loving art, science and creative kids
6/21/2015 1:28:03 PM
The Santiam Pass Burn Area - an ecology in transition
acrylic painting - 22” x 18” $ 275
Transitions Create Energy
My NIA (non impact aerobics) teacher commented theater day that transitions create energy. Each time we shifted from one movement or shape to another she encouraged us to spring into the new position with gusto. I appreciated her observation and started to think about the energy needed for transitions other than movement, such as those that impact the environment, my life, and writing.
Several weeks ago, while traveling through central Oregon, I observed the shock caused by a massive fire to land and surviving animals. The view from my car window was chilling, seemingly as though I was peering at an alien planet. Black charred trees contrasted with white gnarled bleached branches that stood naked in the scorched ground. In 2003, fire destroyed 90,769 acres of Oregon forests totaling approximately 100 square miles. The Santiam Pass had succumbed to a failed U.S. Forest Service policy of suppression. Without small and frequent burns to clear underbrush, the forest had grown thicker and drier. It was weakened by disease and drought and demonstrates what can happen after a century of fire suppression and timber harvests that leave brush behind. The burn area is now a land in transition. Caused by energy, it consumed an energy source, and will need years of energetic renewal to repair itself. It will be fascinating to observe primary plant succession in action and see how many animals return to feed on young shoots. After the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the deer population exploded as growth returned. However, in this case, the sun beams hot, temperatures are elevated and regrowth seems slow.
Leaving childhood, entering college, becoming married, and parenthood were periods that initiated a time of personal transition and growth. On the sad side was my divorce. I was devastated, cried constantly at first and felt like my world was coming apart. “How would I ever be able to live in my creaky house or travel to foreign lands as a single woman?” I wondered.
I decided to let myself mourn for as long a time as needed, but while doing so, wallowing in self-pity would not be acceptable. Since I could no longer depend on someone else to lead the way, I had to create my own path. Match.com became one of my solutions, putting me out into what I thought would be scary situations. Much to my surprise, the website introduced me to some of the nicest men in town. I became energized, and for one year had a blast, feeling like I was reliving my college weekends. I had partners for dancing, visiting art exhibitions and taking long bicycle rides with stops on hot afternoons for drippy ice cream cones. With new acquaintances I visited summer festivals, took in soccer games and went on picnics and hikes in the woods. One man had a mathematics toy that he had invented for elementary school children, and since I was in the educational toy business, I was able to get his product marketed. The royalty checks were fun to receive.
By the end of the year I had a better sense of myself. As a stronger woman I was not as dependent on a partner, no longer afraid of intruders and more willing to travel on my own. In fact, there were times I preferred to be alone because I was more open to meeting interesting strangers along the way. I still valued stable companionship, however, and by the end of the year was once more in a committed relationship. This time though, I was determined to accept my partner and present myself as “take-it-or-leave-it ” packages. We no longer had to blend into one entity but could retain our individuality as we held hands. The transition from marriage to divorce to a partnership required increased energy that helped me better understand close relationships.
Coping with change is a constant that from time to time each of us is bound to face. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes by William Bridges is a relevant book that discusses how change brings both opportunities and turmoil. Bridges helps readers understand that there are three stages to any transition; the Ending, the Neutral Zone, and eventually the New Beginning. There needs to be patience and acceptance of the steps needed in order to evolve.
Transitions create a period for tremendous growth. New learning has to take place since familiar patterns have changed. Experiences will be different and fear has to be overcome. There are times, as in illness or death, when it is difficult to go through a period of upheaval alone. Imbuing energy to the situation may require the help of a trained professional, or you may be the one called to assist a loved one face their new reality, requiring you to become infused with a strength that you did not know you had. When my son developed cancer, it meant that both my husband and I had to spend two-thirds of our day assisting him while we continued to conduct our ongoing affairs. It was a difficult and emotional time, but I learned a great deal about the medical profession, giving organizations like Make a Wish Foundation, the spirit of the human psyche, and the well of energy within our family that was there when it needed to be called forth. I am thankful that all ended well, and our son is appreciative of his good health, maintaining it with good food habits and exercise.
Giving birth to children, watching them grow up and leave home, and welcoming grandchildren are all milestones that create a changed life style. For the child, transitions can be difficult since they are usually instigated by something beyond their control. Moving, divorce, a new school all create stress that may need the assistance of an an in-tuned parent. It takes fortitude to be attentive to offspring and often requires the adult to acquire new coping skills. None of us are born parents. Most are on-the-job students who become trained when unexpected family situations present themselves.
