We are dedicating this Father’s Day to honoring men who are scientists, medical doctors, engineers, mathematicians, teachers, writers and musicians. These eminent individuals have integrated music into their thinking process. 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. June is graduation month for high schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States. Our amazing 2013 high school seniors and college seniors are scholars and musicians.
Our article of the month for June 2013: “Faithful Friends Are Treasures” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
Our blog features Maestro Vincent La Selva our Radio Show’s 2013 Teacher of the Year. Maestro Vincent La Selva is a teacher, conductor, musician, husband, father, and grandfather. Maestro La Selva says, he “ passes on to his students the composers passion for the music they wrote and has them try to completely understand the composer’s intention.” He began teaching at the Juilliard School in Lincoln Center in 1969 and this year will be his 45th year of teaching at the Juilliard School.
He has conducted orchestras and Opera companies throughout the United States, the Dominican Republic, Czechoslovakia, and Switzerland for over 60 years. At the age of 12, in the 7th grade in Junior high school, he began conducting.
Maestro La Selvas favorite mentors and teachers were Jean Paul Morel his conducting teacher at the Juilliard ,Peter Mennin and Vittorio Giannini who taught him music composition. William Vacchiano was his Trumpet teacher. Robert Ward, the composer, taught him orchestration. Another wonderful teacher was Vincent Persichetti.
He has taught over four generation of students and shared two of their stories.
Maestro’s La Selva says, “I met Constantine Kitsopoulos through his mother who sang with my Grand Opera Company in Central Park. I am very proud to have taught Constantine who is an outstanding professional conductor. He has conducted symphony orchestras, opera, and conducted Broadway shows.”
“Another student that I taught at the Juilliard was you, Madeline Frank. You conducted the Bermuda Festival Chamber Orchestra in the 400th Anniversary Celebration in 4 Centuries of music. Also you have worked with many youth orchestras in Virginia and New York City teaching young people the joys of playing Classical music concerts.”
Maestro La Selva please share with us what is special about this year, 2013, for Verdi and your Grand Opera Company.
Maestro La Selva says, “This year 2013 we are celebrating Verdi’s 200th birthday anniversary, Verdi’s Bicentennial. I founded New York
Grand Opera 40 years ago in 1973 and for 38 years we performed in New York City’s Central Park and in all the boroughs of New York, Long Island and New Jersey for over 3 million people fully staged professional productions. No one else in the world has done this. New York Grande Opera did all 28 Verdi Operas in Central Park. It took me 8 years to do it.” Maestro La Selva’s web sites are:
http://www.vincentlaselva.com
http://www.newyorkgrandopera.org
Dr. Madeline Frank’s Musical One Minute Radio Show for June 2013:
Maestro Vincent La Selva is our Radio Show’s 2013 Teacher of the Year. Maestro La Selva can you share with us your approach for teaching and motivating your students?
https://madelinefrankviola.com/madelines-one-minute-radio-show/New York Grand Opera: http://www.newyorkgrandopera.org
Maestro Vincent La Selva website: http://www.vincentlaselva.com
“Faithful Friends Are Treasures” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
Think of your closest friends. How did you choose them? What characteristics do want your friends to have?
A true friend has good character, is honest, trustworthy, gives unconditional love, and always does the right thing. Their reputation is everything to them. A true friend is someone who will lift you up when you are down and will inspire you on your journey to the best person you can be. Friends help you to reach your goals and are willing to listen when you have a problem even when they would rather not. When you win and are successful they are truly happy to celebrate with you and when you lose they have a shoulder for you to lean and cry on. That’s what a real friend is. A treasure!
Throughout my life I have been truly blessed by having several good friends. My mom, Romayne Leader Frank taught me by example to have good character, to be honest, trustworthy, and to always do the right thing. Momma was my first role model, mentor, best friend and teacher. She modeled for me the right way to behave and treat others. She was the finest person I have ever known. Momma was a lawyer who helped families who had lost everything get back on their feet. Through her wise guidance she would show them how to repair their finances. She was always willing to listen and help. As a friend, wife, mother, and lawyer she cared about helping others to succeed with their goals and she was always willing to help you find your way.
My friend Jean and I have been friends for over 20 years and we have been there for each other during crises and celebrations. In 2006, I was sharing with her my research on how medical doctors were using Classical music to help patients recover from different illnesses and how Classical music was helping children to be better students in school. She suggested I share my research in a monthly article with parents, teachers, and friends. That was the beginning of “Madeline’s Monthly Article and Musical Tips” in October 2006. The next year when I began a Radio Show interviewing scientists, medical doctors, and others, she suggested guests for the show. This was the beginning of “Madeline’s One Minute Musical Radio Show”. Friends’ help you stretch your abilities to help you and others learn to grow and be better people.
Sometimes you learn the hard way who is really not your friend. Ray is a top repairman of heating and Air conditioning systems. His friend Jay asked him on his day off to fix his air conditioner. Ray’s father-in-law told Ray “that he needs to lose this friend”. He’s right! It’s time for Ray to weed out his garden.
Monty is a CPA and his good friend Abel asks him on his day off to do his taxes for him. Is Abel a true friend? Of course not! Monty needs to look for a new friend who will honor and protect him not take advantage of him. It’s time for Monty to weed out his garden too!
Those of you that are familiar with Shakespeare’s play “Othello” will remember the character Iago, pronounced “e-og-go. Iago pretends to be a friend to his boss Othello, the Moor. Iago did not get the promotion he expected from Othello and he is jealous of the love and happiness Othello has with his beloved wife Desdemona. Iago decides to make Othello think his wife, Desdemona, is having an affair with another man. Iago sets Desdemona up destroying her marriage to Othello by deceit and dishonesty.
All of us have an Iago, a false friend, in our lives who is jealous of our success, our happy family, our lives, our honesty and our integrity. Do not let this false friend destroy your life and that of your family.
Jay, Abel, and Iago are friends you need to weed out of your garden and find new honorable and trustworthy friends.
Dave Sheffield, the Shef, motivational speaker, author, coach, and friend said it best; know “when it is time to love them from a distance.” He also said, “One thing that I like to remember is that some people are in your life for a season, and others are in your life for a reason.”
So how should you choose your friends? What are the 3 characteristics of a good friend?
- A friend is honest, trustworthy, has good character, and always does the right thing. Their reputation is everything to them. When you have a problem a friend will listen to you, even when they do not want to, and help you make the right decision. You can depend on them to steer you in the right direction.
- A friend is someone who will lift you up when you are down and will inspire you on your journey to the best person you can be. They have a shoulder for you to lean on and cry on when needed. They will also give you a hug when you are down and when something terrible happens they will surround you, stand by you, and protect you.
- When you are winning and are successful, your friends are truly happy for you, and celebrate with you.
Remember when you are choosing your friends make sure he or she has good character, is honest, trustworthy, always chooses to do the right thing, and is a positive person who encourages you to do the right thing to be the best person you can be.
By choosing your friends wisely, you will have faithful friends who you will treasure for a life time.
(C) 2013 Madeline Frank
If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: [email protected]
For more articles by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Madeline_Frank
Dr. Madeline Frank’s 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”
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/
“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” is music to relax by and to move by for music therapy. Click here for Madeline Frank’s extended biography, reviews, and excerpts of “Madeline’s Midnight Melodies”. For your cd of “Madeline’s Midnight Melodies” click below:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mfrankviola
“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: