April 3, 2007

Spring Break!

Spring has finally sprung so we are off for the next few days. We will reurn the week of 4/9!

Posted by musicforall at 3:20 PM | Comments (0)

December 19, 2006

Happy Holidays from Music for All

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September 23, 2006

Music Community Loses Another Giant

The music community loses another warrior for music and music education. And Music for All loses another friend.

Musical Instrument Industry Mourns the Passing of Fender's Legendary William 'Bill' Schultz

William "Bill" Schultz, the man best known for his legendary business turnaround of the iconic Fender(R) brand name, passed away peacefully on Thursday, Sept. 21, at his Scottsdale, Ariz., home in the presence of his loving family.

In 1985, Schultz led an employee leveraged buyout of Fender Musical Instruments from then-owner CBS Inc. The company, whose products include the Stratocaster(R), Telecaster(R) and Precision Bass(R) guitars that have been played by musicians from around the world for more than 60 years, was in steady decline under CBS management.

Schultz and his team set out to restore the company's former glory, and in the 20 years under his direction, they had taken it from a small general office and warehouse in Brea, Calif., to its current position as the global industry leader, with state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in two countries and offices around the world. Schultz also served as chairman of the board for Fender Musical Instruments Corp. ("FMIC"). In the days to come, the FMIC board of directors will name a successor.

Said William Mendello, the current CEO of Fender and long-time friend of Schultz, "It is hard to imagine where Fender would be without the vision, passion and belief of Bill Schultz. He led one of the greatest turnarounds in American business history, and I will always be inspired by his leadership, his role as a guiding force in the success of Fender, and his unwavering friendship throughout the years."

Musical Instrument Industry Mourns the Passing of Fender's Legendary William 'Bill' Schultz

Posted by musicforall at 8:57 PM

September 20, 2006

Merger: What People are Saying

Here are some of the comments we are receiving about the merger:

“The merger of Music for All and Bands of America is a highly significant development for music education in America,” notes Sir Ken Robinson, well-known author and one of the world’s foremost authorities on creativity. “I know, through my own work and collaboration with Music for All, just what a powerful force it has become for music in schools. Under the driving leadership of Bob Morrison, it has combined vision and passion with a hard headed approach to effective research and informed advocacy. Bands of America has a distinguished record in supporting and promoting music practice throughout the United States. The merging of these two proven agencies into a single united force is very good news for students, educators and musicians across the country and for education as a whole.”

“In spite of most people instinctively knowing the benefits of music, far too often music programs are the first to be cut when schools have budget problems,” notes Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, past chairman and current board member of the National Governor’s Association and the Education Commission of the States. “That’s why I am excited that Music for All and Bands of America have united under the label Music for All, Inc. The merger of these two outstanding organizations will create one of the largest organizations in America engaged in making music,” adds Huckabee, a long time music and arts education champion. “Music for All, Inc. will provide a mechanism to connect those who develop policy with those who will implement that policy on a large scale. With the outreach capabilities of this new ‘policy meets practice’ organization, music programs should never again be on the chopping blocks in our schools.”

“We have worked closely with both organizations in the past,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO of NAMM, the International Music Products Association, “and we fully support this merger and the strong leadership of Scott McCormick and Bob Morrison.”

Posted by musicforall at 4:39 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2006

When Does a Musical Note Become A Religious Symbol?

I first wrote about the holiday controversies over religious music when a local school district and the supervisor of fine arts Nick Santoro became vilified (the school district deserved it... Nick did not) for the banning of certain music deemed to be religious during the Christmas/Hananuka/Kwanza/Rhamadan/Comsumer Holiday period that runs... oh say... from the third week in September until sometime during the first quarter of a new year. Hey... there are folks in my neighborhood that STILL have their Christmas (or are the kwanza) lights up... AND IT IS JULY 11th... but I digress.

Here is what I wrote in 2004:

When Does a Musical Note Become A Religious Symbol?

