Thursday 4/29- Final Building Day/ Data Collection

The goals for the day were very clear from the moment we walked into class- finish our project. In order to reach our goal, we had to make the mallets for all three instruments, attach the pedals and drums to the wood flower, and mount the rest of the frame and wood pieces for the xylophone leaf. Overall we were very successful in finishing our project in the time allotted. Once one of the projects was finished, extra members helped on the remaining projects, and when all were completed, we worked to add finishing touches to refine the project. Once 3rd block came around and the project was done, we watched as several students came in to play the instrument.


Aside from documenting, I was in charge of making a schedule for the data collection on Saturday, along with several questions to answer as we observed during the data collection. I also had to make the mallets for each instrument, paint music notes on the metal flower, and help out with various tasks on the other instruments to help finish them in time.


Now that the project prototype is done, some design flaws and improvements become obvious. First of all, a mallet made out of rubber would sound much better on metal than the wood one we created. Second, there are many aspects that need to be polished and cleaned up to make it look more like a piece of art than a school project made in three days. Lastly, allowing more time to create the best sound for every instrument will bring it from a prototype to a success, as users won't feel like they will need to know how to play the drums in order to make it sound good. During 3rd block several students came in to test our prototype.

The students mostly loved it, and enjoyed playing it with their friends. However, did loose interest quickly. I think adding to the sound would be a good way to solve this problem.