Making Instruments—Sound and Symbol
Rena B. Upitis · Oxford University Press eBooks · 2019
When one makes one’s own instruments, many opportunities arise for understanding how sound is created. This chapter describes not only how students made instruments but also how they explored sound using simple materials like string and straws, learning how pitch is changed through, for example, the length of the string, the tension, and the thickness. The discussion is integrated with anecdotes of how this instrument making was reflected in the children’s compositions and performances. Finally, the chapter considers how the instruments made and/or chosen by students, and the ensembles they create, have an influence on notation—and vice versa. There is also discussion of how performance and careful listening can help students understand Western harmonic structures and develop their sense of form.