Ernest Hemingway, American Novelist, Short Story Author, Journalist & Musician: Madeline’s Monthly Musical Tips Blog & Radio Show for July 2026
Our Blog and Radio shares the life and work of Ernest Hemingway, American novelist, short story author, journalist and musician.
Many of the world’s authors, poets, teachers, artist, medical doctors, professors, scientists, researchers, mathematicians, engineers, chemists, physicists, inventors, statesmen, diplomats, printers, architects, and others 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.
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.
Included is the article “5 Reasons Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Practice Your Instrument” by Concord Conservatory of Music.
Our article of the month is “3 Successful Strategies for Financial Success” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
Feature Question for July 2026: How did Classical music play a part of Ernest Hemingway’s life as an American Novelist, Short Story Author, Journalist & Musician and what musical instrument did he play?
https://madelinefrankviola.com/one-minute-musical-radio-show/
Early Years:
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, to Clarence Edmonds Hemingway, a physician and Grace Hall Hemingway, an Opera Singer, in Oak Park, Illinois, west of Chicago. The Hemingway family lived with Grace’s Father, Ernest Miller Hall. Ernest Hemingway was named after his grandfather.
Music:
He was the second of 6 children born into a musical household. His father played the flute. His Mom was an Opera Singer, violinist, pianist, wrote music, “directed the children’s church choir and the orchestra at the First Congregational Church of Oak Park”, sang in concerts, sang solo in the choir, and gave voice, violin, and piano lessons. Ernest was taught at an early age to play the cello by his Mother. His siblings also studied and played musical instruments. (Nature vs Nurture, It’s a Messy Combination of Both in Ernest Hemingway’s Childhood Home”, Feb. 7, 2018, by Kathleen Odowd) (Wikipedia, Ernest Hemingway, Notes 6, 7, 8)
Ernest Hemingway would later say, “music lessons contributed to his writing style, as evidenced in the contrapuntal structure of “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” (Wikipedia, Ernest Hemingway, Note 7) “PBS Ken Burns documentary of Ernest Hemingway says the young Ernest played cello and loved practice because of the repetition.”
“Dr. Hemingway personally delivered each of his 6 children, and provided care to his future wife’s mother, in her final years. He lived just across the street from the Hall household, and made regular visit there, growing more and more fond of young Grace. “Dr. Hemingway was an avid outdoorsmen and hunter; his taxidermy is still on display throughout the house, and was used to educate his young children. Ernest’s paternal grandmother had 2 Master’s Degrees, in Botany and Astronomy, and passed her love of the natural world on to her son, and his children.” (Nature vs Nurture, It’s a Messy Combination of Both in Ernest Hemingway’s Childhood Home”, Feb. 7, 2018, by Kathleen Odowd) “Dr. Hemingway also taught Ernest woodcraft during summers in Michigan. (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Note 8)
Oak Park and River Forest High School (1913-1917):
Ernest Hemingway’s excelled in English, History, Chemistry and Orchestra. (Open culture.com “Famous Writer’s Report Cards: Ernest Hemingway, June 13, 2014) While in High School, Ernest “competed in boxing, track and field, water polo, football and performed in the school orchestra.” He “edited the school’s newspaper and year bookthe Trapeze and Tabula); he imitated the language of popular sportswriters and contributed under the pen name Ring Lardner Jr.—a nod to Ring Lardner and the Chicago Tribune whose byline was “Line O’Type”. (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 6 and 9)
Working for The Kansas City Star:
After high school, he worked as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star for 6 months. “The Star’s style guide, which stated “Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative”, became a foundation for his prose.” (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 9 and 11) “Hemingway covered shootings, stabbings, labor troubles, small pox scares. Avoid adjectives. Crisp clear writing. (Hemingway a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick , 3 part documentary)
Red Cross Ambulance Driver:
Ernest “Hemingway wanted to go to war and tried to enlist in the U.S. Army but was not accepted because of his poor eyesight. Instead he volunteered to a Red Cross recruitment effort in December 1917 and signed on to be an ambulance driver with the American Red Cross Motor Corps in Italy. In 1918, he sailed from New York, and arrived in Paris as the city was under bombardment from German artillery. That June he arrived at the Italian Front as a volunteer with the A.R.C. (American Red Cross).” (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 13, 14, 15, 16.)
Joined Rescuers at Munitions Factory in Milan: “On his first day in Milan, he was sent to the scene of a munitions factory explosion to join rescuers retrieving the shredded remains of 35 female workers.” He “nearly passed out.” (Hemingway a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick , 3 part documentary)
In his 1932 book “Death in the Afternoon” he “described the incident.” Hemingway, “I remember that after we searched quite thoroughly for the complete dead we collected fragments.”
