Tish Ciravolo founded Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, which makes lighter, smaller - and sparklier - guitars that are aimed at girls and women.

When I first went looking for an electric guitar I could use for jazz, the weight of the guitar – and not just the sound – was a factor in my buying decision. I ended up with a semi-hollow body guitar, rather than a hollow body, simply because the guitar was lighter. Although few men likely buy a guitar based on its weight, most women probably do.

That’s what Tish Ciravalo, president of Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, did when she bought her first bass guitar in high school. She returned it the next day because it was too heavy, and shopped for something lighter. 

Fast-forward to Tish the adult woman in 2000 - and the mother of a little girl. When Tish saw a picture her then one-and-a-half year old daughter drew of a daisy, Tish, who had played in rock bands throughout the ’80s, instinctively drew a neck and headstock onto the daisy. She then took the concept of a feminine looking, lighter-weight guitar to her husband Michael Ciravolo, president of Schecter Guitars, and suggested that Schecter put out a line of guitars designed specifically for girls and women.

It took some time for the guitars to gain acceptance. But now, 10 years later, Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, distributed by Alfred Music Publishing, has sold 150,000 guitars in 26 countries and Ciravolo hopes to put a guitar (which is often pink and sparkly) into the hands of every girl who wants one.

But are marketing pink, sparkly guitars just to girls and women a form of reverse sexism? Tish thinks absolutely not. The company’s goal is to get girls, many of whom have felt left out of rock music, playing music, says Tish. The company sponsors guitar camps for girls and serves as a cheerleader of sorts for girls in bands. Tish talked to Music After 50 about how she got her start playing guitar, and how the designs of her guitars differ from what’s out there…

LRG: When did you start playing guitar?

TC: I was 15, and my best friend Barbara Haughey taught me how to play the guitar. Soon after that, I found myself in love with music, and I was touring with a band called Plateau and dating the guitar player. I hopped from band to band in the ’80s in L.A., including Rag Dolls, The Velvets (a female Psychedelic Furs-type outfit), They Eat Their Own (new wave pop), and eventually, my own group, Shiksa and the Sluts. I even had a “big hair metal phase,” with a band called Lypstik. We had a billboard on the side of the Roxy and everything. It was fun!  My first bass was a competitor’s bass, which I immediately took back to the store I bought it at the next day. I ended up with the smallest bass on the market, a Yamaha BX-1. Now I play the Daisy Rock Diamond Sparkle Rock Candy Bass.

LRG: Did you have any competitors (guitar companies aimed at women) when you started in 2000 and do you have any now?

TC: It’s shocking to me that before I founded Daisy Rock in 2000 that there were no other girl guitar manufacturers. Once I came into the marketplace other companies tried to compete, but they eventually dropped off. Daisy Rock is still the only girl guitar company on the market today. We’re proudly heading the girl rock revolution!

LRG: Is yours a word-of-mouth business or did you invest substantially in advertising?

TC: It’s a little bit of everything. We’ve never done big advertising, just guerilla marketing. I have done interviews with USA Today, CNN, and some other big media outlets, but our passion lies with sponsoring girl rock camps throughout the world by donating guitars and letting the instruments speak for themselves. Word-of-mouth is very important and we’ve even added a component on our website that allows a customer to log into the site and post their thoughts on the guitar model they play.

LRG: How much are your guitars?

TC: Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is trying to be the solution to every girl guitarist. Keeping that goal in mind, our catalog ranges from beginner models priced at $99 USD to a professional model that can go upwards of $3,000.

LRG: What colors sell best?

TC: Pink. Sparkly.

LRG: What percent of your customers are girls and teenagers and what percent adult women?

TC: Since we do not sell directly to the consumer since we are a manufacturer, it is really hard for us to know what the ages are. We think our largest growing customer is between 11 and 25 years old.

LRG: What is your best-selling guitar among adult women?

TC: Most of the older women love the Retro-H-Deluxe Ruby Sparkle and the Bangles Signature Model.

LRG: Do you provide any training to the retailers in how to sell your guitars?

TC: We had to in the beginning… it seems like things have gotten a lot better at the store level since the company started. And we still go into retail stores and make sure to connect with the managers to see if they have any damaged guitars they need to swap out for new guitars and to see that our models can be seen and accessed by the store’s customers.

LRG: What retailers carry your guitars?

TC: We are available in 26 countries and retailers small and large. Everything from your local music store to the bigger chains. You can visit our dealer locator online.

LRG: What about your guitars makes them most suitable for girls and women? Are they smaller? Designed differently?

TC: Yes. When we decided to make a girl guitar, I thought about all the things that frustrated me with my own instruments. So Daisy Rock Guitars feature a lighter weight design, and a ‘Slim & Narrow’ neck profile, so guitarists with smaller hands can easily wrap their hands around the neck to play. We also put a lot of emphasis on the aesthetics. Our guitars are available in every color from pink sparkles to black.

LRG: Do you sell only electric guitars or acoustics as well?

