From Concept to Final Product: The Design and Fabrication of Innovative Musical Electronic Devices to Enhance Student Learning

Abstract

The historical connection between music and technology represents a crossroads of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Recently, collaborative spaces such as Makerspaces and Fablabs have gained popularity by providing the tools and spaces that facilitate this connection. This project aims to create a learning space in which students can collaboratively design and construct novel electronic instruments, effects and sound processors. Through a partnership between the Music and Physics Departments, students from both disciplines will benefit from complementary skillsets and gain valuable experience that is highly sought after in the job market. The project will allow students to bring an innovative idea from concept to a workable product that can be tested, analyzed, improved and potentially marketed. It will encourage further research in this growing field and promote collaboration between the humanities and sciences, introducing new pedagogical practices and providing students with valuable experience in their liberal arts education.