The Doctor/Music Connection and The Terrible Disregard for Music in Public Schools
How does music help prepare students for life? Ask all the prestigious doctors in Boston!
The Boston Globe has a fascinating piece by Christoph Westphal about the importance of music to becoming and being a doctor. Westphal, himself an amateur cellist and physician/scientist, recently went to hear the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) welcoming its new conductor Andris Nelson. At the concert, he recognized a lot of physicians and scientists in the audience. It occurred to him that Boston is known as a world-class city in medicine and music. Was there an association?
Looking into this possible connection further, Westphal realized that many on the board of directors for the BSO were doctors. Then he learned that Alan Steere a Harvard Medical School professor had determined that 70 percent of doctors have had some musical training. In addition, in Longwood, a suburb of Boston, doctors even have their own symphony orchestra! (Here) The proceeds go to a variety of charities, and the musicians/physicians emphasize the “healing” power of music. Lisa Wong who is a doctor herself, is president of the orchestra and also wrote a book about this phenomenon called Scales to Scalpels: Doctors Who Practice the Healing Arts of Music and Medicine.
Lisa looked into the link between doctors and music. It seems that there are a lot of similarities. An example of being a surgeon is given. Like surgery, doctors must be precise, breaking things down and then repetitively rebuilding and incorporating the emotional side of the process.
To be honest, The Boston Globe article had criticism involving wealth and the dislike for pretentiousness. But my focus is on the meaning of music not just for doctors but for all The Doctor/Music Connection and The Terrible Disregard for Music in Public Schools: