Are our children musically deprived?

Isn’t it sad that most of today’s children are musically deprived? Over the last few months, I have been able to visit many schools and conduct presentations on music and music as a career. As I like to make my presentations interactive, one of the simplest exercises that I invite children to participate in is to sing a few nursery rhymes with me. Now, I know that I don’t have a great voice; I don’t even have a good voice. In fact, my son and my students tell me that frogs sound better and I cannot dispute their claim. Nevertheless, I can sing simple tunes!

I would like to think that most of us know simple songs such as the ABC song; Frere Jacques; Mary had a Little lamb; Three Blind Mice; Old MacDonald Had a Farm, and more of this ilk. They certainly formed the basis of my earliest musical memories.

So, to my absolute shock and terrified amazement, at many schools and daycares, very few of the JK – Grade 3 children knew the melody or words to these simple songs. I though perhaps that they were shy, so we tried many different ways to encourage them sing or say the words. Nothing worked! They really did not know these songs.

This led me to ask about their musical experiences. Did they listen to children CD’s – a few did but not regularly; did they watch any musical shows on TV or did they have videos based on music such as “Bear in the Big Blue House” or even the old Muppet musicals – very few had ever been exposed to these programs; what about the radio – what kind of music did their parents listen to – most didn’t know or their parents listened to MP3’s and IPods on headphones. Music, unfortunately, was an incidental or non-starter in their life.

Music is known to be one of the best ways to learn and remember. For example, if you ask most adults to say the alphabet, they inevitably tag it to the ABC Song and either sing or say it to the rhythm of the song. Music soothes us when we are tense; it energizes us when we are down; it can make troubles seem less; it can help us to focus and heal ourselves.

Music is one of the most powerful motivators. The simple drum beat was used to help synchronize rowers on boats; the chanted word can break down barriers (remember the effect of the simple chanted or sung phrase, We Shall Overcome); simple humming at a vigil is more potent than any spoken word and connects all within its circle; choirs have been know to bring people to tears or to their collective feet; musicals like the Phantom, Sound of Music, West Side Story or Chicago use the music to help us understand the characters and to build empathy with them and to relate it to our own lives.

A day without music is a day without joy a day without colour and vibrancy.

How sad that as parents, friends, mentors, we are not taking the time to introduce our children to the beauty of music in all its infinite variety. What music will they have to tag to memories? For me, it was the summer of “Wild Thing” – anytime I hear that song, I am back in that truly awesome summer with my friends all singing and jammin’ around the campfire. Ever heard a massed male voice choir – it brings tears to the eyes. Orchestral music under the stars, rock music with thousands packed into a stadium or marching bands in parades, all have their unique emotion and place in our lives. Music is all around us – nature has its own symphonies and soloists to complement the human created sounds.

Let us ensure that this newest generation of children is able to reap the benefits of interacting with music the way we have been able to enjoy! Sing, dance, yodel, play a musical instrument, listen to the radio, hum, create your own method, get involved! Get our children involved! They may be the next U2, Beatles or even Bruce Springsteen. What about the next Beethoven, Pavarotti or Bernstein!

It’s all about the doing! Start today! Invite a child to share your musical passion with you. You’ll be glad you did and they will have awesome memories to live now and relive later.

Studying Music - Luxury or Necessity?

It still amazes me that music is considered “a luxury” in our society. In times of economic recession, the first program to be considered for deletion or is usually deleted from schools is music. If there is a choice between sports and music, music is usually the runner-up because a sport is viewed as more important. A child, who chooses to play the violin or flute, especially if it’s a boy, is called a sissy or worse. Heaven help us if they choose to sing in a choir!

Parents often see music as a solitary study, whereas sports are the team builder. Just recently I was listening to some parents discussing the reasons for taking their children out of a music program and transferring them to a sport because the benefits were greater and the cost lower. Why this misconception? Why do we allow it to happen? Do we not read the research as to the benefits of music; do we not see the impacts on our children and youth? Research study after study shows that participation in music helps our children grow in many more ways than just learning the musical scale or the ability to play notes on an instrument.

Early music training has been acknowledged to help develop the brain areas that are involved in language and reasoning. Most research shows that the development of the brain continues for many years after birth. It also shows there is a direct correlation between the development of the left side of the brain which is involved with the processing language and musical training. Musical training physically develops this part of the brain and can almost be said to hard wire the brain’s circuits. If you think about it, the easiest way for us to teach young children the alphabet is to link it to that well know “ABC song.” How many of us ever say the alphabet, we usually sing it even when we are adults? Many teachers are finding that linking math and other challenging studies with music has a direct impact on how quickly the children learn and how well they retain that information.
In the study conducted by Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L., Levine, L.J., Wright E.L., Dennis, W.R. and Newcomb, R. (1997) Music Training causes long-term enhancement of preschool children’s spatial temporal reasoning; Neurological Research, pg. 1-8, it was found that children given piano lessons significantly improved their spatial-temporal IQ scores compared to children who received computer lessons, sang for fun or received no lessons. Spatial-temporal reasoning is important for mathematical reasoning. Other studies have shown that after eight months of keyboard lessons, preschoolers showed almost 46% boost in their spatial reasoning. Research is also showing through the use of brain scans that musicians develop larger parts of the brain region related to reading skills than non-musicians. This is especially true for those who began their musical study before the age of seven.

