While growing up I saw the benefits of music in my own family. My father was an executive head of the drafting department of 110 men in the San Francisco office of Chevron Corporation. He had pressures that I never realized or thought about. He hired and fired many people over the course of many years. He planned the workload for all the men and figured out vacation schedules This was a real challenge and very stressful for him. On weekends at home, he relaxed by playing the piano and singing.
This always seemed to help him, both physically and emotionally. It was a good release from the pressures of business. I know playing music proved to be helpful and beneficial in his professional work.
It has been known for years and substantiated by 1,000’s of research studies, that exposure to music, in many forms and dimensions, like listening or actual participation by singing or playing, can lead to many positive and enduring aspects in one’s life.
In many articles over the years, I have written about how early training in music has increased students grade point average (GPA), and scholastic aptitude test (SAT), exam scores. They generally do better in other academic subjects than students that did not have musical experiences. Music also helps adults in many significant ways, including health, pain management, sports and entertainment industries.
Businessman and author Craig. M. Cortello, believes that exposure and experiences in music, leads to success in the business world. He states this in his book. Everything We Needed to Know About Business, We Learned Playing Music. Cortello points out that, ”There are scores of ex-athletes who give speeches regarding the parallels between sports and business success, and there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of funding for sports programs,” “I felt it was time to tell the music education/business success correlation story.”
Among the benefits of music experiences learned in childhood and adulthood, related to the business world are self-confidence, leadership, collaboration with others, salesmanship, creativity, innovation, discipline, risk taking, passion and basic fundamentals.
Successful Businesspeople with Music Backgrounds
Genevieve Thiers, a Chicago opera singer, attributes her business success – founding two companies – to her operatic training and musical background. “Once you learn to channel energy and direct power when you’re in front of people singing, it is not something you forget,” Thiers explained. “Being a performer also toughens your skin, making you open to risk taking.”
Thiers believes that because you have that strength behind you, the ability to dismiss rejection translates into salesmanship.
It is easy to see the training acquired through music helped make her a great business success story today.
Jimmy A. Palmer, former regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, is another example of the importance of musical training for success in business.
Palmer says, “The discipline that is needed to play an instrument well is – you just have to work at it!” The same diligence is needed in the business sector. He said,” My own personal musical odyssey has been a huge part of my personal career development.” Palmer’s career led to greater responsibilities. His ability with personal relationships through music advanced his leadership skills in business.
Dr. H. Steven Sims is another example of success in the business of healing, health and medicine. Sim’s early musical experiences include singing at age five and he plays piano, bassoon and trombone. His diligent practice learning all those instruments led to his goal of obtaining a medical degree. In other words, he had the fortitude and discipline to forge ahead and obtained his hard-earned goals. Sims said, “Spending time to get a result, having a vision, deciding what you want to do in life, and laying out a plan – the practice really helped long term.”
Teamwork also came into play as Sims played in a band. He learned that his part had to fit into other parts. This, of course, is an extremely important lesson to learn working with other people, in Sims case, the operating room.
Another important lesson that Sims learned, from performing music was overcoming stage fright. When he learned to accomplish this, it related directly to the decisions and actions needed as a medical healer, and specifically, a surgeon. “Courage is not the absence of fear. It is realizing your fear and going ahead and doing what you should do,” said Sims. “That experience helped in terms of training me when I got a little nervous. It helped me use that energy to perfect my performance rather than fall apart.”
These are just a few of the business professionals who benefited greatly by having music in their backgrounds. Their accounts reveal that they cannot imagine not having music in their lives. They attribute much of their success in the business sector
to the lessons well learned while studying and performing music.
Sims sums it up beautifully when he says, “Even now, sitting down at the piano, playing something and singing is complete catharsis.”
Please submit your questions and comments to banddirector01@comcast.net Visit our website at www.danvilleband.org for up-to-date information about the Danville Community Band.
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