Just launched a new website for the book. Let me know what you think!

What more can be said than has in the last 12 hours that about a man that forever changed the world.

Thank you 

When Don Campbell and I first presented the concept for our book Healing at the Speed of Sound™ to our editors at Hudson Stress Press we shared our vision to create an immersive experience for readers. We envisioned active links to audio and video content, research, music downloads and more. They embraced the idea although eBooks were relatively new and few publishers had a handle on how to publish an Enhanced (Amplified) eBook. We were so fortunate that they understood our vision to write a transformational book on sound, music, and the brain that is compelling on the printed page, but comes alive in an electronic book reader.

The eBook trailer for the book was just released. You can view it on the Official YouTube Channel for Healing at the Speed of Sound. The eBook is available for pre-order in the kindle store, nook store, iTunes, and everywhere else eBooks are sold.

A recent study looked at piano player’s ability to sight read a new piece of music. It was published in journal Psychological Science and demonstrated that while practice, practice, practice, leads to great musical performance, that working memory capacity, plays an important role in the level of performance that can ultimately be achieved.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Outliers he shares the body of research that shows regardless of the skill or activity,  that over 10,000 hours of consistent practice is required to achieve an expert level of proficiency. Incidentally, Mozart is one of the musical geniuses highlighted in this fascinating discussion. While practice makes perfect, cognitive function must be at a sufficient level to engage and excel at the task, as in the example of the pianist.  With that said, cognitive function, working memory in this case is not something which is fixed. What your capacity is today, can be increased, dramatically, to help you excel in all areas of life, including musical performance.

Working memory is of great interest to me, largely because it is becoming increasingly recognized as one of the fundamental cognitive abilities that is key to unlocking our full potential. This is not new information. This is a discovery my father made some 35 years ago, and has fervently pursued since, developing methods to expand working memory and sequential processing ability. Work that I have continued at Advanced Brain Technologies through our BrainBuilder® neurosoftware program which assesses and trains these abilities.

I am pleased to see the research community taking such interest in working memory and look forward to seeing more studies linking cognitive function to musical ability in the future. For you musicians perhaps you may consider some targeted working memory training to accompany your practice and advance your performance to an entirely new level!

Read more about the research linking working memory to musical performance.

I had the fortunate opportunity to consult with Dr. Greenspan while working with a number of his patients in the 90′s. He was a great supporter of sound and music based methods to help children with developmental problems.

RIP Dr. Greenspan, I am sorry to see you go, but what what a legacy you have left.

Here is an announcement from the ICDL, the organization he co-founded.

It is with great sorrow that we share with you the news that Stanley I. Greenspan, M.D. died on April 27, 2010.  Dr. Greenspan was the Founder and Chairman of the Interdisciplinary Council on Developmental and Learning Disorders (ICDL), founding member and past board president of Zero To Three: National Center for Infants,Toddlers, and Families and former director of the National Institute of Mental Health’s Clinical Infant Developmental Program and Mental Health Study Center. As the world’s foremost authority on clinical work with infants and young children with developmental and emotional problems, his work continues to guide parents, professionals and researchers all over the world.

I just returned home after a week long trip to Israel where we are opening a branch of our company. With the conflict in Gaza I went with some apprehension which was entirely lifted when I arrived in Tel Aviv and met my generous friends Ofer and Sigal Cohen.

While exposed to wonderful people and places there is a moment I experienced which will stay with me forever. 

Here is the story. I was in Jerusalem walking with Ofer from the Mt. Of Olives up a long stone path behind the Western Wall on the way back to the Old City. Ahead was an Arabic man with a white donkey. As he came down and we walked up we were greeted with an extended hand. Ofer offered him money to take his photo and instead this sage told us “He does not want money, he just wants peace”. What wisdom this man shared who has spent the last 50 years with his geriatric donkey walking around Jerusalem selling Kerosene. This man with kind eyes and warm heart who had nothing according to my western sensibility had everything he needed.

What a lesson…In a land of conflict, peace is the greatest asset.