High school students explore the intersection of music and computer science at summer camp

Over 40 rising Junior and Senior high school students from the Ann Arbor area rocked in at the University of Michigan early this summer to explore computer science through the medium of music.

The camp, “It’s All About the Music,” is related to the creative intersection of music and computer science. It provided an opportunity for students who are interested in music, digital media, technology, or the sciences to try out media-center content creation tools, build computer-related hardware projects, and explore career options, even if they didn’t have experience in computer science.

During the camp, students worked with computer science applications and equipment to create digital music, computer graphics, mobile Android apps, and music-related games. Students also competed in a Dance, Dance Revolution contest and then tore down and analyzed the game hardware. They were able to learn to solder and build small circuit boards. The camp includes a Career Day, in which campers get to discuss STEM fields as career choices and admissions practices at U-M, as well as have frank discussions with current U-M engineering students about college life.

The camp, which is headed by Dr. David Chesney of Computer Science and Engineering and run in large part by U-M engineering students, is being repeated during the summer at sites in Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo.

Dr. Chesney and the camp organizers hope that the camp will open students’ eyes to ways in which their passions such as music are interconnected and influenced by STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields such as computer science.

It’s All About the Music is administered and organized by the Office of Student Affairs at the U-M College of Engineering. Funding for the series of camps was provided by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.