Is it when words are attached that infer religious meaning? If the words are detached from the music does the music retain the meaning of the words? If music programs cannot perform instrumental versions of any music that may have religious lyrics... is it possible to divorce the music and lyrics to any song? Should we no longer use the Star-Spangled Banner as our national anthem because the original words were tied to the consumption of alcohol? Can the Messiah no longer be seen as a great work of art.

Read full commentary

(Yes... I know I need to convert my 120 articles from the old blog to this blog)

So... just when you thought it might be safe to bring out those instrumental favorites another superintendent... clearly afraid of her own shadow... bans the performance of "Ave Maria" at the high school commencement. SO what is the next logical step in this story?

Teen sues district after "Ave Maria" silenced
By David Bowermaster

For years, seniors in the wind ensemble at Henry M. Jackson High School have selected a favorite piece of music to play during commencement.

For last month's ceremonies, the 17 students chose an instrumental version of "Ave Maria," which they had performed at a school concert in December 2004.

But their choice was vetoed by Dr. Carol Whitehead, superintendent of the Everett School District. Instead, the ensemble played a selection by British composer Gustav Holst.

Now Kathryn Nurre, an 18-year-old who played alto saxophone in the ensemble before graduating, is suing Whitehead, claiming the decision violated her First Amendment right to freedom of speech. She believes "Ave Maria" was nixed by Whitehead because she felt the song was too religious for a school-sanctioned event.

The full story is:

The Seattle Times: Local News: Teen sues district after "Ave Maria" silenced

But my FAVORITE part is the readers reaction. Take a look!

Posted by musicforall at 9:06 PM

May 4, 2006

Losing a Friend: Mike Kovins

As I can back in from my son's baseball practice there was a message on my answering machine. "Bob, it's Jim. I calling to see if you know anything about Mike. I just heard he died. Call me back." click.

And just like that I learned that Mike Kovins, a person who has played an important role in my life and my career, has died. Very Sad.

Mike had been suffering with Leukemia... for seven years. None of his friends knew. He kept it private.

I thought it would be interesting to allow people who knew Mike to post comments here. I am still gathering all my thoughts before sharing.

So, if you knew Mike and want to share a story or a comment... just click below and share your thoughts.

To Mike... Thanks!

Posted by musicforall at 8:35 AM | Comments (2)

April 26, 2006

Stanford Prez: Arts a Priority

Looks like we are going to need a bigger bandwagon!

In his annual speech to the Academic Council last Thursday, President John Hennessy addressed the role of the arts at Stanford, including the goal of making the arts an integral component of the university's educational mission.

This is not because of some warm and fuzzy support for the arts. Nope... there is a method to this approach. One that focuses on the way the arts spur creativity and lead to innovation. Things one would hope our universities would see as valuable. Skills our business need in this new economy.

"I believe the arts offer an expanded tool set for learning and understanding, which can enhance creative thinking skills," Hennessy said. "But this will also require facilitating more cross-disciplinary collaboration between the arts and other fields."

In his remarks, Hennessy presented a mixed picture of the current state of arts education at Stanford. Although the arts and humanities have been an essential part of the university since its founding, and many outstanding arts programs exist on campus, Hennessy repeated an earlier assertion that the quantity and depth of the university's offerings in the arts "are not up to the level of a great university like Stanford."

The fact that the arts have lagged behind is "not the primary reason for us to seek to build stronger programs," the president said. "The primary reason is what such programs can do to enhance the ability of our students to think creatively and to contribute in novel ways."

For more context, check out my interview with Sir Ken Robinson(PDF File). Looks like the beginning of a trend!

Arts essential to multidisciplinary research, teaching

Posted by musicforall at 1:27 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2006

Coming to a Spring Concert Near You: Video Game Music

First, we heard about symphony orchestras performing concerts based on the music of popular video games... now these themes are making their way into music classrooms across the country.

Traditionalists may cringe at the thought of video game music... but many of the scores are well done. Of course, it took a while for music educators to embrace jazz ad now it is a big part of music education. With the proliferation of technology and tools to create and perform music - maybe studying and performing these new arrangements will inspire a new generation of music maker.

