MUSIC THEORY

Teachers and Students

Pre Band Lessons for the Flute

Objectives

With all wind instruments, posture is first and far most.  Sitting up straight must be the primary goal of the student.  Start by sitting up straight on the edge of the seat.  Position yourself to the corner of the chair.  To ensure proper breathing technique, hold both elbows out and away from the body.  

Now, sitting is important, but breathing is equally important.  Breathing should be dealt with from the diaphragm muscles.  

DIAPHRAGM EXERCISES 

To begin with - standing is the best way to get maximum expansion of the longs.  Stand on your tip toes with your back to the wall and your hands pointing straight above you - as if pointing to the ceiling.  With your lips perked and your jaws not puffing, take a deep breath of air.  Slowly and forcefully, push the air out while cupping the air at the center of the lips.

Think of the air as filling up a jug of water - the water will go  to the bottom of the jug.  That’s where the muscles pull open the lungs.

To strengthen the diaphragm muscles, push the air out with a long duration.  Relax for a moment and repeat the motion.  Allow yourself to rest after a short while of doing the exercise.

KEEP THE PAPER ON THE WALL EXERCISE

Tare a piece of paper from the edge of the sheet at about the size of a fifty cent coin.  To force the paper on the wall, while blowing against it, hold it on the wall and let it go.  While not puffing your jaws and directing the air stream on the center of the paper, keep the paper on the wall with the air.  Relax for moment and repeat the exercise.

FLUTE MOUTHPIECE EXERCISE

Take the flute mouthpiece from the case and leave the remaining pieces in the case and close it.  Use only the flute mouthpiece for this exercise.

Place the mouthpiece on the edge of your lip.  Slide the mouthpiece from the left to the right until the whole is at the center of the lip.  To cover the end of the mouthpiece, take the right hand and position it over the end.  The sound is formed in the same way a it is when one blows across a Coke bottle.  While making sure the jaws are not puffed, blow across the mouthpiece to make a low sound.  Make a high sound by removing the right hand from the mouthpiece.  Do this exercise by counting to eight and resting for eight.  The secret to music is repetition.

MUSIC THEORY

1. What is music?

• Music is the universal language. 

2 What is music written on?

• Music is written on a staff. 

3. What is a staff?

• A staff has 5 lines and 4 spaces.. 

4. Name the lines and spaces of the treble clef.

• The lines and spaces of the treble clef are: EGBDF and FACE. 

5. Name the lines and spaces of the bass clef.

• The lines and spaces of the bass clef are: GBDFA and ACEG. 

6. What is the letter name for the treble clef?

• The letter name for the treble clef is G. 

7. What is the letter name for the bass clef?

• The letter name for the bass clef is F. 

8. How many letters are there in the music alphabet?

• There are 7 letters in the music alphabet. 

9. Name the letters of the music alphabet.

• The letters of the music alphabet are ABCDEFG. 

10. What is a bar line?

• Bar lines divide the staff into measures. 

11. What is a double bar line?

• Double bar lines end the music or a section of the music. 

12. What is a measure?

• A measure is the space between two bars. 

13. What is ledger line?

• Ledger lines extend above and below the staff. 

14. Name the parts of a note.

• The parts of a note are the head, stem, flag, and the beam. 

15. How many counts does a whole note receive?

• A whole note receives 4 beats. 

16. How many counts does a half note receive?

• A half note receives 2 beats. 

17. How many counts does a quarter note receive?

• A quarter note receives 1 beat. 

18. How many counts does an eighth note receive?

• An eighth note receives ½ beat. 

19. What is a rest?

• A rest denotes silence. 

20. How many counts does a whole rest receive?

• A whole rest receives 4 beats. 

21. How many counts does a half rest receive?

• A half rest receives 2 beats. 

22. How many counts does a quarter rest receive?

• A quarter rest receives 1 beat. 

23. How many counts does an eighth rest receive?

• An eighth rest receives ½ beat. 

24. What is 4/4 time?

• 4/4 is common time or 4 beats to the measure and the quarter note receives the beat. 

25. What is 3/4 time?

• 3/4 time is 3 beats to the measure and the quarter note receives the beat. 

