Buckets become drums and garden hoses become horns on March 13 and 14 when the Lied Center for Performing Arts and Time Warner Cable team up for Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp.
The camp, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Dawes Middle School, 5130 Colfax Ave., will be led by John Bertles, Kennedy Center teaching artist and science educator, as well as local engineers and teachers. Up to 50 students Grades 5-8 will experience music through a hands-on curriculum steeped in science. Bertles will teach students how sound waves are created by the vibrations of air on an instrument and how those waves travel through the air to bring music to the ear. The camp concludes with all students performing onstage with the April Verch Band at the Lied Center on April 16.
“Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp was created with the goal of providing a safe, education environment for students during Spring Break,” said Bill Stephan, executive director of the Lied Center. “Nebraska students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the engineering principles behind music and proactive problem solving and technological skills through the design and construction of instruments.”
Bertles is a founder of the Bash the Trash organization, which performs and educates with musical instruments made from reused and repurposed materials. Founded in 1988 as the Experimental Orchestra, Bash the Trash originally provided classroom workshops and residencies under the umbrella of cultural institutions such as Carnegie Hall, the Guggenheim Museum and New York Philharmonic. Bash the Trash combines science, musical and environmental awareness and touches more than 50,000 students a year with its live performances and workshops.
The camp is funded through Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds program, which supplies grants to support nonprofit organizations like the Lied Center. Connect a Million Minds is a five-year, $100 million cash and in-kind philanthropic initiative to address America’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp was selected to be a part of the Connect a Million Minds program for its specific emphasis on STEM subjects.
“We have worked closely with the Lied Center for over a decade on education and community outreach initiatives,” said Perry Watson, area vice president for Time Warner Cable. “The concepts behind Science of Sound and its integration of the hard sciences and the arts in the classroom made this a natural partnership.”
“Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp is really the ultimate integration of the arts in a fun, interactive environment,” said Nancy Engen-Wedin, Lied Center education and grants program manager and coordinator of Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp. “Having the chance to perform on the Lied Center main stage with a professional, high-caliber artist like April Verch is an authentic assessment for the kids involved.”
Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp is made possible with the support of Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds program, the Nebraska Arts Council, Kennedy Center Partners in Education, Dawes Middle School, NeighborWorks and LPS Community Learning Centers.
To participate in Time Warner Cable’s Science of Sound Spring Break Camp, contact Engen-Wedin at 402-472-4707 or nenginwedin2@unl.edu. Registration is limited to 50 participants. The registration fee is $10 per student. A limited number of scholarships are available.