“On July 8, 1918, while volunteering to pass out chocolate bars to men at a front line forward listening post, he was caught in the blast of an enemy mortar shell, injured by over 220 pieces of shrapnel, ripped into his legs and lacerated his scalp. As stretcher bearers struggled to get Hemingway to an aid station, an enemy machine gunner opened up. Bullets lodged in his right knee and foot. He refused to be treated for a time because he said “there are other men more seriously wounded.” “He then endured the removal of the largest piece of shrapnel without anesthetic. Because his wounds seemed so severe, a Catholic Priest administered extreme unction.” (Hemingway a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick , 3 part documentary)
“He was decorated with Italian War Merit Cross and the Italian Silver Medal of Military Valor. For his deed he was promoted to first lieutenant (A.R.C.) and tenente (Italian Army).” (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 1,17,18,19,20.)
Hemingway was 18 and “later said of the incident: “When you go to war as a boy you have a great illusion of immortality. Other people get killed; not you … Then when you are badly wounded the first time you lose that illusion and you know it can happen to you.”
“He was transferred for recuperation to the Red Cross hospital in Milan where he underwent the further series of surgeries.” (Hemingway a film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick , 3 part documentary)
(Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 21,22,23.)
“While recuperating, Hemingway fell in love with, Agnes von Kurowsky, an American Red Cross nurse, 26, was seven years his senior. When Hemingway returned to the United States in January 1919, he believed Agnes would join him within months, and the two would marry. Instead, he received a letter from her in March with news that she was engaged to an Italian officer. Biographer Jeffrey Meyers writes Agnes’s rejection devastated and scarred the young man. In future relationships Hemingway followed a pattern of abandoning a wife before she abandoned him. (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 24)
One of Hemingway’s closest friendships from his Red Cross service was with William “Bill” Dodge Horne Jr., a fellow ambulance driver in Italy. Horne was later a groomsman at Hemingway’s first wedding and an honorary pallbearer at his funeral. Horne preserved a personal archive of their correspondence, photographs, and recollections—materials now housed at Princeton University Library.” (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 25, 26,27,28.)
Began working at the Toronto Star Weekly “as a freelancer and staff writer:
In late 1919 through1920 year, “he began as a freelancer and staff writer for the Toronto Star Weekly. He returned to Michigan the next June and then moved to Chicago in September 1920” continuing to file stories for the Toronto Star. In Chicago, Hemingway “worked as an associate editor of the monthly journal Cooperative Commonwealth, where he met novelist Sherwood Anderson.” Sherwood Anderson became Hemingway’s mentor. (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 29, 32)
Through his roommate’s sister he met Hadley Richardson. She was 8 years older than Hemingway. She had red hair and a “nurturing instinct”. For a few months they exchanged letters and “decided to marry and travel to Europe.” On September 3, 1921 they were married. (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 33,34)
Ernest Hemingway Mentors in Paris:
“Sherwood Anderson convinced them to go to Paris” and wrote letters of introduction for them. Anderson wanted them to go to Paris “because it was inexpensive and it was where “the most interesting people in the world resided.” Hemingway became “a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star.” Hemingway met writers, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Ezra Pound, Sylvia Beach who had a bookstore and library, (Shakespeare & Company.) They became his mentors helping him up his ladder of success. “Hemingway was a “tall, handsome, muscular, broad-shouldered, brown-eyed, rosy-cheeked, square-jawed, soft-voiced young man.” (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 35,36,37)
Through Stein’s Salon, he met painters Juan Gris, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and others. (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway, Notes 41)
Some of Ernest Hemingway’s books: “The Old Man and the Sea”, “The Sun Also Rises”, “A Farewell to Arms”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, “A Moveable Feast”, “Death in the Afternoon”, “The Garden of Eden”, “To Have and to Have Not”.
Some of Ernest Hemingway’s short stories: “Big Two-Hearted River”, “Soldiers Home”, “Cat in the Rain”, “Indian Camp”, “In Another Country”, “Hills Like White Elephants”, “In Another Country”. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place”, “The Snows of Kilimanjaro”
American author Ernest Hemingway was awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in literature “for his mastery of the art of narrative, most recently demonstrated in The Old Man and the Sea (1952), and for the influence that he has exerted on contemporary style.” (Nobel Prize literature 1954 Hemingway. “Hemingway won his Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.”
Traveling to Africa in 1954, “Hemingway was seriously injured in two plane crashes, leaving him in pain and ill health for the rest of his life.” (Wikipedia Ernest Hemingway)
Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, short story author, journalist, musician, husband, father, and grandfather. He wrote 7 novels, 6 short story collections, 2 nonfiction works. He died in Ketchum, Idaho in 1961.
3 Successful Strategies for Financial Success by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
In Dale Carnegie’s Public Speaking: A Practical Course for Business, (1926) p. 123,
Dale Carnegie said, “I trained a number of men in the New York City Chapter of the American Institute of Banking to speak during a thrift campaign.” This campaign was designed to inspire their customers to set up a system of saving. The desire for educating the public on the benefits of saving would create security if times got tough.