TC: We sell acoustic guitars, acoustic/electric guitars, electric guitars, and electric basses.

LRG: Do you still play guitar?

TC: Hell yeah! I actually just played with my band sASSafrASS on the 18th, while we were shooting a spot for Beta Records TV and we had a gig at the Joint on Feb. 28. It’s a fun group of people I work with at Daisy Rock, and we play a genre we like to refer to as “Cowboy Punk”. You can check us out on myspace.

LRG: How old are your daughters? Do they play?

TC: Yes, they both love to play. Nicole is turning 12 and plays bass, and Sophia is almost 10 and loves guitar.

LRG: What’s in Daisy Rock Guitars’ future? 

TC: Daisy Rock’s mission is to help every girl enjoy playing guitar and making music, so that’s what we intend to do. Guitars for the singer/songwriter, the metal rocker, the pop star. If there’s something missing from our line today, our goal is to make that type of guitar in the future. We are in charge of the Girl Guitar Revolution!

Gloria Hoffner, a former reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, now has a second career playing music in nursing homes.

Nearly 20 years ago, I had a guitar teacher who made most of his income playing concerts in nursing homes. I never knew such a career existed, and it was years before I met anyone else who did this work. Now, a confluence of events has made playing music in senior facilities a sought-after career – and second career – for both amateur and professional musicians.

For one, the baby boomers continue to age. Not only are there more people living in nursing homes and senior housing, the musicians themselves are aging. Many musicians have grown tired of playing in bars or venues where the pay and audience appreciation may be low. At the same time, there is a better understanding among geriatric professionals that music not only provides entertainment, but healing. It keeps people more engaged in life, with each other, more pain free, and less anxious and depressed.

Although nursing home work has been harder to get during the recent recession, it is there. Below is an interview with Gloria Hoffner of Media, Pa., who successfully transitioned from a journalism career to playing music in nursing homes and senior living facilities.

LRG: How long did you work as a journalist and what did you cover?

Gloria Hoffner (GH): I was a reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer for 21 years. During that time, I covered everything from town meetings to a murder. Most of the time I covered education in the suburbs with a focus on special education and autism. I am very proud of a story that exposed a lack of classrooms designed for students with autism in Delaware County. It resulted in a state investigation and an order requiring all districts to serve students with autism within their own district schools.

LRG: What prompted you to switch careers – and play music in nursing homes?

GH: I worked at the paper through several buyouts, downsizings, and two sales of the company. So with the future of newspapers looking grim, I looked into switching careers. I’ve spent my life volunteering for various organizations so it was natural to look at my work in that area. I’ve been a registered Girl Scout since childhood and a leader; a Boy Scout leader since 1987; a church and community volunteer; etc. I played in an adult band and we played concerts once a month at local nursing homes. While playing in nursing homes, I met activity directors. Being an activity director seemed like a career that might interest me.

I took a part-time job two hours a week at a local nursing home as an activity assistant to get a feel for the work. The director at the home noticed from my resume that I played guitar and asked me to bring the guitar and play for the residents. I loved playing and enjoyed it so much that in the fall of 2006, I enrolled in a course to earn my activity director certification, with plans to complete the course and then look for a job as a director. 

LRG: How long have you played music?

GH: I played piano in elementary school, picked up guitar in junior high, and added baritone horn in high school. From high school on I played guitar at church and scouts. I taught private guitar lessons and formed a group and played professionally at weddings throughout the 1970s and 1980s.  I majored in journalism and minored in music at Temple University where I earned a B.A. I have played guitar at church services most years since 1969.

LRG: Do you have any formal training in singing?

GH: I sang in “Messiah” with the Main Line Chorus in 1985.

LRG: What is a typical day for you?

GH: I have no typical day. That is one of the things I love, as I also never had a typical day at the newspaper. Every day brings a new chance to meet people and play music. On average, I play at two locations a day. I play music for an hour at most locations.

LRG: Are you ‘performing’ or are you running interactive sessions?

GH: I do both – I play and interactive with the audience.

LRG: What songs do you play? Do you take requests?

GH: I play classic sing-a-longs, showtunes, country tunes, patriotic songs, holiday themes. I do take requests.

LRG: Are you on a stage or do you just play in a room?

GH: I play in a room usually. I bring my guitar, music stand, and an amp system.

LRG: For those who are interested in playing in nursing homes/independent living facilities, what advice can you provide?

GH: This is a very rough time due to cutbacks in nursing home budgets as a result of the housing downturn – seniors who can’t sell their homes don’t move into retirement communities – and the government is cutting back funding for public nursing homes. I’ve since discovered there are hundreds of seasoned musicians that have been playing at nursing homes for years; sadly, due to the recession, many are turning to other venues. I wake up every morning in prayer for the new day. I am fortunate that my home is paid for, my husband has health insurance for both of us, and I have always lived a thrifty lifestyle.

LRG: Did you ever work as an activity director or have you stuck with playing only?

