Twelve Benefits of Music Education

1. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. It is thought that brain development continues for many years after birth. Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain's circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds.

2. There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). This kind of intelligence, by which one can visualize various elements that should go together, is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for everything from solving advanced mathematics problems to being able to pack a book-bag with everything that will be needed for the day.

3. Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer.

4. Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.

5. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to development of greed and a "me first" attitude, provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of other races at an early age.

6. Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student's own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources.

7. In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.

8. Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for an orchestra to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing.

9. Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in his life with his core, with what he is and what he feels. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression.

10. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on "doing," as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Employers are looking for multi-dimensional workers with the sort of flexible and supple intellects that music education helps to create as described above. In the music classroom, students can also learn to better communicate and cooperate with one another.

11. Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. A little anxiety is a good thing, and something that will occur often in life. Dealing with it early and often makes it less of a problem later. Risk-taking is essential if a child is to fully develop his or her potential.

12. An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.

Source: http://childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/12benefits.html

 

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day

After going 10 - 12 hours overnight without food, energy reserves are low and your body and brain need fuel. What you choose to eat at breakfast can affect your mood, physical and mental performance, weight and your general and long-term health. Most nutritionists consider breakfast to be the most important meal of the day. Researchers in Nottingham investigated the effects of skipping breakfast on energy metabolism and found that skipping breakfast led to higher cholesterol levels and lower insulin sensitivity both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Breakfast can help weight control If you miss breakfast you are much more likely to get hungry mid morning and end up grabbing a snack that is high in calories and fat but low in nutrients and fibre. Studies show that children who regularly eat a cereal-based breakfast are healthier and less likely to be overweight. In fact teenagers who ate breakfast cereals more than five times a week weighed less, had a smaller waist size and lower blood sugar levels than those who rarely ate cereal. Research among adults shows that people who eat breakfast are more likely to be within the ideal weight range than people who skip breakfast. Breakfast can boost brain power Several studies have shown that children who skip breakfast in the morning perform less well in problem solving tasks. Verbal fluency, creativity and the ability to recall newly acquired facts are similarly affected. More than 1,300 children took part in an online study conducted by leading cognitive research unit, Cognitive Drug Research Ltd, as part of Farmhouse Breakfast Week 2004. The results clearly showed that children who eat breakfast have superior cognitive function and therefore pay more attention and respond more quickly to given tasks. Teachers in Scotland reported that concentration in class improved as a result of introducing breakfast clubs while the children said that it helped them enjoy school more. But it is not just children that perform less well if they miss breakfast, other studies show that adults who ate breakfast tended to work faster, made fewer mistakes in logic tests and had better memory recall compared with breakfast skippers. A healthy, balanced breakfast provides vital nutrients Breakfast provides an important boost to our intake of vitamins, minerals and fibre, and studies show it can be difficult to make up on these nutrients if you miss the opportunity at breakfast. People who eat breakfast are more likely to meet the recommended intake for iron, calcium and B group vitamins than those who skip breakfast. Breakfast helps keep us happy and healthy A study carried out at the University of Cardiff suggests that breakfast eaters are less likely to suffer from colds and 'flu. Studies carried out at the University of Bristol examined the breakfast habits of 126 volunteers between the ages of 20 and 79 and assessed their mental health. The results revealed that, even taking into account that fact that breakfast eaters tended to have healthier lifestyles, those who ate breakfast everyday were less depressed, less emotionally distressed and had lower perceived levels of stress compared with those who skipped the first meal of the day.
To have the ultimate fast, yummy, versatile and most nutritious breakfast to manage your weight and improve your health try our Herbalife Formula 1 Shake that comes in 4 different flavours, French Vanilla, Dutch Chocolate, Berry and Tropical. You will never want to start the day without a Herbalife Shake ever again! To read more and shop online please visit www.herbabodyshop.com

What is your chance of becoming a Millionaire?

I had a fabulous day today. I learnt at the business section of the Herbalife Success Training Seminar that an ordinary person has 1 in a million chance of becoming a Millionaire, maybe by winning on the Lotto or something like that. 