26. What is 2/4 time?

• 2/4 time is 2 beats to the measure and the quarter note receives the beat. 

27. What is 2/2 time?

• 2/2 time is cut time or 2 beats to the measure and the half note receives the beat. 

28. What is a dotted note?

• A dot increases the value of a note by ½ of its value. 

29. What is a repeat sign?

• A repeat sign means play between the sign twice. 

30. What are sharps, flats and naturals?

• Sharps, flats and naturals are accidentals.

Title: JAZZ FAMILY by Batiste Brothers Band L.L.C.

Primary Subject Area:  Arts 

Grade Level: ALL 

Overview: 

This lesson will coincide with the performance of The Batiste Family™. It will inform students about the importance of friends, family and jazz through the use of music and other arts forms.

Featuring: “It’s All About The Family”, “Louisiana” and “New Orleans Music” written by Paul A. Batiste

This activity may be used at any time during the year; but it would especially fit in after introducing the art, music and literature of Louisiana natives. Culture “Coush Coush“was designed to show how to link Louisiana History with American History. This is important because the American History skills (Standards and Benchmarks) must be mastered by the time the students take the LEAP test in Grade 8. An American artist, Georgia O'Keefe, is introduced; which will lead to a discussion and research on contributions of Louisiana natives. The students will create a book of Louisiana artists, painters, musicians and writers. 

Approximate Duration:  15 to 20 class periods 

Content Standards: 

• History: Time, Continuity, and Change
      Students develop a sense of historical time and historical perspective as they study the history of their community, state, nation, and world. 

Benchmarks: 

• H-1B-M15
      describing the significant economic, political, social, and cultural changes that have occurred in the United States during the 20th century; (1,3,4) 
• H-1C-M18
      identifying and discussing significant political, economic, social, cultural, and technological trends that have had an impact on the modern world; (1,3,4,5) 
• H-1D-M1
      describing the contributions of people, events, movements, and ideas that have been significant in the history of Louisiana; (1,3,4) 
• H-1D-M6
      examining folklore and describing how cultural elements have shaped our state and local heritage. (1,3,4) 

Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs): 

• Grade K-8 

72. Describe leaders who were influential in Louisiana’s development (H-1D-M1) 

73. Describe and explain the importance of major events and ideas in the development of Louisiana (H-1D-M1) 

74. Describe the causes and effects of various migrations into Louisiana (H-1D-M1) 

75. Describe the contributions of ethnic groups significant in Louisiana history (H-1D-M1) 

81. Explain cultural elements that have shaped Louisiana’s heritage (e.g., festivals, music, dance, food, languages) (H-1D-M6) 

Interdisciplinary Connections:   

• Arts : Historical and Cultural Perception
      Students develop historical perspective and cultural perception by recognizing and understanding that the arts throughout history are a record of human experience with a past, present, and future. 

Objectives:
1. The students will identify Louisiana painters, authors, photographers and musicians.
2. The students will research two Louisianans that have contributed to our culture.
3. The students will create an electronic book or slide show about the lives and work of these Louisiana artists. 

Lesson Materials and Resources:
notebooks, pens, texts, encyclopedias, books, periodicals 

Technology Tools and Materials:

Hardware:
computer and a scan converter for display on a TV,
computer(s)for students to access the software 

Software:
KidPix software, Encarta or any other electronic encyclopedia, Internet access 

Websites:
•Louisiana Arts and Culture Gallery
dir.lycos.com/Regional/US/Louisiana/Arts_and_Culture/Galleries_and_Museums/

Other:

Background Information:
This lesson is a great way to tie in research and writing skills into the Social Studies curriculum.
It also emphasizes teamwork within a group. 

Lesson Procedures:
Objectives:

(Grades K-5)

Students identify different musical families.

Students will create family “All About The Family” Scrapbooks.

Students will define and/or apply the following terms: family, friends, extended family, family tree, and generation.

Students will compose a poem and/or song about their family.

(Grades 6-8)

Students will create a digital biography using PowerPoint.

Students will identify the elements of a family unit.

Students will define the following terms: genealogy, generation, family, family tree, extended family, and friend.