What about older children – are there benefits? It goes without saying that there are myriad benefits. For example, recent studies show that students who were involved in music performance or appreciation scored much higher on the verbal and math components of SAT exams than students who were not involved in music. The Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances including alcohol, tobacco and other illicit drugs for secondary students who participated in band or orchestra. Many of the best engineers and technical designers in Silicon Valley are, nearly without exception, practicing musicians. Musicians are always making decisions about tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing etc. i.e. training the brain to become extremely good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at once. Most businesses and employers today require their employees to be exceptional at multi-tasking. Music students have a great head start on this type of organizational skill.

So are all the benefits physical (intelligence) or school related? Not at all! What about success in life skills? Each of us as parents wants our children to succeed in life. Studying music:
· encourages self-discipline and application
· develops effective study habits
· promotes self-expression
· builds teamwork and disciplinary skills
· helps one conquer fear and learn how to take risks
· encourages the person to value good craftsmanship and to seek within themselves for available resources
· think creatively and problem solve
· learn to respect other cultures and people of those cultures
· communicate effectively with people of the world
· understand that there is not always just one answer to any problem
· and so much more than I can articulate here

Perhaps the most basic reason that every child should, no, must have a musical education is that music is part of the very fabric of our society. Without doubt, music is an intrinsic part of every culture of the world. Music is one of the most basic ways that a culture uses to communicate its ideas and ideals. Bill Clinton, former U.S. President states: “Music is about communication, creativity, and cooperation, and by studying in school, students have the opportunity to build on these skills, enrich their lives, and experience the world from a new perspective.”

I think Michael Greene, Recording Academy President and CEO sums up the necessity most admirably in this quote from his speech at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards in February 2000: “Music is a magical gift we must nourish and cultivate in our children, especially now as scientific evidence proves that an education in the arts makes better math and science students, enhances spatial intelligence in newborns, and let's not forget that the arts are a compelling solution to teen violence, certainly not cause of it!”

For those parents who were discussing taking their children out of a music program, think again, music is not a luxury, it is a necessity!

Tea – Journey to Sanity

Tea is my panacea for all ills. Whatever the state of my world – good, bad, crazy or just too intense, I know that a cup of tea will transport me to that quiet place where I can once again connect to the song of life.

Tea is such an important facet of my life that there are many rituals that surround my tea drinking. If time is of the essence, I will make do with quickly boiled water and a teabag (heaven forgive me for such heresy).

If it is to be a quiet realigning of the total psyche – then, the water has to be heated to just the boiling point. Note, the water cannot be boiling; it must be at just the point where the bubbles start to break. The tea pot must be then warmed. The type of tea carefully selected – what will it be for this moment – green, black, white, oolong, herbal or… The tea leaves must be carefully measured into the teapot, water gently added and then the teapot must be kept warm while the tea steeps. The teacup preferably china, never a mug, is also gently warmed while the tea is steeping. Once the tea is fully steeped, empty the water from the teacup and pour the tea into the teacup. Inhaling the aroma at this point is like ambrosia. My tea requires no additives such as sugar or milk or even lemon.

This moment’s choice is white tea. White tea gets its designation from the fine, silvery white hairs found in the unopened buds of the camellia sinensis plant. White tea leaves have a striking appearance. Largely produced in China and deeply revered during the Song Dynasty that flourished from the 900s to the 1200s, white tea possesses a light, delicate, slightly sweet flavor that sharpens the senses without overwhelming the tongue. I find that White Tea generally promotes a sense of well-being. With all the stress that this day has contained so far, this is the perfect choice.

As I start to sip, my thoughts start to unwind. I recall phrases from “The Book of Tea” by Okakuro Kazuko that states; “In tea reposes a microcosm of emotion. Over tea, we sing the joys of living, we cry tears of futility, and we share thoughts of the universe. … Tea is the elixir of life; distilled emotion…Tea is the hereditary story of the soul…”

Each sip of tea connects me to that living stream of history – to those who also journeyed the pathway of tea and who found in its fragrance and taste, time to muse and to vision. Wars have been fought over tea; independence celebrated over tea; death mourned over tea; life have been lived and loved over tea. Tea gives me permission to open the senses. Sounds of the world seem infinitely clearer; vision is both inward and outward; emotions are quieted and the ability to feel is intensified; the steam as it rises from the cup reminds me of the evanescence of earthly things.

