DRUM Card Opportunity: Write a 3-5 sentence review of one of the following articles or related videos, using correct spelling/grammar and complete sentences.
The Holocaust, which occurred during World War II, was an awful time in human history in which 6 million people were killed because of who they were. Alice Herz-Sommer survived two years in a concentration camp, largely thanks to her love of music and her son. In fact, a documentary about her was recently made, entitled The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life. Here's part of the documentary:
The author of this article got his bachelor's degree in music, but switched to business for his master's degree in order to have a greater chance of a higher-paying job. However, his background as a musician helped (and continues to help) him become successful in school and in life.
Photographer Janet Macoska has taken more than a million pictures of thousands of rock and roll artists in her nearly four decade career. She shares some of her experiences and photographs here.
New Zealand rock artist Jeremy Redmore shares a story one of his fans, a surgeon, shared with him. The surgeon told him how Midnight Youth's music helped him stay on his A-game in surgery, and how it helped a large group of people after a disastrous earthquake in New Zealand.
What would you do if you were born without a left hand, but you really wanted to play the flute? Clarence Jefferson Wood, Jr., is an 88-year-old retired instrument repairman who designed modifications for a flute so that fifth grader Abby Gieseke could achieve her dreams.
Violinist with One Hand Inspires Musicians
Violinist Adrian Anantawan was born without his right hand, so he couldn't play recorder in elementary school. Instead, his parents bought him a violin. He connected a bow holder to the end of his arm, and the rest is history! Now he teaches music as well, and his students have gotten used to his ability. Here's the introduction to his documentary, The Story Behind the Notes.
One-Handed Pianist Nicholas McCarthy Graduates from Royal College of MusicViolinist Adrian Anantawan was born without his right hand, so he couldn't play recorder in elementary school. Instead, his parents bought him a violin. He connected a bow holder to the end of his arm, and the rest is history! Now he teaches music as well, and his students have gotten used to his ability. Here's the introduction to his documentary, The Story Behind the Notes.
Nicholas McCarthy is the first one-handed pianist to graduate from the Royal College of Music (in Britain - a big-name music school!) in its 130-year history. He also joined Britain's Paraorchestra, an orchestra for musicians with disabilities. He said that when they first heard him play, some of the visually impaired musicians didn't believe that he was only playing with one hand! Listen to him play in the short video below - what do you think?
Music Therapy Success Stories
Music therapy is a type of therapy that uses music to accomplish a variety of goals. A few examples of conditions that can be aided by music therapy include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), autism, premature birth, developmental disabilities, trauma, and end-of-life care. This link gives short overviews of Jeremy (a man who was badly beaten and had to have both arms amputated), Trevor (a man who fell four stories when he had a stroke while installing windows, and he ended up injuring his spine in the fall), and Laura (a girl who had to be hospitalized in a different part of her country while waiting for a bone marrow transplant, so she was scared and withdrawn). Don't worry - the stories have happy endings. :)
Gabby Giffords: Finding Words Through Song
In early January of 2011, Arizona Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot in the head at a public meeting in Tucson. Music therapy helped her find her voice again, literally! The bullet produced aphasia, which means she couldn't speak because that part of her brain couldn't talk to the rest of her brain. However, music therapy combined words with melody and rhythm to create a detour in her brain so she could talk! Here's some more information on music therapy, including some clips of different sessions with different populations (clients participating in music therapy) and some of the science behind it:
The Songs They Can't Forget
Do you know anyone with Alzheimer's disease? This is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Eventually, people suffering from Alzheimer's may not recognize themselves, their friends, or their families. This article shares the story of Tom and his wife Elsie. Tom is a resident of a care unit for patients with dementia. Whenever Elsie came to visit him, he'd wander off. The article tells how music helped bring them back together. (Can you guess how that happened?) :)
Here's a related video about Henry, a different Alzheimer's patient in a different place. It's an excerpt from the documentary Alive Inside. Notice how still Henry sits at the beginning of the video, then how animated he gets when he hears music. Notice the change in his responses too - wow! :)
Is Music the Key to Success?
A lot of very successful people (Condoleeza Rice, Alan Greenspan, Bruce Kovner, Paul Allen, and many, many more) have music studies in their backgrounds. Is this a coincidence, or has it helped them learn the skills and habits that helped them get to where they are?
Composer "Adds the Emotion" to Canadian TV Dramas
Do you ever wonder how they add music to your favorite TV shows? Do you wonder what your favorite movies or TV shows would sound like without background music, or what they would sound like with different music?
Check out the difference between the following trailers for The Sound of Music. The first one is a real trailer, and the other had its music replaced to become a scary movie trailer. The videos are showing the same movie...but listen to how the music makes such a huge difference!
Mahler Symphony Gets an Unwelcome Addition
Please put your phone on silent when you're at a performance...and if you're unsure how to do that, it's safest to just turn it off. I wouldn't want to be this guy...whoops!!
Gustavo Dudamel - The New Music Maestro
This article from 2008 (Dudamel isn't that new anymore...) gives an introduction to Gustavo Dudamel. The 4th and 5th graders might remember him as the curly-haired conductor who conducted the video we watched to see timpani and crash cymbals in action.
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