Lesson Materials and Resources:

“Share The Music” – Macmillan/McGraw-Hill

Publishing Company. New York, 1995.

Technology and Materials:

Hardware:

Computer

Printer

MIDI Keyboard and Cables

Software:

Finale’

Websites:

*Genealogy Website

www.rootweb.com

*Family Tree Design

www.familytreemaker.com

Other:

Background Information:

Learning about the family unit can be an exciting experience for any student.

The students may not know about some of their family members who are not always accessible. This lesson will assist students in learning about their own family tree by helping them learn more about themselves.

In the insect Kingdom family members have different roles. Some ants clean the nest while others collect the food. The students will compare the roles of insect family member with human family members.

1. Ask each student to draw a picture of what they enjoy doing with their family. (K-2)
2. Ask each student to write a paragraph about their family. (3-5)
3. Ask each student to write an essay about what an ideal day with their family would include. (6-8)

Lesson Procedures:

ACTIVITY I – Family and Friends Together

Song: The More We Get Together

1. Ask the students to describe their idea of a family. Allow time for discussion.
2. Encourage the students to talk about the roles and responsibilities of family members. 
3. Read “Families by Aylette Jenness. Discuss the book with the students.
4. Talk about other family members. (Ex. Aunts, cousins, etc.)

ACTIVITY II – Thank You For Being A Friend

Songs: Louisiana

Lean On Me

Wind Beneath My Wings

1. Ask the students to describe the characteristics of a friend. Discuss their descriptions.
2. Ask the students to write an essay that describes their best friend. (The students do not have to name the friend.)
3. Questions: Are friends important? Why? Why not?
4. Introduce the song “Louisiana”. After the students have read the lyrics, ask them to discuss what the song is about.
5. Ask the students to sing the song. Encourage them to change the style of the song. (Ex. Jazz, Hip Hop, etc.)
6. Ask the students to write their own lyrics using the melodic line from “Louisiana”.
7. Introduce the songs “Lean On Me” and “Wind Beneath My Wings”.
8. Questions: How are the songs similar? How are the songs different? What is each song about? Which song do you like best? Why?
9. Play both songs. Ask the students to sing each song.
10. Ask the students to complete the Responding to the Music Activity Sheet.

Discuss their responses.

1. Using PowerPoint, ask the students to describe the ideal friend.

Side 1 – Title Page

Side 2 – An Ideal Friend Would…..

Side 3 – An Ideal Friend Would Not……

Side 4 – I Am A Friend Because….

Assessment Procedures:

Students will be assessed by evalution of paragraphs, essays, and PowerPoint Presentations. They will also be assessed by oral response, observation and performances.

Procedures:

1. Discuss the use of the blues as a means of communication and self-expression.
2. Explain to the students the origin and meaning of the word Jazz.
3. Talk to the students about of the characteristics of Jazz. (Ex. 1. Usually reflects the personal response of its creator; 2. Utilizes the blues scale; 3. Usually has a three line stanza and 4. Flatted thirds and sevenths.
4. Discuss the “New Orleans Music” with the class.
5. Play “Louis Armstrong” and ask the students to listen to phrasing. Also, ask them to listen for same and different lines.

Lesson Procedure:

1. The teacher will explain the title of the activity: “Coush Coush“is a Cajun French dish in which cornmeal is mixed with water and oil; then, it is fried in an iron skillet. It is served in a bowl with milk, sugar, syrup, coffee or varied combinations of these foodstuffs for a real breakfast treat. Our Louisiana and American cultures are a mixture of various ingredients that came from a variety of people. Some say our mixed cultural heritage is like a “melting pot“, or a “mixed salad“. We could also compare it to the rich “coush coush“dish of the Cajuns. In this lesson we will research writers, artists, musicians and painters who lived in Louisiana and have contributed to its' rich culture. In the end we will create a book of their biographies and samples of their work.
 

2. The teacher is to print a couple of copies of Georgia O'Keeffe's work from this web site:
Georgia O'Keefe Galleries:
http://webpages.marshall.edu/~smith82/okeef.html. Give the class The Spirit of American Art and Music sheet on Georgia O'Keefe and show them the samples of her art work. Read the text (summary of her life and work) with them. Study the artwork and answer the questions as a group. Explain to the students that they will use a similar summary format to write about the people they research.
 