GH: A friend said, “Why take the director’s job (three were offered) when you can play music?” I didn’t do what I naturally would do as a journalist – research. I listened to the Lord and my heart – and my husband said, “Try it for a year.”

LRG: What can someone generally charge an hour?

GH: It is so individual I would not want to say.

LRG: How many hours is a ‘gig’?

GH: That depends on the client. Usually an hour – but I’ve done up to four hours at one location.

LRG: What do you like best about your work?

GH: I LOVE working with people! It is what I loved about being a reporter – never the elections, the courts, the cops… I loved feature stories and telling the story of each individual’s impact on the world. And best of all, being a small cog that helped make a difference – eg, writing about homeless families and the response from the readers, which placed seven families in homes!

LRG: What reaction do you get from your audiences?

GH: I get smiles, hugs. I’ve had people who stopped speaking due to dementia sing all the words to a Christmas carol. I had a woman who, after months of silence, spoke up and said to her husband, “We heard that song (I was playing) at the Latin Casino,” and tell the memory in detail. I had a woman, a former scout leader, for whom I played Girl Scout songs; she had severe dementia, but she remembered me, the songs, and the event three weeks later! I’ve had people wheeled into an area for music who come in complaining of pain and leave smiling and thanking me for the music making them forget their pain.

LRG: How do you go about finding work?

GH: It is word of mouth, my website, networking. A lot of musicians use agents and some nursing homes hire only through agents. I use agents, but mostly I am on my own.

Herb and Dorothy Vogel collected Minimalist art well before it was in vogue. They gave their collection, worth millions, to the National Gallery of Art.

I saw a wonderful little documentary last week called “Herb and Dorothy” at a local theater. The film was about the lives of a long-married couple who built one of the most important contemporary art collections in history. And they did it on a librarian’s salary. Starting in the 1960s, Herbert Vogel, a postal clerk, and Dorothy Vogel, a librarian, began collecting Minimalist and Conceptual art from the young artists who pioneered these schools; very few people were paying attention to these schools of art at that time. Both the artists and the collectors had very few means.

But Herb and Dorthy saw great beauty in the stark creations of the artists. They spent all of Herb’s salary to purchase art they liked, and lived on Dorothy’s paycheck. Their collecting was guided by the following: the piece had to be affordable, it had to be small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment, and they simply had to like it.  Amazingly, most of the artists they supported and befriended went on to become world-renowned; they included Sol LeWitt, Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Richard Tuttle, Chuck Close, Robert Mangold, and many others.

In 1992, the Vogels gifted their entire collection – 2,000 pieces - to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Although the collection today is worth millions of dollars, the Vogels never sold a single piece. Herb and Dorothy still live in the same rent-stabilized apartment in New York with aquariums of turtles and fish, and one cat. 

Megumi Sasaki, the film’s creator and director, was at the  showing and took audience questions. Several in the audience spoke up to analyze the Vogels’ sense of esthetics. A few people felt strongly that the Vogels bought certain angular pieces because the pieces looked like the mail-sorting equipment at Herb’s job (which was presented in one scene).

Sasaki said she learned very early that Herb and Dorothy simply collected what they liked. In the four years she followed them for the film, and in the years of articles written about their collecting, they never analyzed the pieces they bought. They either liked something, or they didn’t.

The purity of their love of art made me think of how true fans of music do not need to break down and analyze what they like, but simply let it into their lives. Take a look at Chuck’s post today about the James Taylor DVD that moved him so much. He showed me snippets of it at a recent lesson. He wanted me to listen to the interplay of the piano and guitar. It was gorgeous. I asked Chuck to write in his post what struck him about this music, and he had no words other than, basically, to say: the performance was moving, and he liked it.

Richard Tuttle, one of the artists interviewed in “Herb and Dorothy,” spoke of the Vogels’ laser-like focus on what they liked; he said something to the effect of this: ‘They were the only collectors I ever met whose eyes were connected directly to their souls.’ What a wonderful way to view art, music, and the world at large.

John Batdorf's latest album 'Old Man Dreamin'' is filled with songs that talk both humorously and seriously about aging in a young person's world.

Bob Lefsetz is a notoriously tough customer. A well-known voice in the music industry, he’s been writing the Lefsetz Letter (now a blog) since 1986. Self-described as “beholden to no one and speaking the truth” he is the quintessential fan: an outspoken critic of any form of music that doesn’t serve the listener first and music executives second.

So, when Lefsetz encouraged his readers to take a listen to John Batdorf’s latest album, “Old Man Dreamin,” a lot of people took notice – especially John Batdorf. “He usually rips people to shreds,” Batdorf told me during a phone interview, with a chuckle. ”He is brutally honest, and does not hold back in is reviews; I was almost afraid to read what he thought of my new CD.” But Batdorf had nothing to worry about.

“The vibrancy, of a building career, by someone who’s practiced, who has something to say… this is what the aged audience wants, but is not getting,” Lefsetz wrote in a July 2009 issue of the ’Lefsetz Letter.’ But says Lefsetz: they’re getting it with Batdorf.

