We want to wish all of our readers a very Happy Mother’s Day! One mother recently said, “Mothers are the quiet unsung heroes!” Mothers are more concerned about their children’s needs then their own. (Selflessness) Mothers love their children with their whole heart and are willing to sacrifice for their children’s needs. (Unconditional love) Music is a powerful tool for motivating, inspiring, educating and soothing pain. Remember no one is immune to the power of music! Parents remember to have classical music on your family’s iPod.
Our Top High School Student of the Year Award winner is Alexandra Grinsell. She is our guest on our Radio Show this month and we will share her work with you in our feature article. Also we have two articles to share on volunteer musicians playing at a hospital and nursing home to give the gift of music to the patients and residents and a new study on “boosting the immune system” through Classical Music.
If anyone has an experience they would like to share with our readers on the benefits of classical music please send it and it will be included in the June 2012 newsletter!
May article of the month: “What Can Toastmasters Do For You? By Dr. Madeline Frank
http://madeline-firstimpressions.blogspot.com/2012/04/what-can-toastmasters-do-for-you-by-dr.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Can-Toastmasters-Do-For-You?&id=7002879
For other articles by Dr. Madeline Frank click on the following link:
http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Madeline_Frank
Dr. Madeline Frank’s new book “Leadership on a Shoestring Budget” is now available through amazon.com. Click on the following Amazon.com link to order your copy of “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget”
Madeline’s Musical One Minute Radio Show for May 2012:
Alexandra (Alex) Grinsell, how does Classical music play a part of your life as our Radio Show’s Top Academic Student of 2012 and what musical instrument do you play?”
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/madelines-one-minute-radio-show/
Who is Alex Grinsell?
Alex Grinsell is our Radio Show’s Top Academic student for 2012. She is a top scholar, athlete, and musician. At Menchville High School in Newport News, Virginia Alex has earned straight A’s on the Honor Roll for freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year. She is a member of the National Honor Society; the National Society for High School Scholars, a National Merit Scholar, and an AP Scholar.
Alex Grinsell was born on July 10th, 1994 to Christian and Laurie Grinsell in Fortuna, California. She grew up in a musical family. Her father plays piano and her brother plays piano and double bass. Alex began to study the violin in the 2nd grade at age 7 with Dr. Madeline Frank. She has played solo, chamber music and orchestra concerts for ten years.
Alex says, “My father, brother and I played in a Concert together last year at one of your concerts and we had a lot of fun.”
Alex played in All City Orchestra 9th, 10th, and 11th grade and Senior Regional Orchestra for 9th, 10th, and 12th grade. She currently plays in the Menchville Orchestra. She attended Gildersleeve Middle School and is a senior at Menchville High School.
Favorite composer: Alex says, “My favorite composer is Antonio Vivaldi mainly because of The Four Seasons. I love how he was able to compose masterpieces that are able to so accurately paint pictures of the seasons and make others feel how they would during that season.”
As a student in elementary, middle school, and high school Alex Grinsell has always done well in math and science. Her main interest lies in English. In college she will major in English and Journalism. She says, “I would love to someday have a job as an editor at a publishing company. I became interested in English through my love of reading, which started in kindergarten and has lasted since then.”
Teachers who inspired Alex in middle school and high school: Mrs. Moyer – middle school and high school orchestra; Mr. Hardin – high school Latin ; Ms. Beckerdite – middle school English ; Mr. Gulick – high school Anatomy ; Mr. Laske – high school English ; and Mr. and Mrs. Traner – high school Statistics and English respectively .
Challenges in high school: Alex says, “I had to have two hip surgeries to fix tears in the lining of my hip joints. Each surgery involved a month of walking on crutches and months of physical therapy in order to regain walking ability and maneuverability. This has challenged me in my sports participation.”
Sports and honors through high school: Alex says, “I have participated in swimming and softball throughout my high school career. I have played softball for Menchville since 8th grade. I was Junior Varsity softball captain in 9th grade and am currently Varsity softball captain as a senior. I have been swimming for Menchville Varsity swimming since my junior year. Both years, I made it through both Districts and Regionals. In 11th grade I came in 2nd for the District in the 50 freestyle and this year I came in 1st for the District in the same event. My junior year, I also was selected for the All District Swim team.”
Helping others: During Alex’s summer vacation, she volunteers her time at the local pool to teach younger children how to swim the various strokes correctly.
Where do you plan on attending college, what will your major be and will you continue to study and play the violin? Alex says, “I will be attending The College of William & Mary. I have been accepted to Virginia Wesleyan, Randolph Macon, University of Virginia, and the University of Notre Dame. I plan to major in English and Journalism so I can try and be an editor. I do plan to take my violin with me and play through college.”
How has studying the violin helped you in school? Alex says, “Violin has been a big part of my life since I started in the 2nd grade. It has shown me the value of hard work, because perfecting a piece takes concentration and practice. It has also taught me how important it is to be dedicated because in an orchestra, practicing and working on music is essential. A member of an orchestra is held accountable for knowing their own part for the success of the group. Finally, playing violin has helped me to feel more comfortable taking risks. There is nothing like getting up in front of others and performing, but violin has helped me see that a little anxiety is a good thing, because it means you care about what you are doing.”
