Agatha Miller Christie, Author & Musician: Madeline’s Monthly Musical Tips Blog/Article & Radio Show for April 2025
Our blog/article and Radio Show celebrates the life and work of Agatha Miller Christie, “{the Best -selling novelist of all time.” She has written “66 detective novels, 14 short story collections, has the world’s longest -running play – The Mousetrap “and she is a musician.
Many of the world’s authors, teachers, engineers, mathematicians, scientists, authors, inventors, medical doctors, and researchers have studied and played musical instruments since they were children. These eminent individuals have integrated music into their thinking process. Studying a musical instrument develops millions of new connections, synapses, between nerve cells in the brain.
Our article of the month is “What Thinking Hat Are You Wearing? by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
Learning a musical instrument teaches discipline, cooperation, teamwork, motivation, concentration and self-esteem. Having trouble getting your child to do their homework? Play classical music in the background while your child is doing their homework! Try a Mozart Symphony in the background while they are studying.
Radio Show Feature Question for April 2025:
How did Classical Music play a part of Agatha Miller Christie’s life as a best-selling mystery author, playwright, and musician and what musical instruments did she play?
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/one-minute-musical-radio-show/
Early Years:
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born on September 15, 1890 to Frederick Alvah Miller and his wife Clarissa “Clara” Margaret Boehmer Miller in Torquay, Devon. Agatha had an older sister and brother. Her parents both played the piano well.
Agatha as a child was curious with a vivid imagination, and invented a cast of characters for her stories. She began to read at four and was schooled at home. Her parents supervised her studies in reading, writing, and mathematics which she really enjoyed. At 5 or 6 she began Dance class and studying the piano with Fraulein Uder. She studied “masses of Czerny exercises” and played The Merry Peasant, and works by Schumann. She said, “I proceeded to Grieg which I loved passionately- and the First Spring were my favorites.” She also played Peer Gynt. She said, “Fraulein Uder was an excellent teacher.” Agatha would practice for an hour or two a day. Fraulein Uder said, “You must the good grounding have. These exercises, they are the reality, the necessity. The tunes, yes they are pretty little embroideries, they are like flowers, they have bloom and drop off, but you must have the roots, the strong roots and leaves.” (An Autobiography Agatha Christie ,1977, p.110, p.137)
Agatha’s family lived in Pau, France for six months and her mother wanted her to be fluent in French. Mrs. Miller and Agatha’s sister, Madge were at a French dressmaker’s shop when the dressmaker’s assistant, a 22-year-old, kind and patient, young French woman, Marie Sije’ was helping. Marie only spoke French. Agatha’s mother asked her if she would like to work for them in England, she would of course ask Marie’s Mother which she did. Marie’s mother agreed. Back in England every day after dinner, for an hour and a half, Agatha and Marie would in French do a different play with homemade costumes playing all the parts of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and other plays for her parents.
Agatha said, “Looking back, I am filled with gratitude at the extraordinary kindness of my father and mother. I can imagine nothing more boring than to come up every evening after dinner for an hour and a half watching and applauding while Marie and I strutted and postured in our home improvised costumes.” (An Autobiography Agatha Christie ,1977, (p.92) from her French lessons with Marie, Agatha learned to read, write, and speak French fluently.
Throughout her childhood, Agatha enjoyed attended theater performances with her sister, Madge brother, Monty, mother, father, and grandmothers. She was always a veracious reader.
At 10, Agatha wrote the poem “The Cow Slip”. When she was 11 her poem, “The Trams” was published in the local Ealing newspaper.
Agatha’s father and mother were a devoted couple and loved each other deeply! Her father died when she was 11.
She joined in a “girls weekly singing part-songs and oratories under the direction of Mr. Crow, a singing master.” She said, “There was also the orchestra.” She played the mandolin with three others, and there was also a violinist and cellist in the group. At around 13 Agatha sang the soprano part in “The Yeoman of the Guard “by Gilbert and Sullivan. She “had a strong soprano voice. She never felt nerves singing.”
She attended a Miss Guyer’s Girls School in Torquay for a year and a half, studying arithmetic, grammar, and composition.
Studies in Piano and Voice in Paris:
In 1905, when she was 15, she went to study in Paris at Mademoiselle T’s. Her piano teacher was Madame Legrand. She was practicing for a concert to play Sonata Pathetique by Beethoven and Serenade d’Aragone.
