News
First public monthly meeting of the Spokane Music Therapy community
The first of the monthly public meetings discussing the state of Music Therapy in Spokane, Washington, USA and the surrounding area, will be taking place Saturday April 14th from 11:00 am to Noon.
Volunteer vocal coach believes in magic of song and hugs
Bernadette volunteers as the vocal coach for a group of developmentally disabled teens in Bothell who call themselves "The Wranglers." She’s their volunteer musical director, but she’s also their friend, and yes, very generous with those hugs.
PBS News Hour on The Healing Power of Music Therapy
Here is a well done short overview on music therapy by the PBS News Hour.
Human pleasure seeking, preconceptions, and music
Big Picture Science has an interesting segment on seeking pleasure, how one's experience of pleasure caries significantly based on preconceptions, and the mystery of why music is pleasurable.
How Music Training Primes Nervous System and Boosts Learning
ScienceDaily (July 20, 2010) — Those ubiquitous wires connecting listeners to you-name-the-sounds from invisible MP3 players -- whether of Bach, Miles Davis or, more likely today, Lady Gaga -- only hint at music's effect on the soul throughout the ages. Archived here in case the article disappears.
Musicians’ Brains Stay Sharp as They Age
While it is known that practicing music repeatedly changes the organization of the brain, it is not clear if these changes can correlate musical abilities with non-musical abilities. The study of 70 older participants, with different musical experience over their lifetimes, provides a connection between musical activity and mental balance in old age. “The results of this preliminary study revealed that participants with at least 10 years of musical experience (high activity musicians) had better performance in nonverbal memory, naming, and executive processes in advanced age relative to non-musicians." This article is archived here in case it disappears.
Parrots, Elephants, and Humans CAN dance.
From NPR: "Two famous parrots and a bevy of YouTube videos have now convinced scientists that people aren't the only ones who can groove to a musical beat."
Ruben's Flaming Tube
Very cool visualization of sound waves (and music) by flame!
