Nathaniel De Guzman

Period 2

Exploring Music Reflection

Today, I learned that music and language connect because music is a system of symbols and rules
that communicates specific ideas. Plus, music is like a code because the notes and musical sounds
are thought of as a musical alphabet, except the musical alphabet only has 12 notes, not 26 notes.
Plus, I also learned about rhythm and what I learned about rhythm is that rhythm is series of
strong and weak beats that are organized into groups and repeated. Plus, rhythm is also in music,
for example rhythm can help us differentiate between types of music like marching and rock
music, it takes four beats per measure for those two types of music. But, that not the only thing I
learned about music, I learned that music connects with science and math too, and a few things I
learned about both science and math being connected to music is that when a musician is playing
music, the musician count the amount of beats in each piece of written music. Plus, in music,
composers divide whole music notes into halves, quarters, eighths, and sixteenths. Plus, in music,
mathematical ratios are used, for example if you pluck a string at the half point, it vibrate, so in
mathematical terms, the octave or the pitch is a 2:1 ratio. But, thats not the only thing I learned
about math being connected to music, I also learned about patterns. Patterns are used in
everything, for example rhythm is a type of pattern that is used in music. It can be used like this
in music, for example strong beat, weak beat, strong beat, weak beat or strong beat, strong beat,
weak beat, weak beat. Those are things that I learned about math being connected to music, but
there is one thing that music is connected to and that is science. Science is in common with music
because music use real life example that we have probably learned in science class, for example
sound waves and sound. Sound waves and sound connect because when you play an instrument,
it admits sound across the room, for example when you pluck a violin string the vibrations disrupt

the air causing the vibration it to create sound waves that emits sound. But, that not the only thing
I learned, I also learned that music has different sounds, which means it has different
wavelengths. A wavelength is the distance between the high point of one wave and the high point
of the next wave. The last thing I learned about science is the material of what the instruments is
made up of. String instruments are made up of wood and the strings are made of synthetic metals.
Brass instruments are made up of a yellowish metal and a mouthpiece is used to make the
instrument work and the noise made by it is buzzing. So, looking back on language, I learned that
dynamics are used in music and some example of dynamics is forte, which means loud and piano,
which means soft. Plus, another thing I learned is that expression is used in music. Expression
means to express your feelings and ideas and thats what music does, it express its feelings and
ideas. The last thing I learned about language being connected to music is that an exclamation
point in music is a greater than symbol and this symbol is telling person that you need to play
your music strong and loud.
Quiz
Q: True or False: Composers divide whole music notes into halves, quarters, eighths, and
sixteenths.
A: True
Q: What is the distance between the high point of one wave and the high point of the next wave
called?
A: Wavelength
Q: True or False: The musical alphabet has 26 notes in total.
A: False