That was my chance despite studying all in my life to become a professional musician. I love my profession. I have worked hard. I became successful in my profession in the last 25 years. Although I always earned well and had a nice lifestyle, I definitely did not become rich the way I dreamt about it as a child. Instead, I worked endless hours because I loved what I was doing. I became more and more tired, exhausted. Not from music but all the other duties I did not enjoy doing. Became quite disillusioned by the education system, especially the tertiary music system in Australia. When I thought of doing the same for another 25 years I realized that I need to start looking. Twice in my life I decided to get out and run my own business. It was great. I had an even better lifestyle and made my business a success. Unfortunately, I was conditioned in a certain way. Being associated with a well-known educational institute and having a salary still felt safer and more prestigious than working for myself. So when I was offered a great position, both times I threw my business away. Big mistake. However, I had to learn that through my own experiences! An opportunity always appears when you are looking. This is how Herbalife came into my life. The products are helping me back on the path of good health, increase my energy and seem to slow down the aging process. I had no idea about nutrition before. The business opportunity provided a chance for unlimited personal growth and an income without ceiling. What was even better, I was mentored and trained in a step by step system and I was able to get started very part-time, with totally flexible hours. I remember how I felt when I made $1564 sale in my first ten days in the business. On top of my full-time salary! It was all lifestyle money! In my fourth month in the business I got a cheque of $779 from Herbalife. At first I thought it was $77.90 and screaming from happiness I called my mentor in Brisbane. It was my first royalty cheque for mentoring someone in the business. My mentor told me that it was $779 royalty cheque. I was speechless. It was on top of my monthly retail profit. My yearly very part-time income was half of my full-time salary for which I studied all in my life and worked for 25 years. That made me think very seriously where I should put my time. By going to the training, I knew that there is much more achievable for anyone who has the desire of helping people and building a business. I made a decision. I could never fully quit music because it is a lifestyle, just like Herbalife. Anyhow, my priorities are very different now. I happily spend the next few years of my life working hard to become financially independent that after I never need to worry about my finances and can life my life in total freedom doing the things I love doing!

By joining Herbalife, the largest nutrition company in the world, a Herbalife Distributor increases her/his chance of becoming a Millionaire to 1 in a 13,000. By getting ahead in the business and becoming a Work Team member my chances have increased to 1 in 500!!! How cool is that!

However, I am not stopping half way, I am going to the top. A President's Team member, who earns $40,000-50,000 per months in our business has a 1 in 6 chance of becoming a Millionaire. I will be one of them. 

What is your chance of becoming a Millionaire, live your life in freedom and doing great things with all that money and make a difference in the world? 

Why not give a chance to yourself at least and have a look? www.globalwork.biz

The Brains of Professional Musicians

"The brains of professional musicians have recently been found to have more grey matter than amateur and non-musicians in the three areas dealing with motor skills, auditory stimulation, and visual and spatial data. "

"it appears that the younger a child takes up music, the greater the development in the auditory cortex." 

"Anatomists today would be hard put to identify the brain of a visual artist, a writer, or a mathematician - but they could recognise the brain of a professional musician without a moment's hesitation."

I just wanted to share a few fascinating thoughts from the book I am reading. 

Life In His Hands, The true story of a Neurosurgeon (Dr Charlie Teo) and a Pianist (Aaaron McMillan) from pages 19-20. 

It is never too late to start learning music!

In Memory of Michael Jackson

I had a little time to reflect on the strange coincidence of starting my blog on the day of the death of Michael Jackson. Although I am a classical musician, in my opinion he was a genius as an artist.  I am watching the program on him and his music on Channel 9. It brings back a lot of fond memories. My little brother, Palko was born in 1975. I remember, we were sitting in the living room glued to the TV watching Michael Jackson's video clips when my brother was just a few years old. He absolutely adored Jackson and as a consequence, so did I. Jackson turned video music into an art form. Looking at the old clips, I just realize how good looking he was before he went into serious plastic surgery. Incredible music, dance, image, pictures. He definitely revolutionized pop music. On his transformation: he was an artist. He was creating an image, an ever changing image that finally went too far.

I tried to buy his music yesterday. It was all sold out everywhere I looked. I need to have his albums. http://www.michaeljackson.com/

Day 1

Adventures of a Hungarian conductor in Australia