MR. LUPINACCI'S CLASSROOM
Math and the Arts
Here is a video called, "Donald Duck in Mathemagic Land". Don't be fooled by the presence of the title character. It is an infinitely fascinating video and the math described in it is real.
You will find some fascinating connections to music in it.
Here is a musical composition that was created when a musician noticed a picture in a newspaper of birds on telephone wires. There are two links here. One is the story of the composition in audio format and the other link is a short video with the music.
Here is the audio link:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112861683
Here, and to the right, is the video link:
As a conversation starter, take a look at the image below. It is a little music player.
What do you notice about it?
What connections to mathematics do you think it may hold?
EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT: Exploration of the connection between math and the arts.
Possible Topics
- Music
- Photography
- Color
- Two-point perspective drawing
- Architecture
An additional option may be a more indirect connection. For example, how does a music site, such as Pandora, use mathematics to determine which songs to play for you based on the names of your stations?
The Goal
For you to have a chance to explore the existence of mathematics in an area of the arts that you are interested in.
Description
You should have at least one artifact that you create yourself. For example, it can be a rudimentary musical instrument that you create, or a drawing that you do.
You must include a one-page explanation that includes the following:
- exactly how you created your object, and
- the mathematical concept that is built in to your object
- something new that you've learned about your topic
- identify your sources - where did your information come from?
It has to be in your own words.
You should be able to answer basic questions about your topic.
Ultimately, you should be genuinely interested in your topic and you should have fun with this project.
Examples
Here are some thngs that might spark your imagination.
Here is a site that gives a good overview of the connections between math and music. You may want to choose one of these categories to focus on.
Or maybe you want to make a simple Peruvian Flute and explain how it works, what key it is in, etc.
Or, explore the mathematics of photography. For example, the mathematical equations behind the exposure settings on a camera.
Here are some more things to spark your imagination.
For example, how is two-point perspective drawing used to create this optical illusion?