When each of my five childrenI reached eleventh grade, I mourned the approaching empty nest. By the time they actually graduated, my worry period had ended, for I had used the year to consider next steps. The approaching transitions energized me, and I became busy planning for and learning how to operate a new business.
Bob Dylan sang true when he wrote, The times they are a-changin’.
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’. . . .
As my offspring matured they kept me thinking young, for their conversations were often a windows to new ideas and approaches. In many ways their lives are more difficult than mine was because of changing worldwide economic and environmental conditions, yet they are adapting by embracing ways of enjoying a more frugal existence, eating organic foods, and having lower impact on the environment. The women no longer think of themselves as primary support systems to husbands, but have their own careers and relationships based on shared responsibilities. Since they married at a later age than I did, they had time to develop close-knit circles of friendship that recognize the need for independence yet are there to provide support when needed.
Transitions create energy applies to all of the arts. Just as a dancer is energized by a conversion step giving rise to the next pose and an artist becomes excited by preparing a canvas to take paint, so does a writer become empowered by the use of changeover words and phrases. When writing it is important to know how to get from one thought to the next. Consideration has to be given to the best way to provide energy going forward? Phrases like in addition, not to mention, equally important, and moreover take the author out of a dead end position into the next concept. These words are essential, because they not only connect ideas, but introduce a change, a shift or contrast, an emphasis or agreement. They are vital and useful words that bring purpose or conclusion to an argument.
Yes, transitions do create energy, bringing intensity to nature, work, play, and the arts. They demand that effort be put forth as Dylan says, “if your time to you is worth savin’, then you better start swimmin’.”
Art work is always for sale. Enjoy learning more at ecihingerfineart.com or contact me at [email protected].
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References follow: Highlight the words to connect with the article.
http://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Changes-Revised-Anniversary-Edition/dp/073820904X - To purchase book about Transitions by William Bridges.
http://education.wichita.edu/caduceus/examples/essay_student/transitions.htm - Transition words.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/bobdylan/thetimestheyareachangin.html- Lyrics to The Times They are a Changin' by Bob Dylan.
6/13/2015 3:44:16 PM
New Orleans
Acrylic Painting - 12” x 36” - $ 350
A city where cool sounds of Jazz permeates the French Quarter
Passing the Baton
How do you provide a music education when your own experience is limited? Some children are fortunate because their parents are trained musicians. Others, like mine were, have parents who believe that education should include music. Though they pay for lessons, they do not know how to inspire their offspring to become passionate about their instruments, so the money they spend is not used to maximum effect.
Except for the scales and easy pieces played when my siblings and I practiced, music was not heard in our household. Neither radio, television nor record player was used to fill our home with melodies, though we occasionally were taken to children’s concerts. My family finally obtained a phonograph when I was sixteen allowing a few symphonic records and lots of rock n roll to enter our home. With marginal role models pointing the way, as an adult I was committed to creating a more musical home.
When my children were still in pre-school my husband and I set up an instrument tree in our living room. A floor to ceiling pole was erected with clips attached from which to hang all sorts of sound makers. It held tambourines, recorders, maracas, bells, whistles, harmonicas, drums, cymbals, sticks, and a wide variety of shakers. Each day I would put on a record (pre-CDs) and gather my young band members to sing, march and dance around the house while struggling with the challenge of staying on beat. Though visiting friends must of thought us to be a strange, noisy bunch, the kids took their music activities very seriously and had a great time.
As an adult, my husband learned the guitar and encouraged singing in the evenings, on long car rides and around campfires. He eventually became so accomplished as a musician that he and a group of professor friends formed a bluegrass band. The Bluegrass Extension Service practiced in our home and performed weekly in a local pub, attracting hordes of students to clog along with the music. I loved dancing to his music and had a wonderful time chatting with university friends. Our family quickly learned to belt out Rocky Top and Country Roads.
In analyzing my own musical talents, I admit that they were not great. I can not sing on key and though I studied the piano as a child, I was a mediocre player who found it difficult to read and strike a multitude of keys at one time. It still amazes me that people can actually understand complex scores with thirty second notes, trills and chords. In my thirties I decided to try again, this time taking up the flute since there is only one note to read at a time. With children running around the house my squeaky sounds added to the chaos, but the family was tolerant, and I do believe my perseverance may have inspired them.
