Sound Experiments

A groundbreaking study of the trailblazing music of Chicago’s AACM, a leader in the world of jazz and experimental music. Founded on Chicago’s South Side in 1965 and still thriving today, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) is the most influential collective organization in jazz and experimental music. In Sound Experiments, Paul Steinbeck offers an in-depth historical and musical investigation of the collective, analyzing individual performances and formal innovations in captivating detail. He pays particular attention to compositions by Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell, the Association’s leading figures, as well as Anthony Braxton, George Lewis (and his famous computer-music experiment, Voyager), Wadada Leo Smith, and Henry Threadgill, along with younger AACM members such as Mike Reed, Tomeka Reid, and Nicole Mitchell. Sound Experiments represents a sonic history, spanning six decades, that affords insight not only into the individuals who created this music but also into an astonishing collective aesthetic. This aesthetic was uniquely grounded in nurturing communal ties across generations, as well as a commitment to experimentalism. The AACM’s compositions broke down the barriers between jazz and experimental music and made essential contributions to African American expression more broadly. Steinbeck shows how the creators of these extraordinary pieces pioneered novel approaches to instrumentation, notation, conducting, musical form, and technology, creating new soundscapes in contemporary music.

These totally awesome, kid-friendly experiments teach the scientific basics of light and sound.

Ever wonder how flutes, harps, guitars, pianos, or drums produce sound? Find out by building your own musical instruments! Using supplies and tools that are easy to find, you can experiment with frequency, vibration, harmonics, and more—all with homemade instruments. Follow the suggestions for expanding the ideas to develop your own unique science fair project!

Explore the world of sound with engaging text, real life examples and fun step-by-step experiments. This book brings the science of sound to life, explaining the concepts then getting kids to be hands-on scientists!

Disappearing coins, balloon megaphones, CD rainbows – the science of light and sound sometimes seems like magic! Readers will learn the amazing facts behind these phenomena that are more fascinating than fiction. Simple language explains the properties of light and sound, while hands-on activities give readers tangible examples to help them retain crucial science information. Helpful tips make experiments easy and safe, and step-by-step instructions with photographs ensure accessibility. Readers will love focusing light to pop balloons, talking to friends over plastic cup telephones, and other whacky adventures in scientific principles. They’ll learn incredible real-life examples of the same concepts they’re exploring at home, such as how laser beams focus light to produce heat!

Sound and light aren’t just sensations picked up by our senses—they’re examples of science at work in the wonderful world around us! Budding scientists will delight in the text’s age-appropriate experiments, which are made easy through step-by-step instructions and photos. Each experiment is accompanied by a question-and-answer feature that answers common questions encountered while experimenting, and a concluding quiz tests reader’s knowledge of these important science concepts.

With clear text and easy-to-find supplies, these experiments invite readers to explore the scientific principles of sound, which include finding out what kinds of matter conduct sound, locating the sources of sound, and matching vibrations.

This time, your fourth grader will be learning about the concepts of sound and light through the process of experimentation. Experiments allow for hands-on learning, which is a type of information absorption that’s difficult to forget. Help your child to realize that science can be fun. Encourage him/her to experiment today!