The educational fields of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM) will be at the forefront of a virtual electric violin concert offered by the Chester Public Library on Saturday, March 13 at 4 p.m.

Titled Caryn Lin and The Science of Sound, the show will feature Lin on a five-string electric violin as different sound effects are played back in a loop. It is designed to help attendees make connections with how musical sounds relate to science and math.

For Children’s Librarian Stephanie Rush, the event is meant to show attendees, and specifically, student-age children, that “science is everywhere and it’s a part of our lives.”

“I think that kids should know that just because we say science, it doesn’t mean that it has to be, ‘Oh, math or experiments.’ I don’t want kids to get turned off when they know that something is science or math. I want them to know that STEM [science, technology, engineering, math] and STEAM is part of our daily lives and it can be fun and exciting,” she continued.

Lin, an electric violinist, composer, and self-described “education innovator” is a classically trained violinist who earned a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from Northwestern University.

After graduating, she moved to Germany with a plan to study under German violinist Susanne Lautenbacher. Lin discovered a new sound during her last night in the country when a guitarist connected her acoustic violin with an echo box.

“He plugged in the cable and he started moving the dials around,” said Lin. “I just couldn’t believe that I could use those sounds on my violin.”

After returning to the United States in the late ’80s, she purchased an electric violin, “and then met people here and learned mostly everything from guitar players,” she said.

A key takeaway for attendees of the Science of Sound show is “don’t be afraid to think outside the box,” said Lin.

“We’re presenting something that is out of the box, hoping that, well, knowing that the kids can relate to the stuff we’re showing them. Whether or not they’re thinking about it in terms of words or not, they’ll still relate it to their world,” she continued.

As part of the event, Lin will make sound waves visible on screen.

“She has the technology to actually show the reverberations and the real time science behind it,” said Rush. “She’s also going to explore how sound creates emotion and how emotion can be reflected using sound. I’m excited that will be a part of it, too.”

Rush, who said that the virtual concert was a new type of event for the library during the pandemic, added that it was made possible with a grant from the Peach Pit Foundation through the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.

“The family that donated said they wanted the funds to be used immediately and used in a fun way,” said Rush. “So, we decided to use them for children’s program materials and family programming over the next couple of months.”

A link to attend the virtual Caryn Lin and The Science of Sound show is provided on the Chester Public Library website www.chesterctlibrary.com/childrensprograms.