My retired symphony orchestra teacher was sensitive, quickly realizing that I was not in training to be the next Sir James Galway, Jeanne Baxtresser or Herbie Mann. Instead of assigning hours of practice scales he had me play beginning music that could immediately be enjoyed with friends. A few of my enthusiastic neighbors were even willing to accompany me on the piano, making my practice very pleasurable indeed.
As my children reached their elementary grades their music-anti was raised. A willing teacher offered before-class recorder sessions in our neighborhood school. By the time they were eight, all of my off spring had had experience with musical notations, and were ready and willing to be enrolled in piano lessons. One daughter, who had an exceptional ear for sound, took up the violin as well. (No squeaky sounds there! ) My childhood spinet had a rotating hot seat for several hours each day.
It took a great deal of time to drive children to and from music lessons and recitals, and it was often annoying to be surrounded by discordant sound but in the end I found it to be worth the effort. Two daughters and I formed an ensemble that could play piano, violin and flute trios. The fun we had and pride we took in our small chamber group produced an emotional high I will remember forever.
Why did I believe that music education was so important? Many studies show that early musical training develops the left part of the brain, the side involved in reasoning and language. There also appears to be a link between the ability to perceive things accurately and form mental pictures of them. Music helps in understanding advanced mathematical problems, which may be why geniuses like Albert Einstein play the violin as their preferred leisure time outlet. A ten year study conducted in 2006 by Johnson,C.M. & Memmott, J.E. showed that children, irregardless of socio-economic background, had increased success on standardized tests such as the SAT. It also affirmed that those who play instruments tend to achieve higher school grades.
Columbia University research that “ students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and pears, more self-confident and better able to express their ideas.” They also found lower aggressive and anti-social behavior. Best of all those who participate in band and orchestra have, “ the lowest lifelong use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs among any group in society.” Participating in a band or orchestra enhances teamwork skills and discipline. Practice improves study habits, and performances help youth accept risks and overcome fear.
When my children aged I was curious to see if their musical experiences would stay with them. Eldest son followed his father’s example and took up the guitar as an adult. He still takes voice and guitar lessens, practices regularly with friends, performs for family, and sings with his sons. When his sons were only two years old he enrolled them in a parent-child singing group that provided a great bonding experience. Now the entire family sings their way through family gatherings and evening camp fires.
Eldest daughter continued to play the piano for her own entertainment until a few years ago when she became very busy with a second career. When her children were young, however, she introduced them to both piano and choral singing. Her son became a classical and Celtic violin player who even serenaded me in the hospital when I was ill, much to the pleasure of the nursing staff and patients in surrounding rooms. Her three children know the words to the latest country/western songs and one even gives line dance lessons. Not sure where that came from!
Violin playing daughter taught music professionally to young children. She was most qualified to help her own family with their lessons. Her daughter studied harp for a while, becoming quite accomplished, at times accompanying her older sister who was taking voice lessons. To my sorrow, the harp was dropped with the mounting pressure of high school activities and a burgeoning social life, though both girls still enjoy the piano. Their younger brother is in the beginning trumpet stage. Yikes!!!
One daughter never achieved mastery over an instrument but became an active listener by embracing the vibrant Seattle music scene. Her enjoyment was a pleasure to observe.
Youngest son fell in love with bongo drums as a teenager. Thank goodness he and his friends would go to a local park during the late night hours to beat their rhythmic sounds. He eventually bought a full drum set, but it sits in his abode gathering dust because of complaints by the neighbors. Much of his musical outlet today is around burning man activities. He has many friends who are in bands and they gather in his camp, playing well into the night. Parties in his home are unique because rotating musicians entertain throughout the event.
The benefits of music participation are not limited to youth, for it also is a great asset to the elderly. It can help those with dementia reconnect with their past, becoming more alive and responsive. The health benefits music brings to older people are impressive, especially when mixed with exercise. Moving to rhythmic sounds reduce risk of falling and increase balance. Participants are happier, have enhanced moods and appear more relaxed. Music education can also bring joy to those with special needs when the teacher takes time to adapt a program to the individual’s disability. Not only does music give pleasure to the student, but it gives an increased sense of self-worth.
My flute teacher once told me that when you have music in your life you will always have friends. I acknowledge that his words ring true. For four generations our family has passed on the music baton. Whether opera, metallica, rock or rap there is some form of acoustic harmony that you will find appealing. Music can be meditative when seeking solitude and calmness or equally enjoyable in groups when feeling festive. Whether playing or listening, it is one of the rich offerings in life that I’ve come to appreciate.