Agatha said, “when I studied both piano and singing in Paris, I lost my nerve completely whenever I had to play the piano in the school concert, but if I had a song to sing I felt no nervousness at all.” (p.139) She said,” the two winters and one summer that I spent in Paris were some of the happiest days I have known.” (p.178) She attended performances of Grand Opera, Faust, and Tannhauser, Opera Comique, Thais, Werther, Carmen, La Boheme, Manon.”
Her Mother later sent her to Miss Dryden’s establishment off the Arc de Triumph. She and eleven other students had classes with “the Come’die Fracaise, who gave us talks on Moliere, Racine, and Corneille, and singers from the Conservatoire who sang the arias of Lully and Gluck. They also had drama classes, saw dramas and plays – with Sara Bernhardt, Re’jane in La Course aux Flembeax.” (p.182) She says, Plays were “talked about by actresses, repeating words and speeches from them; to having real singers singing was to bring to life in you, a passionate love of the art you are hearing. It opened up a new world to me, a world in which I have been able to live ever since.” (p.183)
She studied seriously singing and playing the piano. Agatha said, “I studied the piano with Austrian, Charles Furster. He occasionally came to London and gave recitals. He was a good but frightening teacher. His method was to wander round the room as you played. He had the airof not listening, looked out of the window, smelled a flower, but all of a sudden, as you played a false note or phrased something badly, he would swing round with the alacrity of a pouncing tiger and cry out” in French “Hein quest ce que vous jouez la petite, hein? C’est atroce.” (In English, “Eh what are you playing, little one, eh? It’s atrocious.”)
Agatha continues, “It was shattering to the nerves at first, but one got used to it. He was passionate addict of Chopin, so that I learned mostly Chopin Etudes and Waltzes, the Fantaisie Impromptue, and one of the Ballades. I know I was getting on well under his teaching, and it made me happy. I also learned the Sonatas of Beethoven, as well as several light, what he called “drawing -room pieces,” a Romance by Faure’, the Barcarolle of Tchaikovsky and others. I practiced with real assiduity, usually about seven hours a day. I think a wild hope was spring up within me-I don’t know that I ever let it quite come into my consciousness, but it was there in the background-that perhaps I could be a pianist, could play concerts. It would be a long time and hard work, but I knew that I was improving rapidly.”
She said, “My singing lessons had begun before this period. My teacher was a Monsieur Boue’, a famous operatic baritone. He and Jean de Reszke , a famous tenor were ….at that time the two leading singing teachers in Paris.” (P. 183)
She learned many “French songs, a lovely Ave Maria of Cherubini’, Schubert’s songs in German, an aria from La Boheme,”Che gelida manina”,and the aria from Tosca, Vissi d’arte.”
She brought in a soprano transcription from the air from Samson et Delilah” and “he shouted Samson et Delilah was written for mezzo. Do you not know that if you sing an air from an opera, it must sung in the key it was written in? if you bring it in the proper mezzo key, yes, you shall learn it.” She “never dared sing a transposed song again.” (p.185)
Agatha remained at Miss Dryden’s for around eighteen months. She said, “I continued to study, but before I finally went home I asked Charles Furster frankly whether he thought that by hard work and application I could one day be a professional pianist. He, too was kind, but he told me no lies. He said that he thought I had not the temperament to play in public, and I knew he was right. I was grateful to him for telling me the truth. I was miserable about it for a while, but tried hard not to dwell on it more than I could help.” (PP.188-189)
Agatha said, “I was no longer studying music seriously. I practiced the piano a few hours a day…, but took no more lessons. I still studied singing in London. Francis Korbay, the Hungarian composer, gave me singing lessons, and taught me some charming Hungarian songs of his own composition. He was a good teacher and an interesting man. I also studied English ballad singing with another teacher.” She often sang at concerts locally and “was quite a good accompanist, and could read music by sight, so she often had to play accompaniments for other singers.” (p. 230)
Agatha said to herself, “would it ever be possible for me to sing in opera? An American friend of May Sturges who was in London, and connected with the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, very kindly came to hear me sing one day. I sang various arias for her and she took me through a series of scales, arpeggios, and exercises. Then she said to me: “You will make a good concert singer, and should be able to do well and make a name at that. Your voice is not strong enough for opera…” (p.231)
At 18, Agatha wrote her first short story, “The House of Beauty” while she was recovering from influenza. This was an early version of House of Dreams. Later she wrote her first novel, “Snow Upon the Desert”. She drew on her recent experiences in Cairo.