Batdorf, 57, was part of the duo Batdorf and Rodney back in the ‘70s. The duo achieved modest fame; had a few radio hits (Can You See Him, You Are A Song, Home Again, and Somewhere In The Night). They were, for a time, signed to both Atlantic and Asylum Records. Batdorf and Rodney disbanded in 1975. In 1976, Batdorf formed the band Silver and had a top-20 hit single, “Wham Bam Shang-a lang.”

Silver broke up soon after touring with the band America. The next two years, Batdorf was a staff songwriter for The Entertainment Company and had songs recorded by America, England Dan, the Currie Sisters, and Kim Carnes.

In 1982, Batdorf finally realized his dream of a solo record deal. He signed with 20th Century Fox Records, released a single, and the label promptly went under a week later.

At that point, Batdorf reassessed his career, and learned that there were opportunities for musicians behind the scenes in TV and commercial production. “I didn’t even know such a career existed,” said Batdorf. For many years, he made his living mostly composing, producing, arranging, and on vocal work for TV shows and commercials.

Batdorf has made five albums over the past five years. In 2004, he returned to live performing at his first house concert in Malibu, Calif.

Bob Lefsetz, who wasn’t familiar with Batdorf, attended the concert, and said in his blog that he was “stunned” by how good Batdorf was. Listen to and watch John Batdorf sing: “What D’Ya Got” from ”Old Man Dreamin’” to see something of what Lefsetz saw in the artist.

I’m reprinting pieces of what Lefsetz said about the album in his July 2009 post, because I can’t say it any better:

You put it on and you like a few tracks and then you play it again, and after each and every play new nooks and crannies are revealed, you like it more, and then play it more. This is the classic rock experience. Coming home, breaking the shrinkwrap and dropping the needle and being drawn into a whole new world. Amazingly, this concept lives on in the twenty first century, with John Batdorf’s new album.

I could sell this album out of my trunk to baby boomers. This is what they’re looking for. Youngsters will laugh and say that the record is wimpy, but they never lived through an era where you could love both Joni Mitchell and AC/DC.  There’s nothing wrong with soft, there’s nothing wrong with tuneful.

Enough horses__t that people over fifty can’t write and perform vital material, that the audience should just retire. People are hungry for fulfilling new music. And John Batdorf has delivered it.

The lyrics to “What D’Ya Got” are both “autobiographical and tongue in cheek,” says Batdorf:

My kids focus too much on pleasure
They think dad’s sittin’ on a buried treasure
I gotta message that might surprise them
When their old man can’t subsidize them

“That’s exactly my life; I have two twin boys who are 24,” says Batdorf. The album overall “is a shout out at the music business. The people who are making it now are so young. I grew up when the moguls were guys in their late 40s and early 50s, not in their 20s.”

What did he think of making his first music video at 57? “It was a crackup; it was also exhausting. We shot four videos in one day with a borrowed high-definition camera. The edited versions came out really well; they capture both humor and sensitivity, which feels right to me.” To learn about Batdorf’s upcoming concerts, visit this page on his site.

Chuck Anderson's new album 'Freefall' establishes him as a major force in jazz guitar.

Chuck Anderson is part of an elite group: world-class jazz musicians who focused their careers not on performing, but on passing the baton to others. Like the late Dennis Sandole and Charlie Banacos before him, Chuck spent his career focused on educating and mentoring students, many of whom went onto illustrious careers.

Now at 62, Chuck Anderson has returned to his roots as a performer, and in his new CD Freefall, you can hear Chuck playing some of the best guitar of his life. Freefall contains 12 original compositions, 10 performed with the Chuck Anderson Trio. Music After 50 talked to Chuck about the new album, and why he was out of the public eye for so many years.

LRG: What makes this album different from anything you’ve done previously?

CA: This album represents the culmination of a long journey. The Vintage Tracks represented me as a young, over- the-top-jazz guitarist – lots of brash firepower. The next CD Angel Blue showed me more as a composer. It represented a more mature writer and player. After my long absence from the jazz guitar concert world, Freefall is an amalgam of young energy and passion as well as mature writing. It’s my favorite CD of the three.
 
LRG: Did you write all of the tunes or are there any covers?

CA: All 12 songs are original. Two are solo tracks and 10 are in the trio format.

LRG: You stopped performing for many years. What inspired you to return to performance?

CA: I had been suffering, unknowingly, from severe obstructive sleep apnea for many years. It drained my energy, stopped my metabolism, and caused me to gain an enormous amount of weight. I barely had the energy to teach. When the cause of my problem was discovered, I began sleep therapy with a CPAP machine. With the return of deep sleep, I was able to moderate my eating and begin an exercise regimen. The results of these changes has been a weight loss of 110 pounds. With this renewed energy, I felt that passion and drive that I remember feeling when I was 24 years old.
  
LRG: You prefer to play in concert settings over clubs. Talk about why.

