By Beth
My first meeting was Stephanie was great! I felt nervous about our meeting as I know nothing about physics. Stephanie came well prepared and enthusiastic. She talked with me about sound patterns and how they can be made visible and showed me some interesting ideas on the computer We talked about her students and how sometimes it is challenging to make physics fun. I can tell Stephanie is a great professor, as her passion was contagious. Our project together will be stimulating and challenging as we recreate sound patterns on to actual instruments! Stay tuned! [ Pun intended]
By Stephanie
Due to unforeseen circumstances and a little luck on my part, I was matched with an artist whose work I have been a long time admirer of. Beth Purcell is a self-taught mosaic artist and has been creating stunning pieces for over 20 years. Maybe you have seen her recent installations in the entry way to the cupcake shop on Pacific and the little floor pieces in the courtyard at the MAH. Last year, she was even flown to Mexico and England to do large installations in homes.
Troncones, Mexico November 2017
It was apparent during my visit of her studio and home that she is moved by the beauty of nature and architecture as much as I am. Surrounded by the colorful ceramic tiles, dishes, and antique china in the art on her walls, cabinets, and floors, I felt like Alice in the adventures of Wonderland. Like I had just gulped down the bottle that was labeled "DRINK ME" and surrounded in a fairy tale world of fantasy.
Having just taught a course on the physics of music, I had an idea brewing in my mind to make mosaics of the resonance patterns of stringed instruments on actual instruments themselves. Guitars, for example, display several distinct resonances that are important determinants in the sound of the instrument. These resonances occur at different frequencies and, interestingly, have unique shapes that usually appear in a predictable pattern as one progresses from low to high frequencies (or low to high notes, to use musical terminology). To better understand this, consider a “Chladni plate” or metal plate. To “play” this instrument, first sprinkle a thin layer of sand (or salt) on it and then activate the plate by bowing the middle of one edge with a well-rosined bow. A pattern will quickly form because, as the plate vibrates, the sand on the moving areas bounces off and accumulates on the places that aren’t moving (the “nodes”). Since the 20th century, it has become more common to place a loudspeaker driven by an electronic signal generator over or under the plate to achieve a more accurate adjustable frequency. Variations of this technique are still commonly used in the design and construction of acoustic instruments such as violins, guitars, and cellos.
Without even having talked to Beth yet, I sheepishly reached out to our local community to ask for broken or forlorn instruments to use for this purpose. And as usual, our amazing community didn’t let me down. I had the great pleasure of meeting Kurt of Felton who gifted us with an acoustic and electric guitar. And Marty of Ben Lomond, a singer, song-writer, and performer, who gifted me with a mandolin, banjo, electric guitar, and not just one but two violins! Marty graciously gave me a CD of his music and even invited me to a performance! I must say that I was extremely touched by both Kurt and Marty’s generosity and kindness. I hope they will follow the transformation of their instruments to works of art and educational tools.
I felt a huge sigh of relief when Beth reacted with enthusiasm and excitement about the idea. We’ve been exchanging emails of resonance patterns and discussing ways to transfer the patterns to the instruments. I’ve even been inspired to add Mexican talavera tiles to my kitchen. I ordered 300! Maybe Beth will give me some advice.
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