Students learn science from Allied Solutions Center ‘professors’
5/19/2026 12AM
"Doctor Brian" Coon, a technical director at Allied Solutions Center, guides a student through a sound wave experiment during a Science of Light & Sound presentation. The free program is offered to local schools several times a year at the Payne & Mencias Palladium. (Photo by Bill Crawford/Harbor Pictures)
Science of Light & Sound draws school groups from far and wide
The chatter from nearly 400 fourth graders filled the Payne & Mencias Palladium as they waited for the scientists to take the stage. They erupted into cheers when the lights went low and “Doctors” Rob and Brian emerged from the shadows. Students from three Central Indiana elementary school districts were here Tuesday, May 5, for the final Science of Light & Sound program of the 2025-2026 school year.
The 60-minute show brings to life the vocabulary and concepts the students have been working on in the classroom. Robert Glass takes his expertise as the lead audio engineer at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts to show the basic properties of sound. Pitch, volume and frequency are just some of the concepts Rob illustrated during the 60-minute set.
“Sound is just a vibration,” Rob said. “What we hear is impacted by the stuff around us.”
The students had a good laugh when Rob invited one of their favorite teachers on the stage and had him sing the classic, “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” and then manipulated his sound to be low- and high-pitched.
Nearly everyone in the concert hall let out a “wow” when Brian used red, blue and green spotlights to create a white light on the screen set up on the stage. As a technical director at Allied Solutions Center, Brian Coon is an expert at creating stage environments that enhance all the performances that come through Carmel.
“This is how additive and subtractive color mixing works,” he told the kids. “It’s science!”
Science of Light & Sound is presented free several times throughout the school year and is designed to dovetail with Indiana Department of Education standards for fourth grade science. More than 1,300 students from approximately 30 schools and homeschool groups attended one of the sessions during the 2025-2026 session. Schools from as far away as Columbus, New Castle, Kokomo and Lafayette attended one of the shows.
“We’re so thankful to Scientech Foundation of Indiana and Business Furniture Co. for supporting this show,” said Jeff McDermott, president and CEO of Allied Solutions Center. “In part because of their support, more than 1,300 students from schools all over Central Indiana got to make the connection that science makes art and science needs art to show its beauty.”
Educators are able to apply for grants to cover transportation costs associated with attending events at Allied Solutions Center, addressing one of the chief hurdles they face in arranging field trips. Reservations for the 2026-2027 school year open this summer.