How does your family pass the baton from one generation to the next? Do you focus on the arts, literature, sports, nature or something else?
Please share your way of passing on your passions to others by responding below.
Art is always for sale. Contact me at [email protected] for more information.
References:
http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/twelve-benefits-of-music-education/ - Advantages of a music education.
http://musicempowersfoundation.org/why-music/the-importance-of-music - Studies about music, language and mathematics skills.
http://musicempowersfoundation.org/why-music/the-importance-of-music - The importance of a music education.
http://www.npr.org/sections/music-news/ - Elderly and dementia
http://www.dreamsfulfilledthroughmusic.org - Music and special needs
http://www.music2spark.com/2011/11/28/the-elderly-how-music-benefits-their-health/ - music and health.
6/6/2015 5:10:00 PM
Building Blocks
24” x 28” - an acrylic painting by Marilynne - $ 450
Stacking blocks in a prescribed order is an IQ test challenge
IQ News
When I was nine years old, a friend of my mother’s was taking university courses in educational psychology. For one class she needed practice subjects to give IQ tests to and used my brother and me as volunteer subjects. The test was quite thorough and included tactile manipulatives as well as pencil and paper answers. Though not at genius level, I remember receiving a score that was enough over average to satisfy my parents. From that day on, they accepted the test result as gospel, and increased their expectation of how well I should do in school. My grades acceptable, because in my father’s eyes a girl was not expected to be a brain. Schooling was there to make me a good mother and educated companion to my future husband. Since I was not as important as my brother, I was not overly pressured. In the long run his lack of attention turned me into an achiever.
My brother did not fare as well as I even though he registered equally high on the Stanford Binet scale. He did not react well to my father’s expectations and pushed back by not completing assignments, cutting classes, and just skating through his high school years. School bored him. For many months he hid in his bedroom engrossed in reading the Encyclopedia Britannica from cover to cover, yet his poor grades trumped his independent study in my parent’s eyes. At the end of high school went so far as to falsify his report card by giving himself straight As, and for a few summer months the family was happy. When he never received a college acceptance letter, however, my mother went to school to find out what was going on and discovered that his A grades were really Fs.
“What will he amount to?” my father shouted. “He is good for nothing. Get out of the house.” Though this brother caused a great deal of chaos, his turbulent childhood turned him into an independent thinker. My father gave up, washing his hands of him so to speak, assuming he would slither through life, amounting to nothing.
Thankfully the story does not end badly. After four years in the military, where he managed to get himself assigned to Germany instead of Vietnam, he graduated in urban studies from a four year college to become a productive development entrepreneur. The test he had taken as a child had neglected to measure drive and perseverance. Though he did not like school, no one considered his ability to concentrate on things he did enjoy. Internal motivations, fear of failure and craving for success to prove to his father that he was OK were strong factors in his ambition. In addition, the test never evaluated his interaction with friends or his ability to organize and impress others. And most importantly it did not take into account that people have the power to change their brain.
One benefit of IQ tests like the Stanford Binet or Weschler IV is that they can identify gifted students early. Many of these children are the ones who wind up bored in school and need extra nurturing at an early age. Talented and gifted programs used to be available for these children, but in much of the nation, due to budget cuts, TAG has unfortunately been eliminated. The tests also help educators identify those below average in order to provide extra instruction for those who risk falling behind. Since No Child Left Behind there appears to be more emphasis on helping slow learners.
The downside of the test for a high scoring child is that it can actually stifle potential. Repeatedly telling a person how smart he or she is may get interpreted as this should be easy for me. When solving a difficult problem the child may not take the challenge and instead give up. I have friends who are very intelligent but have little drive to succeed and so they sit around feeling sorry for themselves. At the other end of the spectrum, the low IQ student may develop a poor self-image and label himself as being dumb, deciding that it is not worth trying.
Expectations: In 1964 a classic study was conducted in a San Fransico elementary school by Harvard professor Robert Rosenthal. Teachers were informed that the test he was going to administer had the ability to predict which kids were about to achieve a dramatic growth in their IQ. Once the test was taken he randomly chose several children from each class and informed the teachers “they were on the verge of an intense intellectual bloom.” Over the next two years Rosenthal followed the children and discovered that expectations affected teachers interactions in many subtle ways. Those children who were expected to succeed were given more time to answer questions, more specific feedback, and recieved greater approval. They were consistently touched, nodded to and smiled at more, and as a result increased their IQ score.