3. The class will work in cooperative learning groups. Each group will research two of the following people(each group will have two different people assigned ):
Louis Armstrong
Pete Fountain

Al Hirt

Rebirth Brass Band

Kermit Ruffins

Lillian Hellman
Judi Mason-Williams
Clifton Chenier
George Rodrigue
Truman Capote
Huddie “Leadbelly“ Ledbetter
Mahalia Jackson
Bel Abbey
Van Cliburn
Harry Connick, Jr.
Fats Domino
Mickey Gilley
Clementine Hunter
Branford Marsalis
Batiste Brothers Band

Neville Brothers
Grace King
or any other Louisiana artist that the teacher approves.
 

The collaborative groups will consist of:
 

Researcher(s) who will look in texts, encyclopedias, magazines , encyclopedia CD ROMS, and the Internet for information on their assigned artists. Have the students use the questions on the Biography of a Louisiana Artist sheet to help them collect information for a KidPix presentation.
 

Recorder(s) to write down the information gathered. They will also use the Biography of a Louisiana Artist sheet and the format of the short biography about Georgia O'Keefe. Biographical information, a sample of their work (printed and/or musical) should be recorded in KidPix. The group will turn in a six slide show on each of the two artists they researched.
 

Editor(s) -each group will have one editor to form a group to put all the biographies together into an electronic book called Culture “Coush Coush“ using KidPix.
 

Presenter(s)- to present the finished Kidpix presentation to the class and explain how the work was divided.
 

4. The electronic book or slide show will be viewed by the class and teacher; and it will be evaluated. 

Assessment Procedures:
The teacher will use The Culture “Coush Coush“ Slide Show Rubric to evaluate the work done. 

Accommodations/Modifications:
 

         ----- written by Patti Satterlee
 

Teachers must follow special needs student’s Individual Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Modification Plan.
 

Student with Sensory Impairments-Vision
 

1. Procedure #1-Teacher can enlarge copies of Georgia O’Keeffe’s work.
2. Procedure #1-The student with limited vision can use the magnifier feature of MS Windows to enhance the text of online documents.
3. Teacher can put visual material at student’s eye level.
4. Teacher can place student away from the glare-not facing a window.
 

Student with Sensory Impairments-Hearing
 

1. (Introduction-discussion) A student with limited hearing should be seated in close proximity to the teacher
2. Pair student with non-disabled student to ensure understanding
3. The teacher can use a FM system (Phonic Ear, Phonak)
 

Students with Attention/Behavior Difficulties
 

1. Procedure #3-pair the student with a peer during group activity to help keep student on task. Ignore inappropriate behavior and praise and reinforce appropriate behaviors.
2. Procedure #3-Allow student to work in an alternate work area (library, quiet area of the class)
3. Procedure #1-Use predetermined signal to redirect attention and maintain eye-contact during oral directions when researching information
4. Procedures #1,2,3,and 4-To control child’s seating behaviors, use weighted lap/stuffed toy or sensory seat cushion.
5. The teacher can use a FM system (Phonic Ear, Phonak) to help student attend during discussion and directions
6. Procedure #3-Assign student a person research instead of letting them choose from the whole list.
7. Procedure #4-Allow student to advance slide on slide show while the presenter is explaining work
 

Additional General Classroom Accommodations found in “Helpful Links”
 

         ----- written by Cathi McMorris
 

Reproducible Materials:

• Spirit of American Art and Music Georgia O'Keeffe 
• Biography of a Louisiana Artist 
• Culture \"Coush Coush\" Slide Show Rubric 

Explorations and Extensions:
This lesson can be a year-long study of people that have contributed to the cultural heritage of Louisiana. The students could continually add to their “Coush Coush“ Book. Electronic books could also be created about explorers, governors, or specific time periods in Louisiana's history. 

Lesson Development Resources:
Check the Louisiana section of your school library, parish library or book stores. These books are useful:
 

Bush, Robert(Ed.).(1973). Kate Chopin Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press.
 

