๐ต What Does Physics Sound Like? Creating Musical Themes for Every Subject
#MusicInLearning #EdTechVideos #STEMandSound
At Philip M Russell Ltd, we don’t just talk about science—we film it, teach it, and score it. When we make backing tracks for our educational videos, one question comes up again and again:
What does this subject sound like?
It’s not as easy as you’d think. Sure, there are tried-and-tested musical themes for emotions—minor chords for sadness, sweeping strings for love, and frantic percussion for panic—but what about GCSE Biology? Or A-Level Physics? Or Sociology?
We’ve set ourselves the challenge of composing original soundtracks for each subject we teach. The goal isn’t just to fill silence—it’s to reinforce the mood, the tempo, and even the concepts behind the learning. It’s music as an invisible co-teacher.
The Sound of Maths
For maths, we tend to use minimalist electronic music. Steady beats, clean patterns, and repetitive motifs echo the structure and logic of mathematics. Arpeggios can reflect multiplication tables; rhythmic pulses suit sequences and series. There's a calm precision to it—something that says "order" without being robotic.
Chemistry’s Composition
Chemistry lends itself well to layered classical themes with synthetic textures. The base might be a string quartet or piano, with synths building on top to represent chemical reactions and interactions. It’s all about transformation—musical motifs dissolving and reforming, just like molecules in motion.
Ambient Psychology
For psychology, we use ambient music—slow, thoughtful, reflective. Synth pads, reverb-laden piano notes, and subtle soundscapes help to evoke introspection and emotional nuance. The music becomes part of the journey into the mind.
But what about the trickier subjects?
๐ง What Does Biology Sound Like?
Biology is alive, quite literally. So we build its soundtrack from organic sounds. Think light percussion mimicking heartbeats, acoustic instruments, soft flutes, or rhythmic breathing patterns layered under melodies.
When filming microscopy footage or time-lapses of plant growth, we use music that evolves gently—just like the subjects we’re studying. Sometimes we even sample actual biological sounds (like a heartbeat or bird call) and build the track around that.
๐ถ Physics: When the Experiment is Silent
Physics is unique because sometimes it sounds like something—the hiss of a Van de Graaff generator, the ping of a metal sphere, the crack of a whip wave down a rope.
Other times? Nothing. It’s visually stunning but audibly silent.
In those moments, we use sound design to build drama. Synthesized oscillations mirror wave patterns. Deep bass hits echo impacts. High-pitched trills can stand in for electrons moving energy levels.
When we film sound experiments, we might even use the actual recorded waveforms as inspiration for the melody or beat. In a way, the experiment writes its own music.
Sociology's Score
Sociology is human at its core, so we compose music that reflects society’s rhythm.
We might use gentle acoustic guitar for community topics, or ambient electronic beats to reflect the digital age. When the theme is inequality or tension, dissonance and sparse rhythms come into play. It’s about storytelling through sound—capturing the emotional undercurrent of social change.
Composing to Fit the Video
We always compose music to fit the video, not the other way around. That means watching a clip on loop, thinking about tone and tempo, and crafting a track that follows the pace of the teaching—not distracts from it.
We ask:
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What emotion does this subject evoke?
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Should the music drive the learning or sit quietly behind it?
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Are there real sounds we can sample or imitate?
Sometimes the right soundtrack is barely noticed. Other times, it becomes a hook that makes the lesson more memorable.
Why Bother?
Because learning is multisensory.
Because music helps with memory.
Because students engage more when it feels professional and immersive.
And honestly—because it’s fun.
Music matters. Even in maths. Especially in physics. Let’s make learning sound as good as it looks.
#MusicInLearning #ScienceSoundtrack #STEMMusic #EdTechInnovation #CreativeTeaching
