OK Go knows that music can make math fun. (Screenshot via YouTube/OK Go Sandbox)
Most musicians make videos for their biggest songs. A few of them are pretty good at it, too. But no one makes videos quite like the ones made by the Chicago rock band OK Go.
Quirky, inventive, colourful, and playful, their visual style often revolves around a simple concept or technique. This video for "The One Moment" uses 4.2 seconds worth of footage and then slows it down to accompany a three-and-a-half minute pop song.
Neat-o, right?
Teachers love them, too
If you agree that their videos are pretty cool, you're not alone. OK Go's videos do more than just rack up millions of views on YouTube. They are also used by teachers as educational aids, especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics stream, or STEM.
Check out this video for "Needing/Getting" and think about all of the planning, design, and math involved to pull it off.
The speed that the car is driven by lead singer Damian Kulash needs to be precisely paired with the design of the course—otherwise the song would be too slow...or too fast. There's a lot of math in that! It's thinking like this which has led to the band's newest project: OK Go Sandbox.
OK Go go to school, okay?
Sandbox is a collaboration with Google that is specifically for schools, Grades K to 12. There are worksheets, design challenges, and guides to help explain and engage students in STEM concepts. The package has been created with direct feedback from teachers across the United States who responded to the band's survey.
Watch them talk about the musicality of everyday objects in the video below.
Meanwhile, here they explain the thinking and planning (and math!) that helped make the video you saw above for "The One Moment".
With cameras being more accessible than ever to all of us, this all seems like a brilliant way to mix science, math, and creativity together in the BEST. LESSON. PLAN. EVER.
Okay, now go play in the sandbox, everyone!
But before you do, check out this hilarious cover of The Muppet Show theme song the band did...it's for the dogs! (You'll get it, we promise!)
Soooooooooooooooooo cool!!!!!!