Voluntary Aid Detachment Nursing:
In October 1914 during WW1, Agatha Miller, age 24, was engaged to Captain Archibald Christie and worked as a Voluntary Aid Detachment Nurse in a Red Cross Hospital in Torquay, Devon. “Agatha met the young pilot at a dance in October 1912 and they became engaged in 1913, just before he entered military training. At the outbreak of the First World War”.
Agatha Miller Christie Apothecary Assistant WW1: She also “dispensed medicines at the hospital until the end of the war.” To be an Apothecaries assistant she passed several exams, studied theoretical and practical Chemistry and studied with an experienced Pharmacist. She completed the exam in 1917 of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries.
Agatha Christie wrote, “It was while I was working in the dispensary that I first conceived the idea of writing a detective story […] and my present work seemed to offer a favorable opportunity. […] I began considering what kind of detective story I could write. Since I was surrounded by poisons, perhaps it was natural that death by poisoning should be the method I selected.” Agatha Christie, “An Autobiography”
She wrote, her first mystery “The Mysterious Affairs at Styles”, at this time. Agatha said, “her sister Madge challenged her to write a mystery.”
“Plots come to me at such odd moments, when I am walking along the street, or examining a hat shop…suddenly a splendid idea comes into my head.” Agatha Christie, “An Autobiography”
Agatha Miller marries Archibald Christie:
“On the afternoon of Christmas Eve 1914, Agatha Miller married Captain Archibald Christie in Bristol. Records of the ceremony, hastily arranged while Archie was on leave during the First World War, are now held at Bristol Archives. The wedding took place at Emmanuel Church on Guthrie Road, Clifton. The church was close to Clifton College, where Archie’s stepfather was a schoolmaster. Archie is described in the church’s marriage register as a member of the Royal Flying Corps and Agatha Miller, aged 24, was beginning her writing career and not yet a published novelist.”
Agatha Miller Christie and Archie Christie ‘s daughter Rosalind Margaret Clarissa Christie
was born on August 5, 1919 in Ashfield, Torquay in her grandmother’s home.
Her first mystery “The Mysterious Affairs at Styles” was rejected by 6 publishers. It was finally published in 1920. Hercule Poirot and Arthur Hastings are introduced. “Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, is settling in England near the home of Emily Inglethorp, who helped him to his new life. His friend Hastings arrives as a guest at her home. When Mrs. Inglethorp is murdered, Poirot uses his detective skills to solve the mystery.” (Mysterious Affairs at Styles, Wikipedia)
WWII. Agatha Christie renewed her training at University College Hospital, London and worked regular hours at the dispensary.” (The Guardian, UK, 2018, “How Agatha Christie’s Wartime Nursing role gave her a taste of Poison”)
“Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot mysteries consist of 33 novels, 2 plays, and 51 short stories published between 1920 and 1975.” (Al Overview)
Agatha Christie’s Jane Marple mysteries consisted of 12 books and 20 short stories beginning in 1926 and finishing in 1976, which was published posthumously.
There were 5 books featuring Tommy and Tuppence , as detectives, by Agatha Christie.(2 novels, 1 short story collection, and 2 novels.)
Agatha Christie’s Mother, Clarissa Miller, died in April 1926. They were very close, and “the loss sent her into a deep depression.”
Agatha Christie’s husband, Archibald Christie requested a divorce in late 1926 to marry Nancy Neele. Agatha Christie and Archi Christie divorced in October 1928.
Second Marriage: Agatha Christie marries Max Mallowan, archeologist:
In 1930, Agatha Christie, a successful mystery writer, was invited on an archaeological dig to Ur, Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) by her friends, Leonard and Katharine Woolley, prominent archaeologists. Working for Leonard Woolley was the young British archeologist, Max Mallowan, 26 years old. They asked Max to give Agatha a tour of the digs in 5 cities. They enjoyed being in each other’s company during the archeological trips to the sites. Agatha was fascinated with archeology.
After vising the 5th site, on the “journey back to Baghdad, their car got stuck in the sand. Mallowan was impressed by the way in which Christie, rather than succumbing to panic in the heat and dust, just lay down in the car’s shadow to sleep while a Bedouin went off for help.” (Agatha Christi fandom.com)
Agatha Christie and Max Mallowan were married in Edinburgh on September 11, 1930. Agatha was 40 years old and Max was 26. They were happily married for nearly 46 years.
