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Lumidance is a engineered show of music and light. Performers wear couture LED costumes that are programmed to harmonize with the dance. The Lumidance program uses hierarchal teams, reflecting a real world design project. Synchronization of the lights with the dance required the collaboration between dance and engineering subteams. The first Lumidance dress rehearsal was covered by WCAX and FOX News. |
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The Electric String is a tabletop guitar designed to be easy to play and build. It incorporates an adjustable fret system with a built-in length measurement that allows easy tuning and scale changes. In addition, it is augmented by a piezoelectric sensor for electric amplification, mixing and special effects. |
In this program, students design, construct, and decorate their own Electric Strings. Along the way, they learn how math and science affects their instruments.
Picture is courtesy of the Contois School of Music.
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Wind power has a rich history, dating back to 3745 BCE when the first sailboat was invented in Egypt. Throughout our "Power in the Wind" program, students explore the historical and artistic contexts of wind power while developing their own efficient and aesthetic designs. Students also engage in debates on the adoption of alternative energy sources. |
Marimbas are wooden xylophone-like instruments that have roots in various parts of the world. The heritage surrounding the marimba makes it a natural topic for historical study in addition to scientific inquiry and mathematical modeling.
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In this STEAM program, students learn about and follow the design cycle to research, model, build, test, and communicate their designs. During an initial brainstorming session, they decide what features that they, as consumers, would like in their own electric marimba. They then focus their design by weighing the values, costs, and difficulties of each idea. As they construct their instruments, students learn "Marimba Math": equations that indicate how to cut and engineer each bar in their marimba. Graphing skills can be exercised and enhanced by studying frequency dependence on bar length. |
At the culmination of the sessions, students exercise their creativity by decorating and playing their electric marimbas. A "Battle of the Bands" contest occurs when marimba teams wish to compete and show off their work.
