Describe the process of hearing from the outer ear to the brain.
Even though our eardrum is capable of only a one dimensional movement, how can it transmit the infinite range of sounds that it does?
Describe in detail the way that sound waves are transmitted through air.
Describe the differences between silence, noise, speech/sound, and music.
What are the components of musical sound? What is a harmonic overtone series? An inharmonic overtone series?
Describe the differences between speech and singing.
What is Fourier synthesis? How does it relate to complex sounds? How does it explain the fact that one speaker can clearly reproduce several different instruments simultaneously?
What factors affect the pitch of a vibrating string? How does a change in each one cause the string's pitch to change?
What are three ways that woodwind instruments produces their initial sound?
What factors affect the pitch of a vibrating air column?
What are the two ways that a woodwind or brass player will use to change pitch?
Why are certain members of the brass family coiled?
Explain the concept of wavelength. How does it explain why the standing wave in a pipe changes when it lengthens or shortens?
What are the musical and non-musical functions of an orchestra conductor?
How can the orchestra justifiably be called a single instrument?
Why are strings traditionally dominant in an orchestra?
Listen to two recordings of the same piece of music. What are the differences? Why do you think they are different?
Describe the process of digital recording. Compare it with analog recording.
Find some pieces of music that incorporate (or imitate) sounds of nature, manmade noise, industrial sounds, etc. How far do you think this idea should be carried? Where does it stop being music?
An ocean liner sank in the middle of the ocean. Most of the passengers made it to the lifeboats, and the captain, being a good captain, was the last one off his ship. There was evidence of sabotage, and during a court hearing the captain and the first mate began arguing over the number of explosions. The captain had been swimming toward the lifeboats and heard an explosion. He lifted his head out of the water and heard a second explosion. The first mate (who was with the passengers in a lifeboat about a mile from the ship) claimed that the captain was lying and that there was only one explosion. One of the jurors was a student of acoustics and said, "Wait! They both are telling the truth." How????