1. “Sounds of Music” Division C – Coaches’ Workshop 2008 Michigan Science Olympiad

2. Read the rules carefully! You don’t want to build an unqualified instrument, and ensure that you have variety (chordophones, etc.)

3. Particularly important rules: 1. NO prohibited devices (anything designed to play music, except strings). Good rule of thumb: the student provides energy, but frequency control is done by the instrument 2. Make sure your instrument plays in the allowed pitch range (note frequencies!) 3. Have copies of music for the judges 4. Make sure that music is written in the required clef NOTE: with recent changes to the rules, failure to meet these requirements will result in a very significant point loss!

4. KNOW YOUR MUSICAL ACOUSTICS! The written/oral quiz is where most points are lost. Have your team study the rudimentary subjects of: Volume/Amplitude Waves Harmonics Frequency/pitch/scales Vibration of strings & air Human perception of sound Quiz further described in section 3, paragraph (d) of the event rules

5. http://www.soinc.org/events/sounds http://www.soinc.org/events/sounds has useful links for those who want to learn about physics & music and rules clarifications about clefs, melody/harmony, etc.

6. Also make sure your students understand how/why their individual instruments work. Designing and building them should help!

7. Good resources to check out: Bart Hopkin “Musical Instrument Design” Thomas Rossing “The Science of Sound” William Hartmann “Signals, Sounds, and Sensation” Hyperphysics Online: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/soucon.html http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/sound/soucon.html

8. Be creative, practice hard, and good luck!