CA: Clubs have many distractions that don’t serve an audience or the performers well. The wait staff, the bartenders and, the fact that so many people are not there to hear the music distracts the performers and those who have come to hear the music. A concert setting is exclusively intended to listen to music. This is a benefit to the performers and to the audience. 

LRG: You call your music “audience friendly, progressive jazz guitar.” Talk about what makes it friendly.

CA: I think that it’s important to consider the audience when you perform jazz. This is not a compromise, but a balanced perspective concerning volume, repertoire, variety, and communication. The jazz world has developed a reputation for unfriendly and distant performers. The programming of the material and the spontaneity of the performance is what I believe makes it friendly. I am not a fusion player. The audience is the only thing that allows us to do what we do.

LRG: What type of guitar are you playing on the album?

CA: A custom Gibson L5. The “Green Hornet.”
 
LRG: The bass player and drummer both sound great on the album. Who are they?

CA: On bass, we have Eric Schreiber. Eric is relatively new to the jazz world but has excellent training, listens well, and works interactively and creatively with the trio. Ed Rick on drums brings a wide variety of experience to the band. His percussive work is solid and inspiring.
 
LRG: Although you’re a jazz guitar player, many of your students do not study jazz guitar. Is that correct?

CA: My students have a wide variety of interests and directions. I teach to the unique strengths of each student. I deal formally with guitar, bass, piano, and songwriting. The music business is another frequent topic of discussion in the lessons. I teach privately, as I believe in the power of one-on-one interaction.
 
LRG: Do you teach part time or full time?

CA: Very full time!
 
LRG: What does this album mean for you personally, and what do you hope it means for jazz guitar overall?

CA: For me, it’s a return, a rebirth. I hope that it will draw people all over the world to the jazz guitar.

Notes from LRG: Chuck Anderson’s CD release party will be held at The New Hope Winery (New Hope, Pa.) on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 8:00 pm. The New Hope Winery is located at 6123 Lower York Road, Bucks County, PA 18938. For reservations, call 215-794-2331. Read an interview with Chuck Anderson (excerpted on Music After 50) from “Just Jazz Guitar.” The links throughout this interview go to the digital version of the CD; if you would like to buy the physical CD, order it here.

Drumming can help people with Parkinson's retain better control of muscle movement.

A college friend with whom I have not spoken in years contacted me recently. Just as she and her husband were looking forward to the next phase of their lives, she learned last year, at 49, that she has Parkinson’s disease.
 
She saw the Music After 50 site, and asked me if I knew what instrument she might take up as a form of therapy in the very early stages of the disease. Her note is a reminder that life changes in an instant, and that change is only dealt with moment by moment and day by day.
 
The beauty of music is that it requires “in the moment” focus. If you worry about the ending of a song while you’re in the middle of it, you’ll lose your place. All you can do is attack the note or measure that’s in front of you. The same is true with illness; there is often no choice but to manage it a day at a time.

From the research I was able to do, it appears that singing and drumming are two great musical pursuits for someone with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. Both are incredibly joyous pursuits, so I hope my friend gives each a try.

Neurologist Daniel Tarsy, Director of the Parkinson’s Disease Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, was recently awarded a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to lead a study comparing standard voice therapy to singing therapy to treat the decreased voice volume experienced by many Parkinson’s patients.

“Musical therapy is currently being used for rehabilitation from other types of neurological conditions, such as language impairment following stroke,” Dr. Tarsy said in a statement. “If singing therapy can also improve voice and speech disorders resulting from Parkinson’s disease, this would represent an important alternative to existing speech therapy techniques.”

CNN recently ran an article that profiled a 44-year old woman with Parkinson’s who spearheaded the establishment of a chorus called “Sing for Joy” in London that is made up of people with neurological conditions and their families.

One member of the chorus, who has multiple sclerosis, told CNN: “All neurological conditions affect the throat because it has so many muscles. So singing, which makes you lift up your body and expand your lungs, is perfect for neurological diseases.”

Drumming is another particularly powerful way to maintain coordination and keep Parkinson’s effects at bay because of its focus on rhythm. Amazingly, people whose movements are frozen by Parkinson’s are sometimes able to move normally when rhythmic music is played. Read stories here about people who were able to regain movement through practice with rhythms.
 
The neurologist Oliver Sacks has written extensively about the benefits of music for neurological disorders; he is quoted in this excellent story in U.S.News and World Report about the benefits of music for people with Parkinson’s. Most exciting is the evidence that playing the drums and other rhythm instruments may help even more than listening.

Here is a passage from the U.S.News story:

Actually playing music, which requires coordinating muscle movements and developing an ear for timing, can also bring dramatic results, says Rick Bausman, a musician and the founder and director of the Martha’s Vineyard-based Drum Workshop. The workshop uses traditional drum ensembles, in which groups of participants play percussion pieces, as one form of therapy for patients with a variety of cognitive and physical disabilities, including Parkinson’s disease. Bausman teaches participants to play along with traditional Afro-Caribbean beats like the Haitian kongo and Cuban bembe using congas, bongos, and djun-djun drums. “Participants report that their control of physical movement improves after playing the drums, their motion becomes more fluid, they don’t shake quite as much, and their tremors seem to calm down,” says Bausman.

