“…change is coming to Cuba, and if the island is going to preserve its identity, it will need its music more than ever.”

The Sound of Change: Can Music Save Cuba?

From the Washington Post December 23, 2008: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/19/AR2008121903041.html

“Hitting the Right Notes To Aid the Ill”

Loeb, who has practiced at Howard County General Hospital, stresses that the “live human touch” is essential and can’t be matched by a CD or tape. “It’s important for us to be able to watch the patient and react musically. We look at how they’re breathing, at their facial muscles to see how relaxed they are, to know if we have to change the key, the rhythm, the melody.”

She believes the music has an immediate impact: “You can see on the cardiac monitor the oxygen level creep its way up to 100 percent,” she says, “because the music is relaxing them so that when they’re breathing they’re oxygenating their tissues better.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/19/AR2008121903041.html

Let there be no doubt that a global music education, engagement and service zeitgeist is well underway. It gives me the chills actually.

Anyway, if best selling books by Daniel Levitan, Oliver Sacks and others hadn’t already signaled that scientists (neuro, social, evolutionary, etc) are fully engaged in the quest to articulate why music is powerful and important as well, The Economist piece will put that to rest.

It’s time to open, strengthen and expand a new channel of civic engagement through music – music volunteerism, music mentoring, music service. This is as much about social justice, youth and community development as it is about arts education. Please support the Music National Service Initiative. Thank you.

One tasty morsel from the Economist: The average American teenager spends 1½-2½ hours a day—an eighth of his waking life—listening to music.

And here’s what my Dad said in an when I flipped him the article:

Your link doesn’t seem to work but I had seen the piece in the Economist. 

I must say that until now I had applied my masturbatory music metaphors to George Winston, (and occasionally Keith Jarret), but I see now that it casts a much broader net.

Notwithstanding the piece’s distracting allusion to such solitary activity, as between humanity’s two most basic drives; the competitive survival of our selves and the necessarily collaborative survival of our species, it is especially fitting for you and MNSI, that this article places music’s Darwinian role squarely within the latter. xo, dad

(is my dad cool or what?)

FYI

I sent this out late last night to the many extremely talented and experienced folks who ahve contacted us since the NPR story aired:

People from all over are pouring in to help and be a part of the music public service movement after hearing this piece on NPR, ATC called, “MusicianCorps May Strike Right Tone For Obama”

MNSi crew is working on getting back to everyone…and channeling the energy to make and Artist Corps happen!

We opened up a new channel to discuss the Artist Corps issue at ImaginArtists here:

http://musicnationalservice.org/imaginartists/

join the convo there.

peace, thanks, kiff

Thank you Hewlett for believing. The headline.

Here’s MNSi volunteer Talya Liberman making her NYT, Freakonomics debut, with her man, Pavle (yes, that’s: “Talya and Pavle”). Check it out.

Totally cool you guys : )

Live, Dec 1-5, it’s (drumroll…) “the value of arts in america!”: http://www.artsjournal.com/artsed

Featuring bloggers: Sam Hope, executive director, The National Office for Arts Accreditation (NOAA); Jack Lew, Global University Relations Manager for Art Talent at EA; Laura Zakaras, RAND; James Cuno, Director, Art Institute of Chicago; Richard Kessler, Executive Director, Center for Arts Education; Eric Booth, Actor; Midori, Violinist; Bau Graves, Executive director, Old Town School of Folk Music; Kiff Gallagher, Music National Service Initiative Founder; Bennett Reimer, Founder of the Center for the Study of Education and the Musical Experience, author of A Philosophy of Music Education; Edward Pauly, the director of research and evaluation at the Wallace Foundation; Moy Eng, Program Director of the Performing Arts Program at The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; John Rockwell, critic; Susan Sclafani, Managing Director, Chartwell Education Group;Jane Remer, Author, Educator, ResearcherMichael Hinojosa, General Superintendent, Dallas Independent School District Peter Sellars, director

workin w hahva at “the coffee shop” on mariposa. man, they’ve been playing all the classic jams today. they actually played blood sweat and tears, lucretia mcevil…i used to jump up and down and run around the living room to that song when i was like 7yrs old. now it’s “songs in the key of life.” does it get better? i don’t think so. “Sir Duke” was one of the first 45’s i bought as a child. as i listen to the lyrics, i’m reminded of why we’re doing this:

“Sir Duke” (Stevie Wonder)

Music is a world within itself 
With a language we all understand 
With an equal opportunity 
For all to sing, dance and clap their hands 
But just because a record has a groove 
Don’t make it in the groove 
But you can tell right away at letter A 
When the people start to move 

They can feel it all over 
They can feel it all over people 
They can feel it all over 
They can feel it all over people 

Music knows it is and always will 
Be one of the things that life just won’t quit 
But here are some of music’s pioneers 
That time will not allow us to forget 
For there’s Basie, Miller, Sachimo 
And the king of all Sir Duke 
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out 
There’s no way the band can lose 

You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 
You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 

You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 
You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 

You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 
You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 

You can feel it all over 
You can feel it all over people 
You can feel it all over 
I can feel it all over-all over now people 

Can’t you feel it all over 
Come on let’s feel it all over people 
You can feel it all over 
Everybody-all over people

Music to Your Ears? Music for Your Heart, Too

By Maggie Fox, Reuters (Story about the study was picked up last night by ABC’s World News)

WASHINGTON

Songs that make our hearts soar can make them stronger too, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels dilated in much the same way as when laughing or taking blood medications.

“We have a pretty impressive effect,” said Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

“Blood vessel diameter improved,” he said in a telephone interview. “The vessel opened up pretty significantly. You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise.” A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins and ACE inhibitors. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=6233406

I also love the way the study came about. Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center: ”I asked myself what other things make us feel real good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course. Music came to mind. … It makes me feel real good,” he said. 

Seems like common sense right? BTW, that comfort level with the creative process of innovation –– “I wonder what would happen if we tried…” –– is also one of the benefits of music study. Notice how many innovators, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs had musical training.