Your Musical Self

Music has the ability to elicit a strong emotional reaction in almost everyone. We smile, we cry, we sigh, we get aroused. But how does this work? Keep reading to learn more. Read More

In New York City on New Year's Eve, rapper Cee Lo Green took some artistic license and changed four little words in one beloved song. Instead of singing "Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too" he sang "Nothing to kill or die for, and all religion's true." Read More

A brief history of holiday songs and hymns. The second installment of a 3-part series, covering the re-invention of Christmas in the 1800s. Read More

"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your own wisdom." ~Charlie Parker Read More

I had a musician friend--a jazz trumpeter with one of the best ears I've seen--who once shared with me one of the reasons he had such a great ear for music. Every night, after tucking him in, his mother would turn on a record of classical music. Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mahler...my friend would fall asleep listening to the music of the greats. Read More

On Friday I'm traveling with 50 fellow musicians from the Warrensburg Community Band to Joplin. This concert has been planned for months, yet it's importance has shifted drastically as a result of the tragic events on May 22. What originally started as a simple summer concert has now turned into a gift to the people of Joplin. Here is why. Read More

Ever since the horrific events that occured in Tucson last January, many have been following the recovery process of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Her therapy process has garnered national--even international--attention. It was featured on an Anderson Cooper 360 segment by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. It was written up by the BBC. Hey...even I wrote about it! Read More

There's been a lot of media coverage recently about the rehabilitation of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. And one of the treatment methods being mentioned for her in the media?

Music therapy. Read More

Do you consider music to be therapy? If you're like most humans--and I use "most" in a strictly informal way--the answer to that will be a resounding "yes"! Then read on to learn 5 ways to use music to validate, change, and challenge the way you feel. Read More

I have fond memories of family dinners at Grandmother's apartment in the heart of DC. Dinners were lovely, formal affairs. My sister and I wore dresses or skirts. Grandmother always used china, silver, and "real" napkins. It was a multi-course meal that included bread, the main entree, salad, and dessert. Read More

I was saddened to read Walter Pincus's article in the Washington Post which suggested that the Department of Defense cut military bands. There's a rich history of music in military service. Even today, our military bands perform a vital, if often overlooked, function not just for our servicemen and women, but for our society as well. Read More

Last month, Dr. William Klemm (a fellow PT blogger) published an article that beautifully summarized recent research on music training and brain development (Click here to read his article).

Dr. Klemm's major points include: Read More

This past March was the first time my husband and I went on a trip...without our kids.

In 3.5 years, we had always managed to either take our children with us or coordinate our schedules so one of us was always home. But this was a conference we both needed to attend...without the kids. So we dropped them off with my mother for 5 days and went on our way. Read More

It's finally here. Have you ever heard of the Mozart Effect? The popular (and commercialized) version states that "listening to Mozart makes you smarter." Well the myth has finally been de-bunked. But don't fear! There are ways music really can help your brain. Read More