Laurie E. McNeil, PhD

Scholars and musicians from the ancient Greeks to modern times have asked questions about music: Why do we find the combination of certain pitches pleasing? Why do two different instruments playing the same note sound different? Can musical instruments be improved (and what would that mean)? The answers to these questions arise from the profound connections between music and physics. I will elucidate some principles of musical acoustics and explore how they affect the way instruments work and how we experience musical sound. In doing so I will draw on my background as a physicist and a musician, and on my experience co-teaching a course on the subject with a professional musician.

The NSS lecture series is made possible by generous contributions from Con Edison and Sigma Xi.