Award-Winning Video Game Music Now Available for Concert Band, Marching Band and Orchestra Alfred, the leader in educational music publishing, and Video Games Live, the first major U.S. video game concert tour, have teamed up to bring the music from award-winning video games to music education programs all over the world. Now band and orchestra educators will be able to purchase concert band, marching band, and orchestra arrangements of the soundtracks to top video games, some of which are also performed by live orchestras during the Video Game Live concert tour.

"Alfred is always looking for new ways to inspire kids to experience the joy of making music, and the music coming out of the video game industry is amazing," said Andrew Surmani, Vice President of Marketing and Managing Director, School & Church Publishing. "We look for music that is not only beautifully written, but will appeal to students and music educators alike."

Alfred teamed up with the creators of Video Game Live, famed composers Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall, to secure licensing agreements from major game publishers. %u201CThis is a great step forward in our goal to bring the popular music from games to our young fans. Video Games Live is a concert experience for the entire family and for video game fans everywhere. We want to give kids the opportunity to play their favorite music from our show for their friends and family," said Wall.

The 2006 Video Games Live concert season debuts at the Civic Auditorium in San Jose on Friday, March 24th as the closing event of the Game Developer's Conference where all the top game designers and composers will be in attendance.

Full Story Planet GameCube News Article: Game Arrangements Available for Band & Orchestra

Posted by musicforall at 5:18 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2006

Music for All Enters the Wonderful World of Podcasting

I must admit, I was intrigued by the idea the first time I heard of podcasts a little less than a year ago. When Apple brought podcasting to the public’s attention in June I became even more interested in the idea. I do a lot of writing (for this blog, for magazines, for other projects) and our news services force me to stay on top of all the music and arts education news from around the country. I have lots of material at my fingertips.

But the technology to create a decent podcast seemed to be out to be just out of reach. Not because of money… it was more ignorance.

GarageBand 3 changed all that. It made it easy to unleashed the caged podcaster within!

So, keeping the same name as my magazine columns we have launched From the Trenches a bi-weekly audio magazine covering the news headlines, news events, and newsmakers impacting the music arts education world.

In our first episode we look at:

President Bushes FY2007 budget and the impact on arts education

We explore what issue is literally weighing on the minds of arts educators in Texas

Rant about a Denver Post Editorial supports the elimination of arts programs in DPS Public schools

And in our feature story we look at the California $100 million proposal that could change the landscape for arts education in California public schools and across the nations.

Take a listen!

To subscribe to the podcast follow your software’s instructions (iTunes, etc,) and use the url

http://music-for-all.org/trenches.xml

To download the complete show (an 8 MG - MPEG4 File) click here!

We would love to know what you think!

Posted by musicforall at 7:55 AM | Comments (0)

January 4, 2006

Happy New Year

We are back... not that we were really away but... we have been busily working on preparations for our upcoming WearBlue: Support School Music campaign, working through the last phases of our New Jersey Arts Education Census Project before we survey all 2400 schools in the state, exploring new technologies to use as tools in our advocacy efforts, helping to plan a meeting between Governor Huckabee (R-AR) and entertainment industry executives to promote music and arts education, and tying up the loose ends for the close of the Music for All Foundation's fiscal year.

This month we will announce "WearBlue: Support School Music", open the second leg of our Bon Jovi "have a Nice Day" auctions, and hold our 4th annual NAMM Show New Gear Charity Auction in partnership with Music Player Publications and eBay featuring more than 40 instruments worth in excess of $50,000 (starting January 19th).

There is also some crazy (read absurd) things happening in school districts across the country we need to get to.

Look for a flurry of activity starting this weekend!

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November 29, 2005

The Power of Music

Last night I had the chance to attend “The Power Of Music Awards” benefiting Beth Abraham’s Institute for Music and Neurologic Function… which is a fancy way of saying music therapy. The night was a wonderful event honoring an old friend on his 90th Birthday – Henry Z. Steinway of Steinway and Sons - and Arnold Goldstein the Institute’s founder.

