Music

Helpful Hints:

For each category, we have provided several examples to get you thinking about the wide variety of topics on which you might develop a website. Remember, your website entry is only required to fit into one of the broad categories, such as Music.

You will notice that many of our examples include cross-cultural references or highlight international aspects of a particular topic. The criteria used to score ThinkQuest entries reward collaboration among student teams in different regions or countries, so we have provided examples that we hope will inspire you to think globally and collaboratively as you choose your topic area and develop your website.

Here is one way you might choose a topic with your team:

• Look at all six official categories. Which one is most interesting to you?
  
• Read the examples provided below. Remember, they are only examples.
  
• Then, discuss/brainstorm topic ideas:
  • Which ideas are you most excited to learn about?
  • If you’re doing ThinkQuest as part of a class, what are some subjects you will learn about this school term? In other words, can you think of a topic that links to your curriculum?
  • Are you an expert on a certain topic already? What about your friends and family? Think about all of the resources available to you.
  • Look at the ThinkQuest Library. Are there already lots of web sites about your topic? Can you think of something new?
  • Is this a good topic for collaboration—with kids from another school, community, or country?

Music Examples:

Music is a universal part of the human experience, and an extremely rich category for exploration. Consider music as an art form, as a math exercise, or as a mode of communication. You could look at similarities and differences across the world’s musical traditions. You might explore the role of music in a particular culture. Or, you could study a particular time in musical history. You could examine how music spreads from place to place and how it changes as it travels. You could learn about musical instruments, including how they are made, and the science behind the sounds they produce. The possibilities are endless and we are sure you will think of many music topics, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

Academic Subjects/Standards you could explore in this category: Social Studies, Language Arts, Performing Arts, Mathematics, and Technology.

Example one: Drums across cultures

Drums are found in almost every culture in the world, and they serve many different roles. Drums are an important part of many sacred traditions and rituals. In parts of Africa, special drums are believed to protect tribal royalty. In Central Asia and North America, drums are used in shaman rituals. Drums are also used as a method of communication in many cultures. The “talking drums” of Africa are used to transmit messages over many miles. Similarly, the snare drum has been used in European military regiments to issue commands to soldiers. And, finally, drums are used musically in almost every culture, from Islamic classical music to American hip-hop.

Example two: Origins of jazz music

New Orleans, Louisiana is often called the birthplace of jazz. The roots of jazz are in the work songs, spirituals, and hymns of African slaves brought to the United States in the 1800s. By the turn of the century, settlers from Europe had arrived in New Orleans, introducing new musical traditions such as Spanish flamenco, Irish jigs, and German waltzes. African-American musicians combined all of these styles to create a new kind of music, called “jazz”. Today, the term refers loosely to music with syncopated rhythms, “blue” notes, and improvisation. It is one of the most popular types of music in the world.

Example three: Stradivarius violins

Antonio Stradivari is probably the most famous violin maker of all time. Stradivari was born around 1644 in Cremona, Italy. He made approximately 1,100 stringed instruments over his lifetime, including violins, lutes, harps, and guitars. Scholars refer to the years 1700-1720 as the “Golden Period”, when Stradivari created the finest of his instruments. Scientists say that the instruments’ smooth and rich tone can be attributed to Stradivari’s superior craftsmanship and careful selection of wood and varnish. Today, approximately 650 “Stradivarius” instruments still survive, most of which are violins. They continue to be prized for their unique sound and are worth millions of dollars.

Example four: Musical note frequencies

In the 6th century BC, a Greek mathematician named Pythagoras conducted an experiment about the frequencies of different musical notes. He started with two strings. One string was exactly half the length of the other one. He plucked both strings, and discovered that the shorter string’s note was exactly one octave higher than the longer string’s note. This meant that an octave had a frequency ratio of 1:2. Ancient Greeks believed that a note sounded best when played with other notes whose frequencies were multiples of the first note. For example, a note with the frequency 220 Hz sounded best played with notes that were 440 Hz, 660 Hz, 880 Hz, and so on.

Citations:

• Aronoff, Kenny. “History of the Drum and Drum Set.” Home page. 2003. A.J. Pro Percussion. 8 Mar. 2004 <http://www.ajpropercussion.com/dc_hist.html>.
• Cole, Richard, and Ed Schwartz. Virginia Tech Multimedia Music Dictionary. 2003. Virginia Tech Department of Music. 8 Mar. 2004 <http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/>.
• “Timeline.” Jazz Kids. PBS. 8 Mar. 2004 <http://www.pbs.org/jazz/kids/time/index.html>.
• Choi, Charles. “Secrets of the Stradivarius: An Interview with Joseph Nagyvary.” Scientific American.com. 10 Jun. 2002. 23 Feb. 2004 <http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000BD557-2293-1CFD-93F6809EC5880000>.
• “Violin Makers: Nicolò Amati (1596-1684) and Antonio Stradivari (ca. 1644-1737).” Home page. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 23 Feb. 2004 <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/strd/hd_strd.htm>.
• Kernan, Michael. “Sharing the Gift of Music.” Smithsonian Magazine. Aug. 1998. Smithsonian Institution. 23 Feb. 2004 <http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues98/aug98/mall_aug98.html>.
• Beer, Michael. “How Do Mathematics and Music Relate to Each Other?” Home page. 7 Oct. 1998. 3 Mar. 2004 <http://perso.unifr.ch/michael.beer/mathandmusic.htm>
• Sommer, Sarah. “Pitch Differences.” Math and Music. 19 May 2003. 3 Mar. 2004<http://www.geocities.com/isymjazz/MathandMusicPage1>