SophiaBernitz

Physics054
ProfessorRobOwen

GroupProjectReport:ViolinandViola

MygroupprojectwaswithRachelHalvorson,HattieAhn,HenryAllison,LylyLiand
JesseMcCandlessstudyingtheacousticpropertiesoftheviolinandviola.Weseparatedour
presentationintoavarietyofdifferentsections:wegaveoverviewsofthebaroqueandmodern
violinsandviolas,thencomparedthemtoeachotherintermsoffundamentalfrequencies,
projection,tuning,etc.Then,wetalkedabouthowsoundprojectionworksandtheeffectsof
differentkindsofsetups(e.g.differentmodelsofviolas,differentagesofinstruments,etc).
Then,wecontinuedbytalkingabouttheeffectofthebow,andwaysitcanhelpandhurtthe
soundoftheinstrument.Toend,wetalkedaboutthedifferentmodesthatspeakwellonthe
violinandviola.Wesplitupthesetasksfairlyevenly:wetriedtomakesureallthetopicswere
coveredfluidlyanddiscussedinwayspeoplecouldunderstand.Inordertoaidintheclasses
understanding,wedidalotofplayingexampleswithourowninstruments(everyoneinthe
groupexceptJesseplaysviolinorviola).
SomehelpfulresourcesforusincludedOxfordMusicOnline/Grove,
TheViolinAnd
Viola:History,Structure,Techniques
byKellieD.Brown(book),andavarietyofdifferent
instrumentmakerswebsiteswithinformationsaboutthemakingsoftheirinstruments.Hereisa
list:
Brown,KellieD."TheViolinAndViola:History,Structure,Techniques(Book)."
Music
EducatorsJournal
90.5(2004):5455.
MusicIndex
.Web.12May2015.

DavidD.BoydenandAnnM.Woodward."Viola."
GroveMusicOnline
.
OxfordMusicOnline
.
OxfordUniversityPress.Web.12May.2015.
<
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/29438
>.


Harman,Charles."TheStandardViola."
www.harmanviolins.com
.N.p.,n.d.Web.12May2015.

Nobes,Pauline."PeriodFeatures."
Strad
114.1361(2003):972978.
MusicIndex
.Web.4
May2015.

Jeong,SooKyungClaire."ViolaDesign:SomeProblemswithStandardization."Dissertation.
TheUniversityofAlabama,2012.

Wolfe,Joe."ViolinAcoustics:AnIntroduction."Web.12May201

TheGrove/Oxfordmusiconlinepageontheviola,
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/29438?q=viola&search=quic
k&pos=1&_start=1#S29438.4
onlineessaysbyviolinmaker,CharlesHarman,
http://www.harmanviolins.com/thestandardviola.html
SookyungClaireJeong'spaperonproblemswithvioladesignandstandardization
http://acumen.lib.ua.edu/content/u0015/0000001/0001041/u0015_0000001_0001041.pdf
SheilaNelson'sbookTheViolinandViola:History,Structure,Techniques
http://www.physicscentral.com/explore/action/fiddle.cfm

Thesewerethemainthingsusedinourgroup.ThemosthelpfultomewereGroveOnlineand
thePhysicsCentralwebsite.Thesewerethemostclearlypresentedsources,forme.Itwasvery
easytogatherquickinformationfromthese.
Asagroup,wemet3timestotal.Ididthemajorityofmyresearchaloneinmyroomor
thelibrary,butweoveralldidhave3meetings:thefirstmeetingwaswhenitwasjustthegroup
of4todelegatetopics,thesecondwaswhenweredistributedinformationtofitfor6people
(whenJesseandLylywereadded),andanothertimetopracticetheflowofthepresentation.We

Theslidesforthepresentationwereallinoneplaceinagooglepresentation,soitwasveryeasy
toworkwithotherpeoplesslidesandknowwheretogowithourresearch,asitwasallfairly
wellorganized.
Asmostofuswerestringplayers,itwasveryeasytodividethekindofresearchwe
neededtodoandtheplayingdemonstrations.Overall,themainorganizersoftheworkload
wereRachelandHenry,butIdidalotofcollaborativeresearchwithRachelontheside,aswell
aspracticingwithherandHattiebeforehand.ItwaskindofdifficulthavingLylyandJesse
addedonverylateinthegame,sothatthrewusoffalittle,butitallendedupbeingfineinthe
end,andwewerewellpreparedandourpresentation/processransmoothly.IfIweretodothis
projectagain,Idprobablywanttorunthroughitafewmoretimesinordertomakeitmore
concise,butotherwiseIthinkitwentfairlywell.

IhaveadheredtotheHonorCodeonthisAssignment.
SophiaBernitz