While being regaled with testimony and performances by Billy Taylor, Bruce Hornsby, Lorin Hollander and Moby a number of recent stories began to converge in my head. While the power of music was the theme for this event - beginning to understand the true power of music, in a much broader framework will be of value to all of us.

We get hit with comments, articles, claims, research and stories about music all the time. Often focusing on one aspect of the role of music on one aspect of our society. Time magazine recently featured a story on music therapy. The Institute is full of wonderful compelling stories of people who have benefited from the use of music as a therapeutic treatment. We have heard for the past decade about the power of music on learning and spatial reasoning abilities. Last week a new study from Stanford added on more puzzle piece linking music to the development of language skills. There is now a movement in the music field that is focusing on the wellness aspect of music and “recreational” music making (positioned as different from therapeutic music making)

I recently had the chance to hear Dr. Gene Cohen speak at the ArtsAlive Conference about his recent work, which has been receiving a great deal of interest. The short version of his work is this:

As part of the research project, titled “The Impact of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs on Older Adults,” a group of seniors averaging 80 years in age took part in chorale programs at The Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C. beginning in December, 2001. After two years of measurement compared to a control group of similar individuals, the music participants:

Reported better health and fewer falls

Showed a slower rate of increase in doctor visits than non-participants

Increased medication usage at a significantly lower rate than non-participants

Showed greater improvements in depression, loneliness and morale

Increased social interaction, while non-participants decreased interaction

Also known as the “Creativity and Aging” study, the project is currently assessing the same factors in a second group involved in visual arts, theater, writing and jewelry-making at the Brooklyn, N.Y. center Elders Share the Arts, and in a third group working with textiles, painting, mask-making, Chinese brush painting and poetry at the Center for Elders and Youth in the Arts in San Francisco.
“What’s significant is that the music-making seniors actually showed significant improvement in categories such as falls, social interaction and overall health, where we might have expected only to slow the decline in these areas,” Dr. Cohen indicates.

The folks at the International Foundation for Music Research (one of the lead funders of this study) provided me with the chance to speak with Dr. Cohen earlier this month regarding the long-range impact of his findings. I will be posting an article devoted to his work in the next few days. I will tell you now the implications of his study are extraordinary!

In the mean time it is clear that the power of music is influencing all levels of our society. What we have not been able to do as a community is articulate the complete benefits of music AS THEY ARE KNOWN TODAY. Sounds like a new project for someone… any volunteers?

In the mean time, as we learn more about the physical, social, emotional, and educational impact that music has on our everyday lives… how is it that as a society we can justify denying an education that includes music to our children.

Doesn’t make sense… does it?

Posted by musicforall at 11:47 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 10, 2005

TIME MAGAZINE COVERS MUSIC IMPACT ON ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Time Magazine featured a story titled "Music and the Mind" in the `Your Time' section of its November 14, 2005 issue.

The story focuses on music therapy and the use of music and song for persons with Alzheimer's disease. Time Magazine writer, Christine Gorman, noted that even though a cure has not been found, a focus on quality of life for family and patients through the use of music and music therapy services is in wide use. "Life without music would be pretty dull, and sometimes we lose sight of how powerful melody and rhythm can be in the realm of medicine, particularly with respect to Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers."

In considering the contribution of music therapy to persons with dementia and Alzheimer's Disease, Drs. Suzanne Hanser and Alicia Clair of Berklee College of Music and the University of Kansas, respectively, noted the benefits of music to elicit responses in patients when other stimuli fail and pointed out the use of familiar song to assist in patient transitions and daily routine. According to Time, "more and more nursing homes and hospitals are finding that working with a music therapist can make a big difference."

The role that music plays in so many aspects of our lives makes the compelling case for the need to have music available for our children in schools and communities.

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September 19, 2005

How you can help!

Help Wynton Help His Hometown! 

