Museum plays by ear
in 2 new exhibitions

   Children can learn through playing with two new exhibits at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
   In Play It by Ear families can tinker and play with original works of contemporary sound art, including a keyboard that activates dancing Slinkys, a giant music box that lets children create the melody and a soundscape where children hear their movement.
   Celebrating sound as an art form is the goal of Play It by Ear.
   Sound intrigues children and provides the ability to convey lessons about the world, particularly the scientific properties behind sound.
   Some of the activities in the Play It by Ear exhibit include Audio Visual: Visual Audio.
   This piece consists of Slinkys of varying lengths mounted in front of a curved wall.
   The Slinkys wiggle in response to sound that comes from one of 14 large keyboards to activate the attached speakers.
   Another piece is the Ball Machine, a highly interactive piece based on ancient and medieval technologies.
   It includes a system of tracks for wooden balls to roll down after being delivered from the ball delivery systems.
   While the balls are rolling down the track, they strike various objects such as alarm bells and old tools.
   Children operate the ball delivery systems and listen to the tunes the balls play as they make their way through the contraption.
   Play It by Ear was developed by sound artists from the San Francisco Bay Area.
   Also showing at the museum is the Whodunit? exhibit.
   A traveling and interactive exhibit, Whodunit? explores scientific method and technologies used to solve crimes, such as DNA profiling, fingerprinting, firearm identification, forensic anthropology, pathology, entomology, odontology, evidence collection and trace evidence.
   Visitors to Whodunit? walk into a crime scene at the Memory Diner. The diner has just been robbed at gunpoint.
   When the police arrive, they find a body in the alley. The short-order cook is the only witness.
   Visitors collect, analyze and synthesize data to determine various suspects’ innocence at crime lab stations.
   Stations throughout Whodunit? have activities for visitors of all ages including “Kids Only” areas.
   Case studies of several historic crimes and profiles of real forensic professionals are also featured.
   Play It by Ear runs through May 9 and Whodunit? until May 31.
   The museum is located at 1501 Montgomery St. in Fort Worth’s Cultural District.
   Admission to both exhibits is included with regular exhibit admission: $7 for adults and $5 for children (3-12) and seniors (60+).
   Exhibit hours are Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
   For more information, call 817-255-9300 or visit the Web site at www.fortworthmuseum.org.