March is “Music in Our Schools Month” so inspire, encourage, and motivate your students by putting Mozart Symphonies on in the background of your classroom to improve your students concentration and discipline.
This month our interview and radio show celebrates the work of Dr. Ann Savan, Welsh science teacher. Her hobby is Classical music. Our article of the month is “Gratitude as An Attitude” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM.
Radio Show feature question for March 2014: How did Dr. Anne Savan , 7th grade Welsh science teacher, change her angry, frustrated students into disciplined and cooperative students ?
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/one-minute-radio-show-2014/
Our blog features Dr. Anne Savan, Welsh science teacher, mother of four children, who taught at a the Aberdare Boys’ Comprehensive where her 7th grade students, as she termed them, were her “most challenging students ever.” Her students had behavioral, emotional, and special educational difficulties.
She said, “For the first half term I couldn’t teach them at all. They couldn’t even sit on chairs. They lacked coordination. They lacked discipline. They were often frustrated with the tasks set for them and became aggressive. The whole thing was a stressful situation.” Even simple experiments in science were impossible for them.
One evening, she turned on the television and a French doctor was “experimenting with music” for “athetoid spastic children” to improve “their coordination”.
Dr. Savan said, “He talked about their lack of co-ordination leading to aggression and as I sat there, I thought ‘this is like my special needs class.”
She says, “Music is my hobby. If I have a problem or if I need to unwind then my automatic reaction would be to put on some classical music and it works for me. So I thought if it worked for me then maybe it might work for these children as well.”
Dr. Savan: “On way to school, “I literally went into a garage and picked up a tape of classical music, the only one they had, which happened to be called ‘The Best of Mozart’. So I picked up this tape and brought it into school, switched the tape on and, obviously, I hit the right composer.”
Dr. Savan: “I came into the classroom and put the tape on before the pupils came in. As usual, I heard them roaring down the corridor. But instead of charging in, they stopped at the door and walked in. Everything was set up for the experiment and I told them quietly what they needed to do. They were silent and went and did it.”
Anne Savan’s Lesson 1 Notes with Mozart Symphonies in the background of her classroom: “No one spoke, quarreled, asked to borrow anything, wanted to go to the toilet for the whole lesson. I have not had such a relaxed lesson with 7D ever. When the head teacher popped in to see how things were going, he was amazed.”
Continuing Results of Mozart Symphonies in the background of Dr. Savan’s Classroom: The next five months continued with the Mozart Symphonies in the background with cooperative students who were calm and relaxed with improved coordination able to complete the work set before them.
What did listening to the Mozart Symphonies do for Dr. Savan’s science students?
“ Dr. Savan believes the music relaxed her pupils enough to improve their physical coordination and lower their frustration levels enough to allow them to perform manual tasks effectively and efficiently.”
Ann Savan’s class experiment results were part of her research for her Ph.D. at Reading University. Dr. Anne Savan’s (1999) “The Effect of Background Music On Learning”
“Gratitude as An Attitude” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM
Have you shown anyone an attitude of gratitude lately? Do you have a mentor, teacher, coach, or friend who has guided you on your journey through life? When did you thank them for helping you? Talent is not enough. Someone has to help you direct traffic and inspire and motivate you for success.
Zig Ziglar said, “Of all the attitudes we can acquire, surely the Attitude of Gratitude is the most important and by far most life changing. ”
As a young student, my roommate, Anna Brady, a wonderful violist, artist, and scholarship student from New Jersey from a family of 9 siblings, introduced me to her teacher at the Juilliard School, Professor William Lincer. He was the former Principal Violist of the Cleveland Orchestra, the former Principal Violist of the New York Philharmonic, a member of the Gordon Quartet, and had been teaching for over 40 years.
Professor Lincer heard me play and immediately added me into his chamber music class. Throughout the year he motivated and inspired me to be the very best violinist I could be. He was a marvelous teacher patiently working with each member of my chamber group to improve their playing. He called me the “red hot fiddler” because he enjoyed my musical phrasing. At the end of that year, I decided to switch instruments to the viola so I could study with Professor Lincer as one of his viola students the following September.