During Agatha Christie’s married life with Max Mallowan she wrote “Murder on the Orient Express”; “Death on the Nile”; and “Appointment with Death”. “She spent her spare time going on annual digs in Iraq with Max.” Agatha did most of the photographs for the antiquities discovered at the sites, in the open, with a scale rod showing the size of the object. (Exact prospective.) (Agatha Christie, “An Autobiography” p.575)
“Both Agatha and Max received honors for their contributions to their respective fields—Max Mallowan was knighted in 1968, and Agatha Christi was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1971.” (Al overview)
Agatha Miller Christie wrote 66 mystery novels, 150 short stories, over 25 plays, two autobiographies, and six books under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Her play “The Mousetrap’ is the longest running musical in the world opened in 1952 in London’s West End.
Agatha Christ was a wife, mother, grandmother, and lifelong musician. Agatha Christie died on January 12, 1976, at the age of 85, at her home, Winterbrook House, in Oxfordshire, England.
What Thinking Hat Are You Wearing? by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
Have you ever considered wearing different colored hats to solve your problem?
Here is evidence that this works.
Norwegian energy company, Statoil (now Norsk Hydro) “had a problem with an oil rig that was costing his company about $100,000 a day. A certified trainer, Jens Arup, introduced the Six Hats Method and within 12 minutes the problem was solved-and the $100,000 per day expenditure was reduced to nil.”
In law cases “the jury took more than 3 hours to reach a decision. In the second case, one juror introduced the Six Hats Method. A decision was reached in fifteen minutes.”
Siemens, one of the largest corporations in Europe, has 312,000 employees in 2024 and revenue of €75.9 billion. (U.S. $79,180,018,500.00.)
Siemens “has found De Bono’s 6 Hat Method so successful that they have 37 internal trainers.”
IBM told De Bono “that the six hats method had reduced meeting times to one quarter of what they had been.”
What is this “6 Hats Method” that is helping companies and organizations streamline their decision-making process?
The facilitator of the session begins with using a particular hat for a certain type of thinking.” *Starting with wearing the “The blue Hat” the facilitator: (To begin and end the session like book ends. Overview.) “Control of thinking.”
De Bono says, “The blue hat is like a conductor of the orchestra. The conductor gets the best out of the orchestra by seeking that what should be done is done at the right time. Organization of thinking and process control. The purpose of thinking and what is to be achieved. The blue hat sets the strategy, keeps the discipline, keeps to the relevant hat and announces a change of hats.” (Edward De Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats”, 1985)
*Blue hat thinking: “Why we are we here? What are we thinking about? Define the situation or problem, alternative definitions, what we want to achieve, where we want to end up, the background of the thinking, and a plan for the sequence of hats to be used. Blue sky above.”
* The White Hat: Think of Facts, information. Focused question. Each person has one minute to give their thoughts.
*The Red Hat: “Think of Fire, warmth”. (Feelings, emotion, intuition.) each person has one minute to “express their feelings”. “For example: the group is deciding if this person is the right one for the job.” Each person, wearing the red hat, is allowed to say this is how I feel about hiring J…….
*The Black Hat: Think of “Caution and Careful. Survival.” The “most used hat”. (Negative hat.) “The black hat stops us doing things that are illegal, dangerous, unprofitable, polluting…” What could go wrong?
*The Yellow Hat: “Sunshine, brightness, and Optimism. Positive assessment.” The benefits of the suggestion/idea and how it can be put into practice. (p.144) “The yellow hat has a high value because it focuses people to spend time seeking out value.” (p. 89.)
*The Green Hat “Energy, creativity, new ideas. Think of vegetation, growth, new leaves and branches.” Each person wearing the Green hat, gives a creative idea. “When the Green hat is in use everyone is expected to make a creative effort -or else to keep quiet.” (p.115)
*Final Blue Hat: “At the end of the session the blue hat asks “What have we achieved? What is the outcome, conclusion, design, solution, and next steps?”
Dr. De Bono says, “The biggest enemy of thinking is complexity, for that leads to confusion. When thinking is clear and simple it becomes enjoyable and more effective.” (Edward De Bono’s “Six Thinking Hats”, 1985, p.172)
Example: Facilitator wears Blue Hat: What are we thinking about today?