Campbell, Ann & Marston, Wilson, A. (1999). Louisiana The History of an American State. Montgomery, ALA: Clairmont Press.
 

Dethloff, Henry C. & Begnaud, Allen E. (1992), Louisiana A Study in Diversity,Austin, TX: Steck-Vaughn Company.
 

Groves,W.E.(1971).Nineteenth Century Louisiana Painters and Paintings.Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company.
 

Eakin, Sue L. (1986)Louisiana the Land and Its People. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company.
 

Forkner, Ben (Ed.).(1990) Louisiana Stories. Gretna, LA: Pelican Publishing Company.
 

Kennedy, Richard S. (Ed.).(1992) Essays and Meditations on Louisiana Writers. Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press.
 

Lockwood, C.C.(1995) Lockwood's Louisiana Nature Guide. Baton Rouge and London: Louisiana State University Press.
 

Loggins, Vernon. (1958).Where the World Ends: The Life of Louis Gottschalk. Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana State University Press.
 

There are many Louisiana links. These are some links that will be helpful for the students and teachers:
 

Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture. [Online] Available http://www.cajunculture.com/People/richardzachary.htm, February 14,1999 Description: Biographical information on Cajun artists, musicians and chefs are presented.
 

Louisiana Division of the Arts.Arts and Cultural Resources.[Online] Available http://www.crt.state.la.us/arts/index.htm, August 18,1998.Description: A cultural resource directory.
 

Louisiana College. Louisiana Authors' Index. [Online] Available http://www.lib.lsu.edu/la/la.html.
 

Louisiana-A Travel Journal.History and Culture [Online] Available http://www.louisianatravel.com/history_culture/museums/index.html, 1999. A guide to Louisiana's museums, festivals, local language and cultural events.
 

On-Line Louisiana Look Smart Reference Desk. Biography. [Online] Available http://www.biography.com/, 1999. Description: Biographies of over 20,000
personalities. 

Reflections:

In loving Memory of Estella C. Batiste

Contact Information:
Paul A. Batiste (504) 738-3040 paulbatiste@aol.com

www.paulbatisteconservatory.com
www.batistebrohersband.net
www.thebatistefamily.com

The Batiste Family™

Paul Batiste, Guitar/Band Director

David Batiste, Sr., Keyboards

Michael Batiste, Bass Guitar

Peter Batiste, Keyboards

Russell Batiste, Drums

Damon Batiste, Percussion

Travis Batiste, Drums/Pharmacist

Jamal Batiste, Drums

Jonathan Batiste, Keyboards/Juliard

Arkette Baptiste, Choral Director

Ryan Batiste, Drums

Kristopher Batiste

Quanna Batiste

Michael Batiste Jr.

Andrew Joseph

John Sims

The Batiste Family is what they call us. I named the band Batiste Brothers Band but most newspaper articles call us Batiste Family, Batiste Clan or other Batiste family connotations because we always have more than brothers on stage. It started when we’d bring family members up to the stage to sit-in with the brothers. First, there was 5 and 6 year old Damon and Russ. Next, Jamal (David’s children), Travis (My son), Lil Mike, Jonathan (Michael’s children), Peter Rabbit, Quanna, (Peter’s children), Peter’s grandchildren would join the stage at the Children’s Museum and Kid’s Tent at Jazz Fest. Also, the family is growing and developing in the music world.  

One year, we performed with 23 Batiste on stage. That was when we were called “Batiste Clan” by the newspaper. Therefore, when we perform we use both names-“Batiste Brothers Band” and “The Batiste Family”. Finally, the public recognizes us and call us the names interchangeably. We have been recognized by the Mayor of New Orleans, Senator Mary Landrieu and the City council as the Batiste Family.

Category: Statistic

Issue(s) Addressed:Standards-based curricula

Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000. Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). Nancy Carey, Brian Kleiner, Rebecca Porch, Elizabeth Farris (June 2002) NCES 2002131

Large secondary schools (1,000 or more students) are more likely than small secondary schools (less than 400 students) to provide instruction in music (95 percent versus 84 percent)

Category: Statistic

Issue(s) Addressed:Supporting learning in other subjects

“College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers,” Princeton, NJ: The College Entrance Examination Board, 2001

The College Entrance Examination Board found that students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on math than students with no arts participation.