Professor Lincer sent me that summer to the University of Cincinnati Congress of Strings on full scholarship to study with his former student Mr. Eugene Becker. Becker was a marvelous teacher, violist in the New York Philharmonic, and later the Assistant Principal Violist of the Philharmonic. He taught me to enjoy the rich deep sound of the viola and inspired his students to work hard and do their best. I began the summer sitting last chair in the viola section of the orchestra at Cincinnati Congress of Strings and by the end of the summer moved to the Principal Viola chair and played an 8 bar viola solo. For several summers I studied with Mr. Eugene Becker and appreciated his help and guidance.
I continued studying with Professor Lincer through my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree and continued to study viola and chamber music with him for many years after finishing at the Juilliard.
When I began studying with Professor Lincer, he sent me to a Yoga Class for exercise, Alexander Technique classes for posture and movement and meditation classes to release stress. He was dedicated to helping each student be his or her best. He also had a reading list and you read and studied the book and wrote a report on it to Professor Lincer to make sure you understood the importance of the book. He was interested in motivating, inspiring, and encouraging his students to be as educated as possible and was always reading and studying to improve his ability as a teacher and mentor.
Professor William Lincer taught for 70 years working “to unlock a student’s special talent.” Before Professor Lincer died in August 1997, he made me promise to write to Dr. Gerald Edelman and Dr. Oliver Sacks. I wrote both doctors and received letters from both of them, which I treasure. Dr. Edelman wrote in his letter, “I was sad to hear that Professor Lincer died. He was a superb musician and a broad ranging spirit.”
Dr. Gerald Edelman is a violinist, medical doctor, researcher, and Nobel Prize winner for his work in immunology. He had also been working on his study of the brain. Professor Lincer admired, Dr. Edelman’s book “Bright Air, Brilliant Fire: On The Matter Of The Mind”.
Dr. Oliver Sacks is a pianist, medical doctor specializing in Neurology and uses music to help his patients heal faster. Dr. Edelman says, “This power of music to integrate and cure, to liberate the Parkinsonian and give him freedom while it lasts..is quite fundamental, and seen in every patient.” Dr. Sacks has written many books on his work with his patients. His first book “Awakenings” was made into a movie.
Professor Lincer encouraged me over the years to do research into music and the brain and study how so many scientists, mathematicians, and medical doctors were also musicians. The research turned into my book, “The Secret of Teaching Science and Math Through Music” an Amazon.com best seller.
Studying a musical instrument is a powerful tool for teaching students’ discipline, teamwork, concentration, and self esteem.
Coach John Wooden said, “It takes 10 hands to make a basket.” Remember to be a success and reach your goal it takes many teachers, coaches, friends, and mentors to help you on your journey through life. No one does it alone.
So what are 3 things you should do to thank your teachers, coaches, mentors, and friends for helping you to succeed on your journey?
1) Start a note book today and write in it the names of your teachers, mentors, coaches, and friends who have made a difference in your life and do something nice for them.
2) Honor a special person in your life on a weekly basis by acts of kindness to others. Zig Ziglar said, “Of all the attitudes we acquire, surely the Attitude of Gratitude is the most important and by far most life changing.”
3) Remember that if we help others we will be helping ourselves at the same time.
Be grateful for your blessings and thank your teachers, mentors, friends, and coaches who have helped you on your journey.
What have I learned from Anna Brady, Professor William Lincer, and Mr. Eugene Becker?
1) To think calmly, clearly, and be persistent about solving problems and reaching goals.
2) To have a teachable spirit.
3) To teach others and help them learn and grow.
Coach John Wooden said, “It takes 10 hands to make a basket.” To be a success it takes the help of teachers, friends, and coaches to reach your goal. No one does it alone.
© 2014 Madeline Frank
To contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at [email protected]
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” http://goo.gl/lrJTx
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. 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: https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/musical-notes-on-math/
Wishing you and your family a happy Purim and a happy St. Patrick’s Day! Your Non-Invasive Medicine Music Expert, Madeline
Madeline Frank, Ph.D. an Amazon. Com Best Selling author for “The Secret of Teaching Science & Math Through Music” and “Musical Notes On Math“(teaching fractions and decimals to children K-5) winner of the Parent-to-Parent Adding Wisdom Award. www.madelinefrankviola.com
For over 25 years, Dr. Madeline Frank has helped children and adults overcome problems through music. Dr. Frank, a strings teacher, college professor, researcher, speaker and concert artist has found a scientific link between studying and/or listening to musical instruments 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) 2014 Madeline Frank.