord Progressions in Pop Music

What are the harmonic characteristics of pop music?

What are common progressions in pop music?

The Evolution of Music Notation

Why did people start to write down music?

How has notation changed? Are there many systems today?

Unusual Instruments Huh? How

can we categorize these?

Why do people create them?

Electronic Instruments What are common and

uncommon electronic instruments used today?

What unique features do they have?

Early Instruments How did today’s instruments

start? Does anyone still play or listen

to early instruments? Why/why not?

Hated Music

Are there major works of music which were disliked when first performed, but which are standard classics today? Which ones? Why would that happen?

Voice Change What exactly happens to

the vocal mechanism when a male’s voice changes?

Do girls’ voices change too?

How do different cultures deal with this challenge?

Throat Singing What is Tuvian Throat Singing? What is Overtone Singing? How are they different from

regular singing? Is it possible to sing

more than one note at a time?

Microtones

What are microtones? Why does anyone care about

microtones? Should I care about microtones? How can they be produced?

Brain Research

What has MUSIC revealed to scientists about the way the human brain works?

What studies and experiments are happening now, linking music and the brain?

What is a mirror neuron?

“Other”

I’ve always wanted to know about…

(must have teacher approval…)