Category: Statistic

Issue(s) Addressed:Music and overall budget
Special budgetary needs of music

Letter to School and Education Community Leaders, August 2009

Under ESEA, states and local school districts have the flexibility to support the arts. Title I, Part A of ESEA funds arts education to improve the achievement of disadvantaged students. Funds under Title II of ESEA can be used for professional development of arts teachers as well as for strategic partnerships with cultural, arts, and other nonprofit organizations.... Moreover, local school districts can use funds under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the arts along with other district expenses.

Category: Statistic

Issue(s) Addressed:Sequential programs
Standards-based curricula

National Center for Education Statistics, Fast Response Survey System

Music instruction can take a variety of forms in elementary schools. While schools typically offer students classes in general music during the regular school day, many schools also offer separate instruction dedicated to chorus, band, or strings/orchestra. In general, these kinds of specialized learning experiences are offered as electives to students who express interest in learning how to sing in a group or how to play an instrument.

Category: Statistic

Issue(s) Addressed:Supporting the school environment for learning
Sequential programs
Standards-based curricula

Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000. Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). Nancy Carey, Brian Kleiner, Rebecca Porch, Elizabeth Farris (June 2002) NCES 2002131

Results of the secondary school survey show that 64 percent of schools included the arts in their mission statements, yearly goals, or school improvement plans. Schools in the Northeast were more likely to report that their mission statement included the arts than were schools in other regions of the country (79 percent versus 58 to 63 percent). About half of public secondary schools (49 percent) had undertaken a school reform initiative related to arts eduation or the integration of the arts with other acacdemic subjects. Again, schools in the Northeast were more likely to report involvement in some arts education reform than were schools in other regions of the country (72 percent versus 38 to 50 percent).

Category: Statistic

Issue(s) Addressed:Music and overall budget 

Arts Education in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools: 1999-2000. Fast Response Survey System (FRSS). Nancy Carey, Brian Kleiner, Rebecca Porch, Elizabeth Farris (June 2002) NCES 2002131

Principals were asked whether their schools received funding from outside (non-district) sources, including (but not limited to) parent groups, booster clubs, or local businesses, to fund their instructional programs in music. If they did, principals were asked to indicate the approximate percentage of the music budget that came from these sources. Unlike public elementary schools that had limited non-district funding of music programs (20 percent), nearly half of public secondary schools (47 percent) received non-district funding for their music programs. Schools with the highest minority enrollment were less likely to report this kind of funding than schools with the lowest minority enrollment (33 percent versus 56 percent), as were schools with the highest poverty concentration compared with those with less than 35 percent and 35 to 49 percent poverty concentrations. (23 percent versus 54 and 47 percent, respectively). About half (53 percent) of the secondary schools with access to non-district funding reported that 10 percent of less of their music budget came from such sources. Another 34 percent reported that between 11 and 50 percent of their budget was funded from non-district funds.

Musicians’ brains are different

The Washington Post reports, 

Brain researchers have found another clue to how the brains of musicians differ from the rest of us.  

Peter Schneider of the University of Heidelberg in Germany and colleagues monitored brain activity while 12 professional musicians, 13 amateur musicians and 12 non-musicians heard various tones.  

Professional musicians had the most activity in a part of the brain involved in processing sound, called the Heschl’s gyrus, which was also larger than that of the amateurs and non-musicians.

In remains unclear if the difference is inborn or the result of training early in life, the researchers said.

“The question remains whether early exposure to music or a genetic predisposition leads to the functional and anatomical differences between musicians and non-musicians,” the researchers wrote in the July issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

Music Training fine-tunes memory

HealthDay News Service

If Mom marched you to piano lessons or forced you to join the school orchestra, now may be the time to thank her.

Students who participate in musical training, such as playing the violin or flute, have better verbal memory than those who don’t, claims a Hong Kong study published in the July issue of Neuropsychology.

