STEAM Workshop: Music Students Work with Visiting WMU Professor (October 23, 2018)

Keller Elementary’s fourth and fifth grade music classes had a special guest last week, Western Michigan University's music technology professor, Dr. David Code. Dr. Code led Musical Coding workshops with Keller's music teacher, Ms. Larena Code. The workshops reinforced musical concepts like solfege, rhythmic patterns, and dynamics and fully integrated them within STEAM.

• Science - elements of sound (physics and acoustics)
• Technology - use of computers, microphones, and input devices
• Engineering - computer programming, interface design, and problem solving
• Arts - performance and composition of creative music
• Math - addition, multiplication, use of fractions and decimal numbers

The final computer music projects were identity-themed with students manipulating recorded samples of their spoken names and translating the letters of their names into musical melodies through computer programming. The students work will be showcased at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria, IL this January by Ms. Code.