Should we promote Langston as our new customer service banker/leadership trainee?
Fred Smith: “A leader’s first question should be: “Will this person help the organization to fulfill the mission?” Is he/she competent, experienced, knowledgeable, and a leader?
(Each team member has one minute to speak.)
Let’s put on our White Hats and ask each of our committee to give us facts about Langston’s education and work record, his performance reviews every 6 months, and his connecting to his customers. Each member will have one minute. Each of the group has done their homework on Langston.
Team member 1: Langston graduated high school at the top of his class and began at the bank as a Teller. He was eager to learn and take the training as a Teller and enjoyed interacting with his customers. He has worked as a Teller for three years and is a loyal, honest, and trustworthy employee. His 6-month reviews were very good.
Team member 2: He immediately enrolled at night, after work hours, at an on-line accredited college to earn his Bachelors in Finance degree. He is currently completing his third year of College with top grades. I have seen his academic records.
Team member 3: He also works well helping to train new Tellers and he enjoys helping his customers. He smiles, he is courteous, and polite. His co- workers and customers like and trust him.
Facilitator: Let us put on our The Red Hat: “(Feelings, emotion, intuition.) “
Would Langston be a good fit to be our new Customer Service Representative? Your feelings on this. (Team member has one minute.)
Team member 1: I feel that Langston would be an excellent Customer Services Representative.
Team Member 2: I agree Langston would do well as a Customer Services Representative.
Team member 3: I also agree Langston would do well as a Customer Services Representative.
Would it be possible for him to continue working with new Tellers once a week? He is such an excellent trainer and teacher.
Facilitator let’s put our Black Hats on. *Black hat thinking: (Think of “Caution and Careful. Survival.” The “most used hat”. (Negative hat.) “The black hat stops us doing things that are illegal, dangerous, unprofitable, polluting…”
Do any of our Team Members have any negative things to say about Langston?
Each team member said No.
Facilitator says let’s put on our Yellow Hat: “Sunshine, brightness, and Optimism. Positive assessment.” The benefits of the suggestion/idea and how it can be put into practice. (p.144) “The yellow hat has a high value because it focuses people to spend time seeking out value.” (p. 89.)
Team Member 1: Langston is an optimistic, bright leader. He builds people up and helps them to be their best self. He is a credit to this Bank.
Team Member 2: He is a people person and connects with them.
Team Member 3: He helps others and cares about them. He is a ray of hope in a storm.
He works with others well and is a good team member. When there is a problem he is there to lend his support with positive clear insight as he is always thinking, and learning to be better at the work he is doing for the Bank.
Facilitator let’s put on our Green Hat: “Energy, creativity, new ideas.” “Think of growth, new leaves and branches.” Each person wearing the Green hat, gives a creative idea. “When the Green hat is in use everyone is expected to make a creative effort -or else to keep quiet.” (p.115)
Team Member 1: Langston creates a positive energy with his co-workers by encouraging and motivating them. He has a good relationship with his customers, knows them by name, asks about their family members and they like him and trust him. He is a connector.
Team Member 2: He creates order and stability as a Teller.
Team Member 3: When there is a problem, Langston thinks clearly to find a solution and comes up with new creative ideas at our bank.
Facilitator let’s put on our Blue Hat for our conclusions. Final Blue Hat: “At the end of the session the blue hat asks “What have we have achieved, what is the outcome, conclusion, design, solution, and next step.”
All team members agree Langston will be promoted to Customer Service Representative and he will continue to train new Tellers once a week for one hour. Langston will begin his training as a Customer Service Representative next Monday.
For the next 10 days, which of the Six Hats will you wear and use in combination to solve your problems?
Let me know which hats you have used and if it helped your organization reach a decision faster! © 2025 Madeline Frank
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Wishing you and your family a happy April from Your Non-Invasive Medicine Music Expert, Madeline
For over 30 years, Dr. Madeline Frank has helped children and adults overcome problems through Classical music. Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an award-winning teacher, author, researcher, speaker, conductor, and concert artist. She has discovered a scientific link between studying a musical instrument and academic and societal success. Madeline Frank earned her Bachelor and Master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music. Her education has included scholarships at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati and she has a violin performance diploma from the North Carolina School of the Arts. (C) 2025 Madeline Frank