Bugg Creative Arts and Science Magnet School
Wake County Schools
Mentors: Dr. Sarah Carrier, Dr. Eric Wiebe, NC State University; Dr. David Teachout, Dr. Patricia Gray, UNC-Greensboro
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
BioMusic: The Sounds and Songs of Life
BioMusic is an exciting new field that explores the phenomenon found throughout nature where participants use sound and time to create meaning. This study blends music and the sciences; pitch, rhythm, musical memory and acoustics as well as neuroscience, biology, math and anthropology. Two Fellows are part of the groundbreaking NSF UBEATS project that will incorporate BioMusic into elementary math and science curricula and allow science and music teachers to work together to teach biodiversity and cultural diversity, the physics of sound and human evolution. Ms. Patillo is working with researchers to design a study of a 40,000 year old Neanderthal site that will allow students to discover how music was created and experienced. Students will ‘create’ musical artifacts such as flutes, percussion instruments and whistles to explore how they were used to enable a group to live and work together.