“Music ‘Soothes Surgery Patients’” (March 28, 2012) by Jane Kirby from The Independent. “Previous studies have found classical music may have the greatest health benefits for patients, especially the works of Bach, Mozart and Italian composers.”
“Logan Senior’s Music Gives Solace to Hospital Patients” (March 26. 2012) by Patrick B. Anderson from the LaCrosseTribune.com. “Logan High School senior Paul Escher, 18, volunteers his time playing piano in the clinic lobby at Gundersen Lutheran Health System.”
After completing a volunteer shift at the hospital “he started playing songs from memory on the piano .When a passerby stopped to compliment his playing, Escher realized he could use his musical knowledge to help patients.” During the holidays he played Christmas music. “When the holidays ended, Escher kept playing. He comes when he can find free time between school and track. He usually plays for about an hour.” Escher says, “It’s nice to be able to do something for other people.” Paul Escher began studying the piano at a young age. His mother, Kate Escher says, “I really believe that music is another part of your brain that you want to turn on. It adds to you as a person.”
Gail Kreibich, lobby manager at the hospital says, “The music is a perfect fit for the Gundersen lobby, a temporary waypoint for visitors and patients, and a gateway to the hospital. Escher picks music to fit the scene, avoiding selections that may be too jolting. Music in itself is healing.”
“Nursing Home Volunteer Shares Gift of Music for 16 Years” (March 30, 2012) by Kristen Smith from theEnterprise-Bulletin. canoe.ca. Helen MacEachern has shared her gift of music with the Collingwood Nursing Home for 16 years. Ms. MacEachern says, “They’re half-asleep when I get here, and when I leave they’re clapping (and smiling). It’s a gift I have and I want to share it with people.” Bev Cloutier, the activity director says, “the music is like sensory therapy, even if there’s just a toe moving your know they are enjoying and responding to the music. Helen is very warm and patient -she always tries to remember names. She makes each and every resident feel very special.”
http://www.theenterprisebulletin.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3520183
“Classical Music Boosts Heart Transplant Survival in Mice” (March 22, 2012) by Tom Jacobs from theMiller-McCune.com newsletter. “Japanese researchers report mice who underwent heart transplants survived much longer if they were exposed to Mozart or Verdi.”
http://www.miller-mccune.com/health/classical-music-boosts-heart-transplant-survival-in-mice-40561/
“The Healthful Effects of Music and Your Future” (April 8, 2012) by Joyce Gioia from the Strategic Business Futurist. “In fact, there is even a field called the “Neuropsychology of Music”, studying how the mind processes and responds to music, and the implications of music on the brain and the mind. Now, we find that music, particularly opera and classical music, has other beneficial effects. Music appears to prevent organ rejection. New research published in BioMed Central’s open access “Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery” “demonstrates that music can reduce rejection of heart transplants in mice by influencing the immune system”.
http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=6757
“Opera And Classical Music Help Patient Recovery, Study” (March 26, 2012) by Amir Khan from theInternational Business Times. “Opera and classical music may help patients recover from surgery by boosting the immune system, according to new research that looked into the role music played as mice recovered from heart transplants.”
Evidence & Articles supporting the benefits of classical music in your daily life, in the Public School Classrooms, and while doing homework after school:
Mrs. S teaches 7th grade Math at Davis Middle School in Hampton, VA.: “Students perform better on tests and quizzes while listening to Mozart Symphonies in the background.”
Mrs. C’s high school math class in Colorado: “The students asked for music in class. I told them I would play only Mozart. At first they objected but soon decided they liked the music, because it made them feel better and able to focus more on their lessons. Consequently, not only did the grades get better, so did the discipline. Then the students began requesting Mozart.”
Mrs. G had her fifth grade students listening to classical music, played softly, while the children did creative writing assignments and when they did problem solving in math. It created a calm atmosphere conducive to problem solving and creative thinking as well as an appreciation of music that they might not have experienced. The results were so good that she incorporated this into her teaching for the last five years of her teaching career.
Mrs. JC had her fourth grade reading class of 22 students, listening to Mozart and other classical music during class for the entire school year .The children have consistently made 100’s on tests and work. These are just average students not exceptional.
Mrs. J has 4 children, ages 19, 16, 12 and 8 who have been listening to Mozart and other classical music while doing their homework after school since March 05. She has seen them become more focused and relaxed, finishing homework quicker, with more accuracy which has led to higher grades.
Northside Middle School in Norfolk, Virginia is using classical music in halls and class rooms with very good success. “Classical Music Plays at Norfolk School”
For more scientific evidence, medical evidence, test results, and true stories of the world’s scientists, medical doctors, and mathematicians who have studied and played musical instruments since they were children read “The Secret of Teaching Science & Math Through Music” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D. Click on the link:
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/the-secret-of-teaching-science-and-math-through-music/
“Musical Notes On Math” by Dr. Madeline Frank teaches your child fractions and decimals, the fun way, through the rhythm of music, Winner of the Parent To Parent Adding Wisdom Award. For more information click on the following link:
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/musical-notes-on-math/
For Tips on how to use “Musical Notes On Math” click on the following link: https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/pg47.pdf