From the South Side to the Symphony

NBC's Ron Allen spoke to the McGill brothers: Anthony the principal clarinetist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Demarre, lead flutist with the Seattle Symphony, about their passion, artistry and mutual admiration.

Singing doctor makes American Idol debut

Physical medicine and rehabilitation resident Dr. Calvin Peters' journey to Hollywood began about a year ago when watching American Idol said to himself, 'I can do that, actually".

A former gospel choir member, Peters took voice lessons and sang in a local cover band to prepare.  He auditioned in July and was shortly called for a follow-up in Baton Rouge. Now he's got a golden ticket.
When his colleagues found out he'd be on Idol, they were stunned.  "I was just in the laundry and they were like, 'Are you going to be on American Idol?' I said yeah and they said, 'Doing what?' When he told them he'd be singing, they said "Get outta here. You can sing?' While he doesn't sing in his white coat, music has become a way to connect with his physical therapy patients. 

"Music touches people's souls and emotional souls. So while there might not be a physical manifestation, music just makes people feel better," he said.  

                 read Fox news Dallas affiliate's original article...

Updates Happy and Sad

It is hard to believe how much time has passed since the last post. So many things have changed. 11 months. It's been a long year.

Sadly, the events of December 14th have overshadowed all. Sitting at my desk at work, reading an email from a friend in Connecticut asking me if I'd "heard about the school shooting in Newtown" was surreal. I thought what most of us did, the school is on lockdown, no one was hurt, it was blown out of proportion. Sadly, the opposite was true. With each subsequent report the news became worse. And then it became horrifying. 20 children. First graders. 6 teachers and administrators. Gone. As was "The Shooter" as he has come to be identified. And his mother. Rumors flew, but nothing changed those numbers. And then the names. Was it anyone I knew? Was it anyone anyone I knew, knew? I sat at my desk, sobbing as many of us did. Feeling helpless. Trying to take it all in, while pushing it away. 

It took some time to explain to my California friends why this was so devastating. They asked if I knew anyone. "I don't know yet", I told them.  How do you explain, what I heard one reporter convey, that Sandy Hook "is a small community in a small town in a small state". EVERYONE will either know someone directly, or know someone affected directly. And that even the few who did not have a connection on December 13th, on the 14th will have a connection forever. It took no time at all for me to decide what to do. With the grief. The anger. The feeling of helplessness.

Our little fund, "BHKMusic" as I now call it, will have to help some of the survivors. The siblings. The children in the classroom who watched and listened in terror to their worlds being torn to shreds. Their classmates. Their teachers. Their brothers and sisters. This fund has lay dormant for too long. We are going to kick it into high gear. Music therapy. Of course. 5, 6 & 7 years olds don't process everything cognitively. They process mostly in feeling, experiencing, in movement. We can do this. 

Within 2 weeks we have created a press release, a Facebook page, been highlighted on the Fairfield County Community Foundation website right along side:

The Newtown Scholarship Fund
The Taunton Press Newtown Children and Families Fund

(The Brenda H. Kaplan Music Fund)
The Grace McDonnell Memorial Fund
Gifts in memory of Sandy Hook Elementary School psychologist Mary Sherlach


Working with FCCF and The American Music Therapy Association we are donating $2500, challenging corporations, groups and individuals to match it so that we can set up a partnership with agencies in Newtown to provide this very specialized type of therapy to as many of these kids we can. You can help. Tell everyone you know. Post our BHKMusic Blog, Facebook page and the Donate Now page from FCCF on anything and everything you can.  The more people know about us, the more chance we have of really making a difference. 

May you and your loved ones have a healthy, healing, peaceful and otherwise amazing 2013.  Keep Newtown in your hearts including first responders, other teachers, counselors, and anyone who will live with this tragedy for the days to come. We are Connecticut. We will survive. We will be part of the healing. 

Blessings.

Clive Robbins, who has died aged 84, 

was a co-founder of the Nordoff Robbins approach 

to music therapy which he developed 

with the American composer Paul Nordoff.

Nordoff Robbins, which was formally established as a charity in Britain in 1980, provides trained music therapists to work with people of all ages and with a wide range of conditions, in care homes, day centres, hospitals, schools and at the charity’s own centres....

Our Military Kids - Families' Stories

Chase’s Story

During my deployment to Kuwait, Our Military Kids awarded my son, Chase, a grant to participate in the 48th Annual Stephen Foster Music Camp. My son looks forward to this music camp each year – talking about it from January until June. The camp allows him to be exposed to other kids who share a similar love of classical music. For two weeks, they come together on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University with music professors and grad students who help to challenge, mold, and invigorate them. Hundreds of hours of hard work are put in by all and their concerts are magnificent.

My deployment has put a damper on our finances and I am unable to work extra shifts at a second job. I was not sure if we would be able to afford to send Chase this year. Our Military Kids allowed just that. Thank you for helping Chase while I am serving our country.

Musician's Networking Picnic 

Monday July 4th 

12:00N-8:00P