Sound is all around us, but it can be tough to understand because it's totally invisible at first glance. Make a musical instrument and a special tool to discover what sound looks like.
Using everyday ingredients and tools from your kitchen cabinet, embark on a hands-on process that prompts you to ask questions, mix compounds, and analyze materials like a scientist at the Museum.
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Materials
- Balloon with the bottom cut off
- Rubber band
- Tape
- Plastic wrap
- Salt
- Bowl
- Tin can
- Decorating materials
Instructions
- Cover a tin can with a balloon and secure it with a rubber band.
- Decorate the sides of your drum with whatever materials you’d like.
- Grab a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Pull it tight and secure it with tape.
- Shake a little bit of salt on top of the bowl.
- Play your drum next to the bowl to see the grains of salt on top of the bowl dance!
- Take this experiment further by testing what happens when you play the drum harder or softer or what happens when you make noise with a different instrument. Recording your findings in a notebook.
Chief Digital Officer: Douglas Hegley
Executive Producer: Sarah Wambold
Director/Writer/Producer: Emma Vecchione
Producer: Rachel Smith
Project Manager: Maria Kozanecka
Animation Direction: Lisa LaBracio
Stop Motion Animation: Lisa LaBracio
2D Animation: Luca Mancuso
Prop Fabrication: Lisa V. Bergmann, Anna Samo
Narrator: Roselin Lopez
Episode Consultants: Michael Millican, Marco Leona
Education Consultants: Darcy-Tell Morales, Merantine Hens
Original Music: Austin Fisher
Sound Mix: Dave Raymond
Production Design: Aurola Wedman Alfaro
Rights and Permissions: Julie Zeftel
Dadabuan, 19th century.
Philippine (Mindanao). Philippines.
Wood, mother-of-pearl, skin, Height: 32 3/8 in. (82.2 cm), Diameter (Maximum): 24 7/16 in. (62 cm), Diameter (Drum head): 21 3/4 in. (55.3 cm).
Rogers Fund, 1982 (1982.32)
Side Drum, 18th century.
Dutch, Netherlands.
Wood, skin, cord,
Height: 16 1/4 in (41.3 cm), Diameter: 15 5/16 in (38.9cm),
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889 (89.4.840)
Darabukka, late 19th century.
Middle East. Syria.
Clay, skin, wood,
Height: 14 in (10.2 cm), Diameter of head 10 in (25.4 cm),
The Crosby Brown Collection of Musical Instruments, 1889 (89.4.333)
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