Tea – such a simple thing, such a simple ritual. With every sip of tea, with every cup of tea, I find myself on the path to reconnecting to the ebb and flow around me; to the comfort of being part of the human continuum. Sanity restored, I can once again tune in to the music of the world around me.

Singing The Earth

Today started out cold, windy and wet. It is supposed to be warm and sunny with overtones of spring to help us transition from the winter blahs. Earth Day should allow us to head outside and dig in the garden or watch the birds prepare their nests. The heater has been on and off and then on again. No wonder even the birds and the trees are confused. But as the day progressed, spring arrived. The sun came shining through the clouds and the whole city came alive with walkers and joggers. Kids ran around at recess time and I actually got to go for a walk along the riverfront.

The gentle lapping of the water on the Detroit River, the sighing of the wind, the many different calls of birds, and the droning bees all reminded me that today, we celebrate the Earth.

Music comes in all shapes and sizes and in all sorts of sounds. As I listened to the city sounds mixed with the sounds of nature, they made a unique symphony that transported me to another place and time. It was as if I could feel the earth starting its journey of rejuvenation, calling out for us to listen and to participate. My spontaneous reaction was to sing!

Now, you have to understand that when I open my mouth to sing, anyone in hearing distance usually asks me to shut up. The reason – I sing like a frog! I am told that I could sing Basso Profundo with a male choir – so it is not a necessarily beautiful sound. But I had no choice today. The sounds of the earth demanded that I sing. The best part was that as I started humming and singing, a couple of walkers joined me. No, they were not laughing! They too felt the call. Our sounds wove together much like the threads of a tapestry to form a connection with each other and with the earth.

Our faces lifted to the sun, our voices rising and falling like the lapping water murmuring beside us, created a bridge, not only between ourselves but with all those who have passed this way over the years of the Earth and those who have yet to sing their song. How many others have stood where we stood and felt compelled to sing the earth? How many others will come to this place at other times and feel the same way?

As we finished our song, we shyly turned to each other with a smile and a wave and continued on our separate courses. For that shining moment, the music of our hearts, the music of the city, the music of nature and the music of the earth were one. Could there have been a more unique and memorable way to celebrate Earth Day. Mayhaps, the future will bring more opportunities to sing the beauty of the earth

Music on Hold


As a musician, one of life’s major challenges stems from the “music on hold” syndrome. Every time I make a call and have to be placed on hold, I am subjected to all types of music and non-music fillers. Most times, the music that is chosen is arid, vapid and less than muzak quality. It is usually so irritating that I have to force myself to remain on the line. The only reason I choose not to disconnect is that I will probably have a longer time to listen to the poor choices the next time round because there is always a wait.

Let’s not forget that elevators, parking lots, stores, restaurants, banks, and many other public establishments now use music as filler. I must say that it is a bit much when you go to a public washroom and there is music in surround sound. If all these public places are not investing in piped-in music, they are also adding large screen TV’s. Every jogger, walker, young person and not so young people have MP3 players, Ipods, cell phones and even newer technology attached to them wherever they go.

What has happened to our world? The thought that “Silence is golden” has disappeared along with the dinosaur and dodo bird. If there is not something visual, aural or otherwise happening, we are “bored” as many of my students tell me. Listening to natural sounds or, heaven forbid, listening to the quality of quiet is verboten. It could even cause you to hear yourself think. Just imagine where that would get you!

As we approach Spring gradually and slowly here in Southwestern Ontario, I was able to spend some time in my garden yesterday. How wonderful it was to hear the earth awakening, to hear the robin’s song and to listen to the myriad bird calls. The squirrels were having a fine time zipping along the branches and over the roofs, chittering and chattering among themselves. It was so quite I think I heard the earthworm crawling through the earth. No cell phones, no MP3’s or IPods, just nature.

This was restoration for the soul, for the psyche. Renewed and refreshed in mind, body and spirit by the glory of quiet, with time and clear space to sort out jangled thoughts without audible interruption, I wondered why we needed the constant surround of sound. I love music – all kinds (well maybe not country and I do keep trying), and I love to hear music. I have moments when I want the lyricism of classical or the heavy beat and energy of rock or just the gotta move of Latin beats. Whatever the choice, the goal is to listen, to hear, to respond and to appreciate. Music as a constant backdrop tends to deaden the response and appreciation of the listening process. Most times I end up having to turn off the music I love because I am suffering from a surfeit of sound.

As a world people, we have become quicker tempered, less receptive to the pain and challenges others face, more willing to argue and fight, less able to empathize and feel the suffering and pain of others. We have become very “I-centric”, focused on ourselves within our small bubble. Even though we live in a global world, we know less about the world and even less about the people of the world because we never hear them. We block them out with our “music on hold” mentality.

What a world we would live in if we gave ourselves permission to turn off the technology and sounds; looked outward instead of focusing on blocking out the world; talked, perhaps even sang with our friends and neighbours and reached out to listen with our whole being to the world around us. Perhaps, the solutions that we are fighting for would be more easily heard.