Jazz great and music education ambassador Wynton Marsalis created the Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Fund - which is managed by the Baton Rouge Community Foundation (since the New Orleans Community Foundation was washed away!) Wynton has been such a steadfast leader as an advocate for music education here is our opportunity to help him help his hometown and the surrounding areas impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Wynton said “All New Orleanians need the nation to unite in a deafening crescendo of affirmation to silence that desperate cry that is this disaster. We need people with their prayers, their pocketbooks, and above all their sense of purpose to show the world just who the modern American is and then we'll put our city back together in even greater fashion.”

Your generous gift will provide the Baton Rouge Area Foundation the financial support to provide the victims of Hurricane Katrina with food, water, clothing, housing and medical support. These funds will also lend special assistance to the Crescent City's musicians who are the spirit of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz.

To make a donation go to: http://www.jalc.org/HigherGround/katrina_.asp

For Immediate Humanitarian Needs

The American Red Cross is responding to this unprecedented natural catastrophe and devoting every resource to this humanitarian relief effort. The American people can be confident the Red Cross is moving as fast as humanly possible and will spare no effort to meet the needs of tens of thousands of Hurricane Katrina survivors. We worked directly with the Red Cross following 9/11 and can attest to the great work they do for communities in need.

To make a donation go to: http://redcross.org

Here are a few more worthy efforts:

NAMM/Mr. Holland’s Opus Emergency Fund to Help Rebuild Music Programs

When the rescue efforts turn to rebuilding, NAMM - International Music Products Association will lead the way in an area near and dear to our hearts—getting musical instruments back into the hands of children. NAMM has set up a special fund with the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation to help rebuild the music programs in the affected areas and provide additional instruments to the surrounding states absorbing the displaced students. The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation did a great job supporting schools impacted by the hurricanes in 2004. They are uniquely qualified to lead the way in this particular effort.

To make your donation work twice as hard, NAMM will match your contributions dollar for dollar. To make a donation go to: http://www.mhopus.org/

Support for the Music Community Impacted by Hurricane

The Recording Academy, through MusiCares, has set up The MusiCares Hurricane Relief Fund. This fund has been set up so music people impacted by Hurricane Katrina can get help. Assistance includes basic living expenses such as shelter, food, utilities, transportation; medical expenses including doctor, dentist and hospital bills, medications; clothing; instrument and recording equipment replacement; relocation costs; school supplies for students; insurance payments and more.

To make a donation go to: http://www.grammy.com/musicares/

Curriculum Kit Helps Students Cope

The American Red Cross offers a curriculum kit, “Masters of Disaster,” that includes ready-to-go lesson plans for integrating disaster preparedness and safety instruction into standard academic classes K-8 with lessons on hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, lightning, and earthquakes. The curriculum is aligned with national and state education standards. MENC contributed to the program’s curriculum supplement entitled “Facing Fear: Helping Young People Deal with Terrorism and Tragic Events.”

Download lessons at http://www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/ or contact your local American Red Cross Chapter for the print version of “Masters of Disaster.”

Posted by musicforall at 6:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

August 15, 2005

We're Back!

We are back from Vermont and ready for a full agenda. This week we are launching our WearBlue: Support Music Education campaign, taking on the WhyMusicEd newsletter, opening a new online store, finalizing the survey instrument for the New Jersey Arts Education Census Project, and preparing The Sound of Silence II: The State of Music Education in California Public Schools.

There are lot's of news headlines we are going through (and plenty of fodder for the blog!)

Watch for new information every day!

Posted by musicforall at 10:20 AM | Comments (2)

August 7, 2005

Vacation

Time for a break! Off to the mountains of Vermont!

Back on 8/15 after the completion of our site upgrade!

Posted by musicforall at 6:16 AM | Comments (3)

August 1, 2005

Site Upgrade

We are in the process of upgrading our website, newsletter and blog. There will be new updates the week of August 15th.

We know you will enjoy the new services we will provide as a result of the upgrade!

We appreciate your support!