“One of the men in particular lacked force. He was talking merely because he wanted to speak, not because he was overly excited about saving and investing. The first step in training that man was to warm his mind and heart. I told him to go off by himself and to think over his subject until he became enthusiastic about it.”
He continued, “I asked him to remember that the Probate Court Records in New York show that more than 85% of the people leave nothing at all in death; that only 3.3% leave more than $10,000 (approx. $188,000 in 2026). He was to keep in mind that he was not asking people to do him a favor or something that they could not afford to do.”
Carnegie said, ‘he was to say to himself’, “I am preparing my clients to have meat and bread and clothes and comfort in their old age, and to leave their spouses and children protected. He must remember he was going to perform a great social service. He must be inspired by the crusader’s faith that he was preaching the practical, applied gospel.”
Carnegie’s student, “Burned them into his mind. He got a realizing sense of their importance. He aroused his own interest, stirred his own enthusiasm, and came to feel that his mission was almost holy. Then, when he went out to talk, there was a ring to his words that carried conviction. In fact, his talk on thrift attracted so much attention he was invited to join the organization of the largest bank in America, and was later sent to one of its South American branches.” (p. 124)
While educational resources for financial education were limited long ago; there is no shortage of information and education, teaching about financial wellness. While I am not giving specific financial advice as I’m not a licensed professional; here are a few common traits that I’ve found consistent with people who enjoy financial freedom.
- Avoid consumer debt at all costs (the Dave Ramsey approach). Why would you pay interest on a meal that you paid for with a credit card? If you don’t have it, you don’t need it. Great resourcefulness happens when you need to get scrappy.
- Find additional streams of income. Whether it is investing in rental properties, taking on a second job, or working a side hustle, few problems in life are made worse by having more money.
- Begin saving and investing TODAY! You can borrow money for anything you want…except retirement. I’m sure you’ve encountered someone who looks a little downtrodden. When I’ve talked to people like that, they wish they could have more time in the past so they could plan for the future. Connect with a financial advisor with a proven track record or some other trust worthy person to help you plan your journey so you don’t wind up where you do not want to be when it is too late! ©2026 Madeline Frank. If you need a speaker or virtual speaker contact Madeline at: [email protected]
5 Reasons Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Practice Your Instrument” by Concord Conservatory of Music.
Summer means longer days, warmer weather, and a fantastic opportunity to really dive into your musical passion. While many might be tempted to put their instruments away until the fall, summer is actually one of the best times to refine your skills, explore new techniques, and ignite your musical journey.
Here are five reasons why you should keep practicing your instrument this summer:
- “Maintain Momentum & Avoid “Summer Slide” Just like academic subjects, musical skills can experience a “summer slide” if not regularly exercised. Consistent practice during the break prevents skill deterioration, ensuring you pick up right where you left off when the school year resumes. Think of it as summer music practice to keep your fingers nimble and your mind sharp!”
- “Deeper Dive into Technique and Theory Without the pressure of school assignments and extracurriculars, summer offers a valuable window to focus on areas that might get less attention during the busy academic year. This is your chance to really concentrate on challenging pieces, refine your technique, or delve deeper into music theory. Music education during the summer can provide the focused environment you need.”
- “Explore New Genres and Repertoire Tired of the same old scales? Summer is the perfect time to broaden your musical horizons! Experiment with a new genre, learn a fun pop song, or tackle a classical piece you’ve always admired. This is a great opportunity for beginner music lessons or advanced students alike.”
- “Prepare for Fall Auditions and Performances Get ahead of the game! If you have auditions for school bands, orchestras, or upcoming performances in the fall, summer practice is absolutely crucial. Dedicated time during the warmer months means you can approach these opportunities with confidence and a polished performance. For music school preparation, summer is invaluable.”
- “Stress-Free Learning & Enhanced Enjoyment Summer practice can be a much more relaxed and enjoyable experience. Without the typical daily grind, you can approach your instrument with less pressure and more pure enjoyment. This renewed sense of fun can reignite your passion for music and make learning feel less like a chore and more like a joyful pursuit. Discover the joy of musical instrument lessons in a stress-free environment.” ( Concord Conservatory’s “5 Reasons Why Summer Is the Perfect Time to Practice Your Instrument”.
“The Secret of Teaching Science & Math Through Music” shares 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 by Madeline Frank, Ph.D. Click below:
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“Musical Notes On Math” by Dr. Madeline Frank teaches your child fractions and decimals, the fun easy way, through the rhythm of music, Winner of the Parent To Parent Adding Wisdom Award is available in book form, newly updated as an e-book on Kindle, Nook, or iBook.:
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“Madeline’s Midnight Melodies- Music From around the World”. This CD complements her books with a blend of dance music, gigues, tangos, ballet and favorites including “Danny Boy”, Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro”, Debussy’s “Claire De Lune” and others. “Madeline’s Midnight Melodies” CD is now available for purchase by downloading a song, downloading the album click below:
Wishing you and your family a Happy July 4th 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, an amazon.com best-selling 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) 2026 Madeline Frank