More recently, psychologist Howard Gardner has been trying to influence expectations by getting people to think more generally about intelligence. He talks of different types of smart rather than only the linguistic and logical-mathematic abilities usually evaluated by IQ tests. Visual-spacial,interpersonal, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, auditory-musical are abilities rarely appraised in school testing programs. Yet those strengths, along with a desire to succeed and fortitude, can be more important than traditional IQ measurements.
Good News: Scientists have discovered that the brain can reorganize itself when confronted with new challenges, even through adulthood. A consortium of researchers including Columbia University, Harvard, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Abbott Labs have developed a program called Luminosity. Basically they have developed a series of exercises aimed at increasing memory, attention, speed, flexibility, and problem solving. It works for those who commit themselves to the process. Living life fully also trains the brain. The boy with the average IQ mentioned above spent much of his young adult years working in jobs that required him to think on his feet. He eventually launched his own company, having to reinvent and improve it over the years in order to be flexible with the times and economy. As he worked he boosted his memory, attention to details and organizational skills.
Bad News: The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports: “ Young people who smoke cannabis for years run the risk of a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ.” The findings come from a longitudinal study conducted in New Zealand with approximately 1,000 people. Their international team found that those who started using cannabis below the age of 18 – while their brains were still developing – suffered an average of 8% drop in their intelligence, putting them at a great disadvantage throughout their lives. It will be interesting to follow future studies around IQ as cannabis becomes legal in more states.
Interesting News: According to the London Telegraph we are entering the science fiction world of mind enhancing drugs. A British think tank believes that these drugs might be as common as drinking coffee in a few years. Students, who want to improve their grades and those who are losing memory will benefit by new chemical developments. British medical society says "The ethical debate about whether or not to use drugs to improve performance in normal schoolchildren and students will probably be resolved over the next 20 years. Similarly, there will be continued debate about the ethics of using cognition enhancers in the workplace.”
I wonder about the side effects of these drugs and would cautiously look at the results of longitudinal studies before ingesting. What may be good for one body system could be bad for another. According to BBC writer, Mark Kohn in article about pills designed to boost brainpower: “Drugs and catastrophe are seemingly never far apart.” There are other ways to enhance intelligence. The Telegraph also informs, “that a good light’s sleep really does improve the brain.”
Great News: There recently have been many changes in how scientists access the aging brain. They used to look at it in terms of neuron failure. Now, according to University of Southern California’s Monika Guttman, it is clear that if you don’t have a specific disease that causes loss of nerve cells, then most of your neurons remain healthy until you die. New research suggests that the rate of change may be related to life style factors. For instance, lower weight may affect lower rates of disease like Alzheimers. Other factors include education: “Those who use it, don’t lose it as quickly.” New neurons are created by mental and physical exercises. Those who continue to read and question, do puzzles, get a good night’s sleep, stay away from drugs, and exercise regularly are actually increasing their mental capacities. Brain researchers suggest that people try new activities as they age. Changing job, hobbies and exercise routines will help build new synapses and capacities for thinking. Having fun also reduce stress, another inhibitor to a healthy aging brain.
My Thoughts: Keep your brain busy, healthy and wise. Eat well, exercise and challenge yourself with puzzles, games and new adventures. Play…it is good for you. Sleep … it is restorative. Learn new tidbits of information through reading and travel. Take the time to think . . . it promotes neural pathways to increased knowledge. Smile . . . you may be on Candid Camera.
Artwork is always for sale: Go to eichingerfineart.com for pricing or email me at [email protected]
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Lots of references below:
http://education.seattlepi.com/pros-cons-iq-testing-schools-2014.html - PRos and cons of IQ testing.
http://www.lumosity.com/landing_pages/837?gclid=CjwKEAjws5CrBRD8ze702_2dyjYSJAAAJK9yyltcNqBvx8olsDea_7KDtzxLvTSNNnZutKB-bSBluRoCaxTw_wcB - Luminosity - Brain training games.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-your-brain-body - Marijuana and the brain.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140729-the-truth-about-smart-drugs
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/3347174/A-good-nights-sleep-really-does-improve-the-brain.html - Sleep and the brain
https://news.usc.edu/7569/The-Aging-Brain/ - Monika Guttman on the Aging Brain
http://www.livescience.com/36143-iq-change-time.html - Can your IQ change?
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/09/18/161159263/teachers-expectations-can-influence-how-students-perform - 1964 test given to show how teacher’s expectations influence IQ.
