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ACTIVITY #2

Just as we encourage kids to color and draw for artistic expression, they should be encouraged to invent music. For this activity your child will do a collage of sounds from different sources, including live and computer-generated sound-clips.

• Computer
• Tape recorder
• Blank index cards
  

Encourage your child to record different sounds from home (dishwasher, TV, radio, coffee grinder, etc.). Then, help your child identify sounds from computer sound-clips and save in a folder labeled “Sound Collage.” Explain that all of these samples are like different textures in paintings. Encourage your child to label and describe each sound on an index card. Then, use randomly arranged cards and listen to the multiple effects of sound-combinations.

Experiment with your child the concept that math and music are related. To help them understand this concept they will be learning about note values while reviewing addition. Review the four basic note values (Whole-note=4 beats, Half-note=2 beats, Quarter-note=1 beat, Eighth-note= ½ of 1 beat) and demonstrate what those note values sound like. Provide an example of an addition problem using both real numbers and musical notes. Let them add musical notes together and come up with a real number as the answer. Show them how they can add a quarter note to a half note and come up with an answer of three. Brainstorm together other math problems.