Indeed, research on the effects of music therapy in Parkinson’s patients has found motor control to be better in those who participated in group music sessions—improvisation with pianos, drums, cymbals, and xylophones—than in people who underwent traditional physical therapy. But gains were no longer evident two months after the sessions ended, so the best results require continued therapy. To stay motivated, Tomaino recommends seeking out both therapeutic drumming groups like Bausman’s and social dance classes. Patients can also create music libraries for CDs or MP3 players that can be used to facilitate walking.

Ron Tintner, MD, a Co-Director of the Movement Disorders and Neuro-rehabilitation Center at the Methodist Neurological Institute in Houston, is researching how specific rhythms can help people with Parkinson’s get better control of their movements. Read a short interview with Dr. Tintner here. 

To see what programs may be available in your area, start by contacting the American Music Therapy Association. If you’re at a stage where music therapy sounds too, well, therapeutic, investigate local voice and drum teachers and perhaps begin lessons.

There are undoubtedly many teachers with senior students or others with various limitations that may be perfect for you. Go to a music store that carries the instrument you want to play and ask the staff for teacher recommendations. When looking for a voice or drum teacher, make sure to find one that is involved in workshops and group activities. Read Diana Cole’s advice about how to find a voice teacher.

Hawaiian ukuleles are based on the Portuguese guitar.

In case you haven’t heard, the ukulele is back! There is something of a ukulele craze going on, particularly in Great Britain and now in the U.S.

Ukuleles are replacing recorders for group playing in elementary schools and summer camps;  they are the new quirky instruments for indie rockers; and there are numerous ukulele programs springing up in senior centers. A recently released film called “The Mighty Uke” documents this new trend.

Depending on our age, most of us remember watching Tiny Tim play “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” on Rowan and Martin’s “Laugh-In,” or listening to Arthur Godfrey strum his uke in his early 1950s radio and TV shows. In both cases, the instrument was mainly a novelty item to support an act (or a shtick in Tiny Tim’s case!).

Today, the uke is being seen as a ”serious” instrument in that it is serious fun to play. Watch this clip of the Ukeule Orchestra of Great Britain playing to a sold-out crowd at Royal Albert Hall in London this past summer (about 1:20 minutes into the clip). The Orchestra has been around for 25 years, but has never been more popular. Audience members were invited to bring their ukes along to strum, and more than 1,000 people took the group up on its invitation to join in with Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” 

Warren Buffet, a well-known uke player who agreed to a playful interview with the hipsters from Boing Boing, tells the audience how he got started with the ukulele (he was trying to woo a girl), and why the uke is a perfect instrument in a recession (it’s fun and cheap).

Some serious musicians have been playing the ukulele for years. Curt Sheller (whose ukulele books we carry in the Music After 50 eBook store) has been playing both jazz guitar and ukulele for years and has lots of education materials on his site.

Although the ukulele is assocated with Hawaii and is certainly most popular there, it was brought to Hawaii by Portuguese immigrants and is based on a 4-string Portuguese guitar.

Because the instrument is so small and light, it is perfect for older people. The trend toward offering uke classes in senior centers – where some people simply can’t lift heavy instruments or are wheelchair bound – is a great one.

Soprano starter ukuleles range in price from about $40 to $80. Better concert tenor ukes generally run from $100 to $300. Higher end, handmade ukuleles can run into the thousands. Playing the ukulele is a fun, funny, and serious musical endeavor all rolled into one. I’ve posted some links to ukulele deals on the Instruments & Gear page.

Drew Mays, an ophthalmologist from Birmingham, Alabama, was one of 75 amateurs who competed in the most recent Van Cliburn competition for amateur pianists.

This past weekend, I got a chance to preview They Came to Play, a recently released documentary about the International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, an adjunct to the Van Cliburn competition for professional pianists. The film will soon be shown in several cities, including: Bryn Mawr, Pa., Washington, DC; Rochester, NY; Portland, Ore., Atlanta, and others.

The amateur competition selects 75 players (who must be over the age of 35), and then, in Miss-America-pageant style, the number is winnowed down to 25, then 6, and then 1 (with runner ups acknowledged).

As in beauty pageants, the judging inevitably involves personal opinion. One judge in the film even acknowledges the somewhat subjective nature of the judging process. Yet, the participants convey, through their interviews, that “winning” is only one reason they came to play.

I recommend the film highly to lovers of classical music, and particularly to those who play or love piano. There are wonderful performances, and the players are as interesting and multifacted as anyone you are likely to meet. I have to admit, though, that I was struck by the lack of diversity in socioeconomic status as well as skin color of the participants. This is less a comment about the film and more about the genre of classical music. That is, however, another blog post for another time.

