Story and photo by Harper Reidy ’30
In Winter Term, Middle & Upper School Band Teacher Bernard Berry wanted the students to “understand that music and science are deeply connected. The Drumbone and Tubulum offer a tangible way to experience how sound waves behave. Instead of only talking about pitch and frequency, students can physically see and hear how changing the length of a tube directly affects sound.”
In the vibrant class, Mr. Berry teaches seventh and eighth graders how to play a drum bone. Laura Almeida ‘30 states that “A drum bone is a big instrument made out of a tube that makes a sound when you hit it.” Here, students learn how to create music using the bottom of shoes and watch videos to fully understand the song. These videos visualize a piano and playing the notes to help the students out before they fully know the song. Mr. Berry hopes that “students leave with a stronger understanding of the science of sound, along with increased confidence in experimenting and problem solving. I also want them to see that music doesn’t require traditional instruments; creativity and curiosity are just as important.”
Each day, students experience rhythmic harmony as they collaborate to learn new songs that bring them closer together. Seventh and eighth graders can work together while he teaches them a new song, which makes the students collaborate each day more and more. The seventh and eighth graders learn music together, which doesn’t happen very often, and the eighth graders take the lead with the seventh graders. Mr. Berry states that “These group projects focus on recreating recognizable melodies and harmonies such as Don’t Stop Believin’ and The Final Countdown while applying their understanding of how pitch changes as tube length changes. Class time is structured around rehearsal, experimentation, collaboration, and refinement, allowing students to problem solve together and make musical decisions as an ensemble.”
Regardless of skill level, Mr. Berry has songs that people can do with or without musical experience. Laura has been taking “piano lessons and violin lessons for multiple years,” and she is still learning the different songs they are creating with drum bones each day. Others in the class who don’t have music experience have been learning each day about the rhythms, beats, and how sound moves, which they wouldn’t be learning except for in this class. For example, through this course, Ma’lee Ochieng’ ’30 has learned how “sound travels through heights.”
“How to Build A Drum Bone” is one of the many courses that are offered to the Middle School students to have a bigger awareness of music. Mr. Berry shared his inspiration for creating this class: “[I] started playing music at a young age, and percussion and rhythm quickly became a primary focus. Over time, I became especially interested in how sound works and how rhythm, pitch, and physics intersect, which has strongly influenced how I design classes like this one.” This class blends fun and education, offering students an alternative in their lives. It encourages creativity and shows how joy can be found in simple objects.
Bravo Rams!
