Mathematics and Music: The Collision of Science and Art

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Recommended: Short note on the Renaissance man

The concept of the Renaissance man is somewhat of a lost ideal, replaced by the specialized philosophy of the industrial era. From the 14th to 17th centuries; however, it would be common to find a man with a profound knowledge of both the Arts, music, poetry, literature, art, and the Sciences, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology. The Renaissance man embraced all forms of knowledge, and through a deep passion for both the Arts and Sciences, used each discipline to expand the other. Unfortunately, in the 21st century, this same philosophy is far gone. Where these two fields once were used together to create an ultimate beauty, they are now pitted against each other by many scholars. It is not uncommon now for a mathematician or physicist to dismiss the Arts as a waste of time; or for an artist or musician to proclaim the Sciences as useless to them. As both an avid blues guitarist and an IB math student, I aim to contrast this modern opinion. I will do so by exploring the relationship between the Arts and Sciences; specifically mathematics and music. On a personal level, I find this to be extremely important, as I hold a deep value for all means of human expression and learning. I believe also that the Arts and Sciences hold one great unifying thing together, which is the search for Truth and Beauty. In a modernized world where ideas and creations can be shared so quickly; the potential for a profound knowledge and passion of both these fields has never been greater. Concepts I plan to explore are: how musical scales can be made using Fibonacci ratios, the Golden Ratio’s relationship with music, equal temperament, where else the Fibonacci numbers occur in music, the exponential nature of octaves, and how exposure to music help... ... middle of paper ... ...ight in blending together a proper knowledge of both the Sciences and Arts. I’ve always believed a proper knowledge in all fields of human endeavors is essential to finding truth and through knowledge of both fields one can create a life of beauty. Bibliography Works Cited "Fibonacci Sequence and Music." Fibonacci.html. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. . "Music." Phi 1618 The Golden Number RSS. Golden Number, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. . Wikipedia. "Golden Ratio." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2014. . Wikipedia. "Music and Mathematics." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Feb. 2014. .

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