Some in the film truly did fit the definition of amateur – one man hadn’t played in front of an audience since sixth grade. Others just squeaked by into amateur status – one woman is a professor of music at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and has performed as a soloist – but does not make her living as a pianist.

The featured musicians included physicians, a lawyer, a scientist, executives, a retired dental assistant, an IT professional, a former tennis pro, and a man with AIDS who had apparently been on disability for several years but was healthy.

They are interviewed about the challenges of keeping music alive while managing careers and family, as well as about their doubts and fears about how “good” they are. Most were good humoured about the process, and felt that simply preparing for and showing up at the competition was a major milestone in their lives.

If you live in the Philadelphia area, you can see the film on Wed., January 6 at 7:30 pm at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. One of the finalists, Annette DiMedio, the University of the Arts professor, will be on hand to answer audience questions. It would be interesting to hear her take on what it’s like to be an expert in the classroom and an amateur in competition.

This site will soon have guest bloggers who write about classical music. We will cover such topics as the concept of technical expertise vs. expression in classical music; how to bring classical music to a wider audience; and improvisation in classical music, which was once a major component of the art form.

The New Horizons Band of Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio is one of more than 150 New Horizons bands worldwide that are made up mostly of players 55- through 80-something years of age.

In the late 1980s, Roy Ernst, then a professor at the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music, envisioned the creation of a music program for retired adults. He thought it would be great fun for the players, but that there would not be much of an audience. Fortunately, he was wrong.

Today, Ernst’s 19-year-old organization, New Horizons International Music Association, has thousands of members around the world, and has spurred the development of more than 150 bands that play swing, pops, jazz, and classical music to packed, enthusiastic audiences.

Ernst’s philosophy was that “anyone can learn to play music at a level that will bring a sense of accomplishment and the ability to perform in a group.” Indeed, many band members have started in their retirement years with no musical background at all.

Music After 50 talked to Pam Bolton, a vice president of the New Horizons board of directors, about how she got involved in the organization and how you can, too.

LRG: How did you first hear about New Horizons?

PB: In April 2001, I retired as a production coordinator-manager for the Canadian division of Liberty Mutual Insurance Co.  A year later, my former high school music teacher, Peter Ford, called and asked if I would be interested in playing again, as he was starting a New Horizons Band in Peterborough (Ontario, Canada). I attended his first information meeting, fell in love with the whole New Horizons band concept, and I immediately jumped on the bandwagon. I have never looked back, and I readily and happily admit that it has taken over my life. I play alto sax in a wind ensemble, a swing band, a sax quartet, and a 20-piece band that performs at retirement homes.

LRG: Do you require that New Horizons band members have a minimum amount of experience with an instrument? 

PB: No. Every New Horizons band is self-governed and every new group builds their band based on the needs of the people that join. Most will include quite a few people who have never played, some who played many years ago and want to play again in their retirement years, and those that have always played but want to learn a different instrument. 

LRG: Do you connect the non-musicians with local teachers?

PB: Yes. Some of the New Horizons organizations are affiliated with universities such as the Rochester band (the first band originally formed by Roy Ernst), and they provide music students to assist with the teaching aspect. Many people find teachers on their own and take lessons in conjunction with the instruction they receive within their group. Our group has five full bands - with each band playing the grade of music suited to the participants’ stage of learning. As members improve, they advance to the next level.

LRG: What is the general age range of participants?

PB: It is open to all adults, but the majority of players are between the ages of 55 and 80.

LRG: Have you noticed an increase in membership?

PB: Yes. I don’t know the precise figure, but yes, membership increases every year as new bands are formed. 

LRG: Say I’d like to start a band in my community. How do I get the ball rolling?

PB: First check and see if a group already exists. Then, take a look at the groups in the planning stages. If no group exists, we provide start-up kits that can get you going.

LRG: How are you funded overall, and how are the individual bands funded?

PB: New Horizons receives a small amount of revenue via individual and business membership fees. The NAMM foundation has provided grant money that has been used for various special projects.
 
LRG: At what kinds of venues do the bands play?

PB: Concert venues, benefit concerts at various locations, retirement homes, special events.

LRG: Which venues are your personal favorites?

PB: I love the senior homes because their response to both the music and the musicians is wonderful and we are equally warmed by their enthusiasm.

LRG: What are some of the organization’s future goals? 

PB: We will continue to support our existing bands and assist in the formation of new groups throughout the world. The 20th anniversary of New Horizons is in 2011, so plans for various celebrations are underway and a committee has been appointed to organize special events.

LRG: How has playing in a New Horizon’s band personally affected you and your life? 

PB: I am having the time of my life. The music keeps my body healthy, my mind active, my soul nourished and my heart filled with joy. And as if I needed anything more – I have about 100 or so new friends. My husband is the beneficiary of my good humour, the supporter of my addiction, and my children and grandchildren are all proud of my accomplishments.

LRG: Read about Lynette Berigan’s experience (a French horn player) and Mona Van Vooren’s experience (a sax player) with New Horizons bands.

