Blue Man Group - Making Waves
About Making Waves
The mad scientists from Blue Man Group and Harman International take us where no children’s museum exhibit has gone before in Blue Man Group--Making Waves. The exhibit features a playful and accessible approach to the science of sound and light, utilizing extraordinary technology from Harman International’s JBL Audio brand with the dynamic Blue Men as your guide.
Onstage, the Blue Man is one part inquisitive child, one part trickster, and one part superhero on a journey of discovery. Curiosity, comedy and courage guide the Blue Man as he learns how to express himself and connect with others through his experiments with sound and color. This same approach guided the creation of Blue Man Group–Making Waves, which encourages learning and development through sensory engagement and interactive entertainment. Ultimately, the shared experience will enhance the whole family’s appreciation and understanding of quality light and sound.
About the Exhibit Sections
A sound and light tunnel - the LED entrance fuselage—beacons visitors into the exhibit. This tunnel features a lighted floor consisting of LED signs scrolling directional arrows while sonic tubes connect to the roof and each play disparate elements of a single tribal rhythm.
Around the bend, visitors see three video monitors, each displaying a Blue Man's head bopping in time with the tribal rhythm heard in the entry tube. This wall will also feature a short visual introduction to the exhibit and the Blue Man character.
Next, the Tube Phones demonstrate the different characteristics of sound and how it can be manipulated. Visitors speak into a microphone and hear their own voice processed and played back through speakers mounted into lengths of tubing. They can hear their own voice processed with echo, distortion, reverb and even hear it changed into a totally different sound such as a bird chirping or a train whistle.
Experience sound with multiple senses and find out what sound waves would look like if you could see them. At this station visitors will get a chance to play a Theramine organ. A space aged science-fiction instrument that is actually played by moving your hand closer to or farther away from it. On an oscilloscope in front of the instrument kids will see the sound waves and be able to play with creating harmonies and dissonance and see how these different sound properties look. The will also be able to play a series of pre-programmed sounds and experience the sound properties of every-day experience.
In this area visitors are encouraged to build and slide PVC tubes to create instruments. In the Build-u-lum area bins of color coded pipe provide the raw materials for the instrument. By altering the tube lengths the pitch of pipe is changed. Song books with color-coded "notes" are attached and show how to build an instrument that will play a song. Once the instrument is "tuned" to whatever configuration suits their fancy, visitors strike the ends of the tubes with soft paddles to produce the song they have built. The Slide-i-lum area visitors slide PVC tube into long or short configurations to change the pitch of the note. After sliding the PVC tube to the perfect length they strike it with a stick to produce the note. A light box near this section contains instructions on how to use the instruments and a brief description of the concepts they demonstrate.
We all know that sound is a physical vibration in the air. But in reality, we rarely think about the tactile physicality of sound. Here, we will show in a very real way that sound is a physical force with the capability to move things. Speakers mounted under drum heads will produce aural vibrations that will form resonance patters in sand. Along with this demonstration will be a short video from Harman International which shows how speakers produce sound waves.
Play PVC instruments just like the ones Blue Men play in the show. With a pulsing black-light making the instrument glow a variety of colors, the PVC is positioned in front of a large back-lit photograph of the Blue Men on stage. This will also be a great place for collaboration amongst visitors. Kids will be able to play a song on their own by following a flashing light within the instrument. Or for a more advanced experiment, three kids can try and play a song together.
No more pots and pans after visitors experience the Belly Drum wall. Learn from the Blue Men how to use the human body as a percussion instrument. Once the art of belly drumming is perfected visitors can play along as the Blue Men perform the Belly Drum Song.
The whole experience comes together inside the surround sound theatre. Five flat-panel televisions will surround the room, each fitted with its own sound source. The Blue Men will perform a newly created piece on these five screens that will show the amazing effects of multi-channel sound. The piece will begin with the Blue Men moving from screen to screen working with various sounds and musical instruments. The piece will build from there to a musical crescendo that, like the Blue Man show itself, will leave visitors asking for more.