Posted by musicforall at 7:59 PM

June 28, 2005

Battle... Won. The War???

Over the last two weeks advocacy organizations have been rallying to the defense of PBS and funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. On Friday, advocates cheered as the proposed $100 million cutback was restored in Congress. An important battle won. On Sunday, Frank Rich pints out in his New York Times column the advocates may have won the battle but the war is still very much in play with much greater ramifications for the arts and public broadcasting than $100 million.

HERE'S the difference between this year's battle over public broadcasting and the one that blew up in Newt Gingrich's face a decade ago: this one isn't really about the survival of public broadcasting. So don't be distracted by any premature obituaries for Big Bird. Far from being an endangered species, he's the ornithological equivalent of a red herring...

...The intent is not to kill off PBS and NPR but to castrate them by quietly annexing their news and public affairs operations to the larger state propaganda machine that the Bush White House has been steadily constructing at taxpayers' expense. If you liked the fake government news videos that ended up on local stations - or thrilled to the "journalism" of Armstrong Williams and other columnists who were covertly paid to promote administration policies - you'll love the brave new world this crowd envisions for public TV and radio.

The Armstrong Williams NewsHour - New York Times

Posted by musicforall at 5:41 PM

June 24, 2005

Site Interuption

We are currebntly rebuilding the site after a service interuption. We should be back up shortly!

Posted by musicforall at 4:17 PM | Comments (0)

June 13, 2005

Charitable Giving Rises 5 Percent to Nearly $250 Billion in 2004

Estimated charitable giving reached $248.52 billion for 2004, a new record for philanthropic giving in the
United States, the Giving USA Foundation announced today. The new Giving USA report released today is the 50th anniversary edition of the yearbook of philanthropy. Giving USA is published by the Giving USA Foundation and researched and written at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Charitable Giving Rises 5 Percent to Nearly $250 Billion in 2004

Posted by musicforall at 9:15 PM

June 2, 2005

Thanks Gordon

Here is a first look at my tribute column to Gordon. This will appear in the June issue of SBO Magazine
--

On Tuesday Morning April 28, 2005 the music education community lost one of our greatest, influential, and most unsung of heroes' Dr. Gordon Shaw. He was not a musician; his art form was his science.

You may not know him by his name, but you, and nearly every other person in the developed world, know of his work. Gordon was Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Irvine (UCI). Dr. Shaw's pioneering scientific work on "music as a window into higher brain function" helped launch an entire field of research, and an unending debate, about the impact of music on the development of the brain and music's role in education.

More after the jump

The Missing Link

Gordon's work uncovered a "holy grail" in research: the elusive "causal link" between music and higher order thinking skills, specifically spatial-temporal reasoning. The reverberations of this major scientific breakthrough continue to be felt today. What Plato, Socrates, and Einstein knew intuitively, but could never prove about the importance of music, Dr. Shaw demonstrated through his science.

This connection between music and the brain, and the plethora of studies it has spawned, has helped the music community make the case for the role of music in the education of our children. It has helped to convince many of those policy makers for whom no impassioned plea about the intrinsic value of music education would work. Gordon's science has been directly responsible for the saving of music education programs for thousands and thousands of children, while forcing educational policy makers to re-evaluate the educational impact of music in our schools.

In addition, many efforts either cite or have been inspired by Gordon's work: Music Makes You Smarter, The Mozart Effect, Baby Mozart products, Governor Zell Miller's CDs for Newborns in Georgia, Johnson and Johnson's CD for young children, a state law in Florida, VH1's Save The Music campaign and theme "Music Education Equals Brain Power," the marketing effort behind the films Mr. Holland's Opus and Music of the Heart, Newsweek cover stories, Dateline NBC, the Today Show national radio, television and newspaper stories, cultural references, a Simpsons episode, and the various advocacy efforts claiming connections between music and improved learning, oftentimes for better (though sometimes for worse). All of these efforts, and many more, track their beginnings to the "Brain Power" of Dr. Gordon Shaw.

