Acoustics for Music Students: A Lecture‐Laboratory Course

A course in acoustics has been designed and tested with two groups of students whose interests are in musical performance or music education. A survey of their interests before and during the source of study reveals areas of acoustics which are relevant to their goals but lacking in their studies of music. Conservatory faculty suggested areas of acoustics which they felt should be in the course of study. Student and faculty inputs are similar, but a few differences occur and are discussed. The topics studied in the course include basic principles of acoustics and applications in instruments, auditoriums, hearing, voice, and electronic production and reproduction of sound. Laboratory experience for the students has proven valuable to them, especially those experiments on determination of the resonance modes of vibrating bars and of the resonant frequencies of the strings on a violin. An analysis of the effectiveness of different aspects of the course with respect to the students involved is presented.