Sounds of nature create beautiful melodies at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
"Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life" to open June 30
May 27 , 2007
RALEIGH— Crickets chirp, songbirds greet the dawn, and people everywhere sing and dance. What do we all have in common? Long before the advent of iTunes, the musical instinct ran deep. "Wild Music: Sounds & Songs of Life" explores evidence of the biological origins of music and invites visitors of all ages to celebrate every note of every player in the symphony of life. The highly interactive exhibit opens at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Saturday, June 30 and runs through Sunday, September 16.
"Wild Music" encourages hands-on exploration and participation and, in the process, expands our understanding of what makes music. Visitors will not only hear the music that surrounds them everyday, they'll see and feel it too. They'll discover that nature is filled with "musicians" that create distinct musical masterpieces to communicate with and relate to one another. And, they'll explore how human music is inspired by the music of other living creatures -- from tiny insects to giant whales.
"Wild Music" highlights:
- Three immersive soundscapes encompass the sounds of the forest, the city and beneath the sea. In the forest's edge, visitors can hunt for sounds of forest creatures. The underwater environment draws on them to investigate the sounds of whales which often resemble human song. In the city square, familiar human sounds can be heard, along with barking dogs, squirrels and city birds.
- In the Jamming Room, a soundproof studio, novice music lovers can lay down a beat, add tracks with animal sounds and songs, and finish with their own voice or instrumental playing.
- A bioacoustics laboratory encourages visitors to experiment with how the human voice works and how it compares to other animals, specifically birds. Here, they can see a model of the human larynx and the bird syrinx, use an electro larynx to "speak" without using their voices, and use a set of vibrating metal reeds to "feel" sound.
- Visitors can sit back, relax and listen to sounds from around the world in the Power of Sound and Music Theater.
Investigate Lab: The Sound Studio
With each traveling exhibit, Museum staff configure a series of educational, hands-on activities to complement the exhibit. Primarily beneficial for home school groups and smaller children, the Investigate Lab for "Wild Music" will offer several tabletops on the origin of sound and how music is made. Good Vibrations shows how sound in the air is generated using tuning forks, rubber bands and other vibrating instruments. Water Music: Wet & Wild illustrates how sound waves move through the air, by showing how sound moves through water. A fun one for little ones, Who's Got the Beat: Move & Groove let's you feel the rhythm and dance, demonstrating how we, as humans, are affected by sound and movement. There will also be two computer stations called Now Hear This that test hearing through a series of interactive games. Other table tops will focus on the anatomy of the ear, nose and throat, animal sounds and more.
"Wild Music" hours are Monday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Sunday 1:00-4:30 p.m. (last tickets sold at 4:00 p.m.). Adults $5, Seniors (60+) and Students $4, Children (5-11) $3, and Friends of the Museum Free. For more information, visit www.naturalsciences.org or call 919-733-7450, ext. 304/305.
Summer Activities
All public events to complement "Wild Music" will be free and held at the Museum.
OPENING
Saturday, June 30
Performances by concert soloist (flute) Brooks de Wetter-Smith
11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. & 2 p.m.
WILD MUSIC FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 4
9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sounds, music, musicians, bands, fascinating presentations
COLTRANE TRIBUTE
First Friday, September 7
6–9 p.m.
We celebrate the birth month of jazz giant and North Carolina native, John Coltrane. A quartet will play an extended set, along with the usual First Friday fare, Natural Horror Picture Show, exhibit discount and Nature Art Gallery.
SPEAKER SERIES
July: Patricia Gray, DMA, What is Bio-music?
August: Steve Nowicki, Ph.D., Bird Songs
September: Donald A. Hodges, Ph.D., Your Brain and Music
BUGFEST
Saturday, September 15
9 a.m.–9 p.m.
Bug sounds, musicians, bands, the bee-bearded woman, Cafe Insecta.
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The 4,000-square-foot exhibition is a production of the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Association of Science-Technology Centers, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Music, with major support from the National Science Foundation. Additional support was provided by Harman International, Inc. and the NEC Foundation of America. The exhibit is sponsored locally by UNC-TV with support from philanthropist Dr. Assad Meymandi.
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, in downtown Raleigh, documents and interprets the natural history of the state of North Carolina through exhibits, research, collections, publications, and educational programming. Hours: Mon.-Sat., 9 am to 5 pm, and Sun., noon to 5 pm. Admission is free. Visit the Museum on the Web at naturalsciences.org. The Museum is an agency of the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, William G. Ross Jr., Secretary.
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