The Mozart Effect

Unfortunately, the heart of Gordon's work has been largely overshadowed by the manufactured controversy - and marketing hype - regarding one study he conducted that was misunderstood and misinterpreted. The findings of this study became popularly known as "The Mozart Effect."

This study noted how, after listening to the Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos k.448, college students showed a temporary, less than 15 minute, increase in their spatial reasoning IQ. When this study was published in the research journal Nature, the media had a feeding frenzy about all things Mozart - and extended the implications of Gordon's scientific paper far, far beyond its actual findings. Almost instantly record stores (remember records?) ran out of Mozart albums and new companies, books, tapes and children's products popped up to exploit the media and public fascination. Other scientists took it upon themselves to debunk the Mozart hysteria.

The misrepresentation of this research is a disservice to a man and his colleagues who, in my opinion, have contributed more to the body of knowledge about music, brain function and educational practice than any others in the last century.

Synopsis

For your consideration, and as a tribute to Dr. Shaw, here are some of the highlights of his work:

In 1985, Gordon Shaw, Dennis Silverman and John Pearson presented the trion model of the brain's neuronal structure (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 82 [1985]: 2364-2368).

In the late 1980's Gordon Shaw met with Karl Bruhn who at the time was the senior vice president at Yamaha for funding of his research. It was this meeting with Karl that created an important partnership that would lead to the significant music products industry funding of Shaw's work.

In 1989, experiments in which musicians performed mental rehearsals of music indicated that music and other creative skills, such as mathematics and chess, may involve extremely precise firing patterns by billions of brain neurons (Leslie Brothers and Gordon Shaw, Models of Brain Function, edited by R. Cotterill. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989).

In 1990, computer experiments revealed that trion firing patterns could be mapped onto pitches and instrument timbres to produce music. This suggested that the trion model is a viable model for the coding of certain aspects of musical structure in human composition and perception, and that the trion model is relevant for examining creativity in higher cognitive functions, such as mathematics and chess, that are similar to music (Xiaodan Leng, Gordon Shaw and Eric Wright, Music Perception, Vol. 8, No.1 [Fall 1990]: 49-62).

In 1991, Xiaodan Leng and Gordon Shaw proposed that music may be considered a "pre- language," and that early music training may be useful in "exercising" the brain for certain higher cognitive functions (Concepts in Neuroscience, Vol. 2, No. 2 [1991]: 229-258). A presentation of this concept to senior music industry leaders at the 1991 winter NAMM Convention led to NAMM significantly funding Gordon's work for the remainder of the decade.

In 1993, a pilot study found that preschool children given music training displayed significant improvement in spatial reasoning ability. (Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw).

A different experiment with college students found that, after listening to a Mozart sonata, they experienced a significant although temporary gain in spatial reasoning skills (Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky, Nature, Vol. 365 [1993]: 611). This is the "Mozart Effect" study.

In 1994, a Stage II follow-up to the pilot study again found that music training improved spatial reasoning in preschool children. This gain did not occur in those without music training (Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw, Linda Levine and Katherine Ky, Paper presented at the American Psychological Association, Los Angeles [August 1994]). This is the study that identified the first "causal link" between music and spatial reasoning.

Confusion in the media between the Mozart listening study and the preschool music making study created the myth of "Listening to Mozart improves the spatial skills of young children." There was no such research! but this did not stop the media or others (never let the facts get in the way of a good story!)

In 1995, a follow up to the first Mozart study confirmed that listening to Mozart improved spatial reasoning, and that this effect can increase with repeated testing over days. However, the effect may not occur when music lacks sufficient complexity. (Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky, Neuroscience Letters, Vol. 185 [1995]: 44-47.)

In 1997, a study found that keyboard training caused long-term enhancement of preschool children's spatial-temporal reasoning (Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw, Linda Levine et al, Neurological Research, Volume 19 [1997], 2-8).

