In Spring 2013, as part of a 12-week Creative Arts program focused on technology, Propel East 7th and 8th graders participated in several hands-on labs designed to teach the basic construction and physics that allow audio-based devices (such as microphones and speakers) to function. Over the course of 6 weeks, students learned how to build a functioning microphone using household materials, as well as how to “circuit bend” – the process of rewiring the circuit board inside an audio electronics device (such as a keyboard) to elicit modified sound.