Barry Bittman, MD, oversees clinical and research studies for the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute.

Music is as old as mankind. And yet, the physical, emotional, and biological effects of playing music have not been widely studied. Over the past several years, the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute has been on a quest to change that. The institute supports what is probably the largest body of scientific research in the world on the biological effects of playing music.

Barry Bittman, MD, the Yamaha institute’s president and CEO, oversees both clinical and laboratory studies for Yamaha. Among the researchers’ findings: “recreational music-making” modulates natural killer cell activity in the body, a marker of immune response, and reduces stress as evidenced by changes in cells at the molecular level.

Anyone who plays music knows about its positive effects first-hand. So, why go to the trouble to prove its benefits scientifically? Because only 7.6% of the U.S. adult population plays a musical instrument, says Dr. Bittman, and musical instruments could be used more widely in health care settings to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure, and possibly affect the course of many diseases including cancer and heart disease.

LRG: How did your interest in mind-body medicine begin?

BB: I began my career as a mainstream neurologist practicing in the early 1980s. I’m 57. I felt we needed a more collaborative and holistic approach to help people move past their perceived obstacles. In addition to my role as CEO and president of the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, I serve as CEO and medical director of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, Pa. In the early 1990s, we did work on laughter and its positive effects on the immune system, and worked on strategies that enabled people to take a more active role in their health and well-being.

LRG: What sparked your interest in studying music?

BB: We were searching for ways to help people with stress reduction. One day I brought colorful Remo drums to a pulmonary rehabilitation group to see if we could use drumming to help people reduce the stress associated with their illnesses. It turned out to be the Lay’s potato chip effect. People couldn’t get enough! Their oxygen masks were falling off; they were breathing better; laughing. People became alive and animated. I said to myself; this is wonderful! Let’s see if there’s a biological benefit to this. I fell in love with what I saw.

LRG: And your first academic paper on the health effects of music was on drumming?

BB: Yes. Our first paper, in 2001, was on natural killer cell activity in group drumming; it showed that drumming had a positive effect on immune response. That paper, in my opinion, held great importance in kicking off this movement we call “recreational music making.” 

LRG: How do you define “recreational music making”?

BB: Karl Bruhn, chairman of the Yamaha Music and Wellness Institute, is considered the father of the music and wellness movement, and spearheaded the concept of recreational music making as a way to promote wellness. At Yamaha, we define recreational music making as music-based activities that unite people of all ages and musical experience. These activities provide exercise, social support, bonding, spirituality, intellectual stimulation, an ability to cope with life’s challenges – it is creative expression that unites body, mind and spirit.

LRG: The Clavinova Connection, where digital pianos (the Clavinova made by Yamaha) are brought to senior centers and other locations sounds like a good example of recreational music making.

BB: Yes. The goal is not music lessons per se, but a way for non-musicians to create music from their hearts and souls within a supportive group. Using pentatonic scales and Clavinova technology, people are able to compose their own pieces without any instruction or prior knowledge of music. Within 2 to 3 minutes, they’re playing as an orchestra. One person could use the Clavinova to sample cello music; another could be ‘playing’ the flute. This is not a synthesizer; these are sampled sounds from real instruments.

LRG: Talk about some of the published research involving the Clavinova.

BB: In one study, we looked at the Clavinova Connection, Clavinova Sing-alongs, and Clavinova-assisted HealthRHYTHMS drum circles, and we documented a positive impact on attentiveness, active participation, socialization, positive mood, affect, contentment/joy, and meaningful self-expression in 550 seniors living in two long-term care centers.  Next we extended our investigation to stressed students. That study, in 2004, using Clavinova-assisted HealthRHYTHMS drum circles, demonstrated reduced burnout, improved mood states, and decreased attrition in 75 first-year nursing students. Cost-savings were projected at $322,000 for each acute care hospital, and more than $1.5 billion annually for the healthcare industry. 

Working with Applied Biosystems – the research firm that successfully deciphered the human genome – we’ve demonstrated effective stress reversal at the DNA level from making music. The study, published in Medical Science Monitor in 2005, was the first of its kind in the field of molecular genomics.

LRG: What research is underway now?

BB: We’re evaluating the impact – at the molecular level – of recreational music making on people with cardiovascular disease. However, rather than limiting our analysis to 47 genes that impact cancer, heart disease, and inflammatory syndromes, we’re studying the entire human genome. Our hope is to learn more about the role of recreational music making as an effective stress-reduction strategy for people facing life-threatening illnesses.

LRG: Are you a musician?

BB: Yes, I was trained as a classical pianist. My last concert was in New York when I was 14 years old. For me at that time, piano was a love-hate relationship. I didn’t understand the value of music in those early years. I came back to playing after becoming a physician.

LRG: What would you tell someone who says he or she isn’t musical?

BB: We all start out as musicians. I believe we’re hardwired for music. Most people go through life thinking they’re not musical. But that’s not true. It’s innate, and when we can realize our capacity, that’s when it becomes magical.