In 1998, Gordon co-founded the non-profit MIND Institute in 1998 after 30 years of scientific research at the University of California, Irvine. His vision of teaching all kids, regardless of cultural and socio-economic background, how to think, reason and create mathematically - is the foundation for the Institute's revolutionary Math+Music curricula.

In 1999, a study examined enhanced learning of proportional math through music training combined with a spatial approach to learning math concepts. Children given piano keyboard training along with a specially designed Math Video Game training scored significantly higher on proportional math and fractions than children given a control training along with the same video game (Amy Graziano, Matthew Peterson and Gordon Shaw, Neurological Research, Volume 21 [1999], pp. 139-152).

Ongoing Impact

Gordon's MIND Institute (www.mindinstitute.net) continues his research work, with 61 schools using his Math+Music curricula.

Beyond the research, the work of Gordon and his colleagues has had a tremendous impact on policy. President Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton cited his work in forums and policy speeches. His work was referenced in Congressional testimony, resolutions, and in remarks made by both senators and congressmen in the hall of our nation's capitol. Secretaries of Education Richard Riley and Rod Paige acknowledged this work in making the case for moving music and arts education to the center of education reform. Awareness of his research made the passage of music friendly educational policies across the county easier.

From the hallowed halls of the White House and the Capital to local school board meetings across the country and around kitchen tables where parents groups meet, Gordon's efforts have made a difference.

Gordon believed that, "Music will not only help us understand how we think, reason, and create, but will enable us to learn how to bring each child's potential to its highest level."

All of us in the music community owe Gordon our gratitude for a life well lived and a dedication to his art form - science - that has changed our art form and our world.

May he long be remembered for his incredible contributions to our field.

Thanks, Gordon.

Posted by musicforall at 7:38 PM | Comments (1)

May 4, 2005

More Gordon Shaw...

The best obit I have seen to date providing excellent perspective on his work from the Boston Globe (via LA Times):

Gordon Shaw; his work led to 'Mozart effect' learning theory

Other Coverage:

AMC Remembers Dr. Gordon Shaw: "Remembering Dr. Gordon Shaw"

From his Foundation: MIND Institute Co-Founder, UCI Professor Emeritus, Visionary Scientist Dr. Gordon Shaw

AP Story: Gordon Shaw Dies at 72; Tied I.Q. to Hearing Mozart

Posted by musicforall at 8:07 PM | Comments (0)

April 29, 2005

AMC Remembers Dr. Gordon Shaw

The American Music Conference - the organization responsible for bringing much of Dr. Gordon Shaw's work to the general public - weighs in on his passing:

Dr. Shaw established himself as a pioneer in the understanding of "music as a window to higher brain function."

Best known to the public as a leader in the discovery of the "Mozart Effect," Dr. Shaw led a number of landmark studies that established the connection between active participation in music and the development of the brain, with demonstrated implications for spatial-temporal reasoning and math ability. He co-founded the M.I.N.D. (Music Intelligence Neural Development) Institute in 1998, and helped develop the basis for its "Math+Music" educational process, which is producing dramatic test score improvements for more than 13,000 students in more than 67 elementary schools.

American Music Conference

Posted by musicforall at 8:19 PM | Comments (0)

April 28, 2005

UCI physicist/Music Research Pioneer Gordon Shaw dead at 72

What Plato, Socrates, and Albert Einstein knew intuitively, Gordon Shaw set out to prove scientifically.

Most people will never really know the true impact of Gordon's work...

Music Makes You Smarter, The Mozart Effect, Baby Mozart products, Zell Miller's CD's for Every Newborn in Georgia, Johnson and Johnson's CD for young children, VH1's Save The Music campaign and theme "Music Education Equals Brain Power", Newsweek cover stories, national radio, television and newspaper stories, cultural references, a Simpson Episode, The various advocacy efforts claiming connections between music and improved , often times for better (and sometimes for worse) ... all of these efforts, and many more track their beginnings to the "Brain Power" of one man, Dr. Gordon Shaw.

More thoughts on his life, his work and his legacy after I let this news settle in.

The Obit after the jump