Another article has been making the rounds lately about musicians’ brains, and while it’s not “new news” – it was originally published a couple of years ago – it details a study that backs up various means of observation with rigorous science.
Our friends at ScienceDaily published a summary of a study conducted by Vanderbilt University researchers that details increased levels of activity within both sides of musicians’ brains, as compared to non-musicians, when performing complex problem-solving tasks. They also noted that musicians typically have higher IQs. Click here to read the full article, but here is my favorite part (among many favorites, I must add!):
“When we measured subjects’ prefrontal cortical activity while completing the alternate uses task, we found that trained musicians had greater activity in both sides of their frontal lobes. Because we equated musicians and non-musicians in terms of their performance, this finding was not simply due to the musicians inventing more uses; there seems to be a qualitative difference in how they think about this information.”
No doubt about it: learning and playing a musical instrument benefits you in several ways, not the least of which is giving your brain a good daily workout. Play on!
All the best,
Mark
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In yet another great example of a day job supporting a playing addiction, I ran across this newsworthy item about a Marine who lives to play. He’s done it all his life, and he intends to do it long after he retires. I’d like to introduce you to Gunnery Sergeant Clinton W. Walker.
In this linked article, Gunny Walker tells of a musical path of discovery that has lasted years and been an integral part of his life. While each of us finds our passion at different times, it’s an unmistakable event when we are actually “bitten by the bug”. It’s also very clear that we’ll never really be able to get over it, regardless of how many times we try to put down the instrument(s). Walker tried – twice – but returned to his playing addiction with a vengeance, at the insistence of his wife. He was driving everyone nuts. :-)
In all things, balance…but there should always be room for music. Play on, and SEMPER FI!
All the best,
Mark
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Tags: bass, Clinton W. Walker, Guitar, GySgt, Marine Forces Pacific, part time musician, United States Marine, USMC
Bass Guitar, General, Guitar, Inspiration, News | Mark January 5, 2011 | 
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As the parent of some very talented musicians (as many of us are!), I am always interested to see news of educational opportunities for future generations of musicians, part-time or otherwise. As such this tidbit really caught my eye.
New Music School?
This article from our friends at Just So You Know claims that Michael Jackson’s former residence/compound, Neverland Ranch, could become a top-notch music school. Colony Capital, now owner of the King of Pop’s expansive property, has filed plans with Santa Barbara County and awaits approval, but it’s difficult (for me, at least) to envision a better use for the place or a nicer tribute. The intention is to develop a school of Juilliard’s reputation on the other side of the country. So…why not?
Assuming they can pull it off, and once the required investments are made and leading teaching talent assembled, would you encourage your kids to attend? Would you steer clear until the school’s (and not just its teachers’) reputation is established? Or does the idea of another music school just leave you shaking your head, wondering where all the graduates will go for work? :-)
Drop us a line or post a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
Keep playing,
Mark
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I was talking with some “work friends” earlier this week and the topic somehow swerved into music. Imagine my surprise when I learned that one’s wife was a happy and talented PTM (Part-Time Musician) bassist, and another had played lead guitar in a band several years back and still kept his hand in the music whenever he could fit it in. It got me to thinking: just how many of us are out there?
Turns out quite a few. This article about comedian/actor Paul Reiser sheds light on his PTM-ness and makes me smile every time I think about it. One of my favorite points he makes is this:
Q: What made you want to explore music the last few years?
A: Having started with music before comedy I always just thought I would get back to it. Part of the reason I was able to get into stand-up comedy is there was a structure in place – you go to this club and there’s this hierarchy and so on. But with music I realized I wanted to just give myself the freedom to take any structural demands out of the equation. So if I came up with a little melody my brain would go, “Well what is it? Is it a song, is it a symphony, is it a string quartet?” And I thought maybe it’s just a seven-second music cue, just let it be what it wants to be.
Most of us were exposed to making music as children, in one fashion or another. Many of us played an instrument or sang in school. Some came to music later as a form of self-expression, a release, or just something fun to do. Regardless of how any of us got there, we all hear the music and want to share it with others…even if it’s just the family pet. :-)
Don’t be shy! Sing, play, listen, and experience your music – whether a symphony or a seven-second riff – knowing you’re not alone. And don’t be surprised who you learn shares your playing addiction. They’re everywhere… 
All the best,
Mark
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Tags: around, everywhere, Julia Fordham, musician, part, part time musician, Paul Reiser, PTM, time
General, News | Mark December 11, 2010 |
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Music videogames stir strong opinions in some musicians, and Part-Time Musicians (PTMs) as a group are no exception. But with the latest round of gameplay improvements and controller updates, have we now reached the point where playing a music videogame can really improve our music-making skills?
This is a large topic that can be approached from several perspectives, and we’ve covered two of those before (see From virtual musician to real musician and Videogaming helps your mad music-making skillz!), but this zeroes in on the typical configurations that are seen in most homes – or the setups that the Rock Band folks hope soon will be.
In this article from our friends at cnet, Dan Ackerman puts Rock Band 3 to the test and finds that it comes very close to the “real thing”. And while they take a slightly different tack, Dan notes that the people behind First Act are working to close the gap between “play music” and playing music, too. It’s a great article that has had me mulling since I first saw it, and I suspect it will you, too.
So what do you think? Will music videogames eventually get to the point where (we) real musicians use them as a training aid? Or will adding sophistication spoil the fun for the larger market and kill the games before we get there? Are we already there? 
Drop us a line and share your thoughts! And whether you take an occasional videogame break or not, keep that music coming…
All the best,
Mark
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Tags: better, controller, First Act, game, instrument, play, Rock Band, video, videogame
General, Guitar, Learning, News, Percussion | Mark September 8, 2010 |
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