Today’s Science of Music test had some pretty… erm… obvious questions – but they were a good giveaway. Some instances:

Which of the following activities can most appropriately be called a scientific activity?
(a) A physicist measuring the energy produced by a piano string when it is struck by a hammer at a certain velocity
(b) A guitarist trying to tighten the A string of a guitar
(c) A piano technician repairing a pedal on a grand piano
(d) A young pianist trying to play a Grade One examination piece on the piano

Which of the following activities is the least appropriate example of technology in music?
(a) An electronic engineer inventing a new type of electronic organ
(b) A violinist devising and constructing a new design for a violin bow
(c) A guitarist creating an innovative new type of guitar body
(d) A song writer composing a new song for a rock musician

Which of the following objects is the least appropriate example of a vibration?
(a) A student’s head nodding repeatedly up and down as he falls asleep during a boring lecture (…!)
(b) A palm tree swaying repeatedly from side to side in a strong wind
(c) A feather falling to the ground from a bird in flight
(d) A guitar string immediately after being plucked

And we have pretty interesting analogies…

An architect designs a house for himself to live in, and produces plans for the house, which a building contractor uses to build the actual house itself. When a compose writes a piece of music for an orchestra to perform in a concert, which of the following has the same relationship to the composer as the building contractor has to the architect?
(a) The composer of the piece of music
(b) The orchestra performing the piece of music
(c) The musical score of the piece of music
(d) The audience listening to the piece of music