The longer the training, the better the verbal memory adds study author Agnes S. Chan, a psychologist at Chin, a psychologist at Chinese University of Hong Kong.

“Not so fast,” counters at least one expert who contends the students who take music lesson may simply have those cognitive abilities to begin with.

Chan and her colleagues evaluated 90 boys, ages 6 to 15.  Half participated in the school string orchestra program or took music lessons on instruments for one to five years.  The other half had no training in music.

Chan’s team gave the youngsters tests of verbal memory, asking them to recall as many words as they could from a list, and visual memory, asking them to recall images.

Those with musical training recalled about 20 percent more words than those without such training.  Their verbal memories got better the longer they had taken music training.  No differences in visual memory were found.

Musical training during childhood, Chan writes, “might serve as a kind of sensory stimulation that somehow contributes to better development of the left temporal lobe in musicians.”  This, in turn, might facilitate verbal memory, which is mediated by the specific brain area, she adds. 

But she concedes she has done no brain imaging to prove that.  So the next step is “to conduct a functional (magnetic resonance imaging) MRI study on individuals with music training to examine the neurocognitive process of the brain,” Chan says.

The results make sense to another expert who has studies the same subject.

“I found this study to be extremely interesting,’ says Frances Ranuscher, an associate professor of cognitive development at the University of Wisconsin.

“It provides strong evidence not only for a link between the music and verbal memory, but also for the notion that specific types of experience affect specific cognitive domains.  The finding that verbal memory, but not visual memory, is affected is very important to this specificity hypothesis.  The study complements the growing number of reports showing differences between the brains of musicians and non musicians.

“Overall, the research supports the idea that early training in music affects brain development and related cognitive function,” Rauscher says.

But Nora Newcombe, a psychology professor at Temple University in Philadelphia, says there are two major flaws in the new study.

The students were not randomized to the music and non-music groups, they were “self-selected,” she points out.  And, she adds, “it show nothing (in a study) when you self-select.”

The researchers’ lack of brain imaging also bothers Newcombe.

“it could be true,” Necombe says of the finding, that musically trained students have better verbal memory skills.  But sofar, the researchers have not proved it to her satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Chan says she is not suggesting parents demand their children take music lessons only in the interest of improving memory.

“Learning music one way, but not the only way, to improve verbal memory,” she says.

-Letter from a wonderful student of Mr. Paul Batiste-
My name is Cherolyn Thompson. I played the flute in your band at
Gentilly Terrace from 2001-2004. I just wanted to look you up and tell
you how much I appreciate you and everything that you taught me those
three years. Playing in the band has to be some of my fondest memories
from my childhood. Thank you for giving me my first real taste of
leadership and discipline. Thank you for introducing me to what I've
always considered to be my first love. It's been years since I've
actually been able to play (after Katrina my older sister took her
flute back from me), but I plan on picking it back up real soon. I
have enstilled in me a love for music I will never forget, as I'm sure
all the rest of your students have.

Thank you again,
Cherolyn

Hi Paul,



I am a native New Orleanian - now living in Virginia (Washington, DC) where I am 

a retired Federal Employee and former two-term political appointee of the Bill 

Clinton Administration.  I moved to the East Coast in the mid 80s.  Although I 

grew up in Marrero, I always knew of all the happenings in and around the City 

of New Orleans (even while there on travel or vacations with my family).  I am 

forever proud to call NOLA home and everyone who knows me - knows I am one of 

New Orleans' finest.



I have very fond memories of "The Batiste Brothers Band."   My friends and I 

followed you all from the Eastbank to the Westbank to the Outerbanks.  In fact, 

my best friend's ex-husband (Teetie) was once your lead singer.  Among my 

fondest memories are times spent under the bridge on Orleans and Claiborne on 

Mardi Gras day and (without revealing my age...) at the Gong Shows with the late 

Bobby Marchand (sp?).  OMG!!! I remember dancing until my clothes were drenched 

and hair was stuck to my forehead.  I even remember parting with you guys at a 

little "Hole in the Wall" in Kenner (off Airline Highway).  Man...we partied so 

hard that night that we were unaware of a terrible storm and a tornado that 

touched down nearby.  Me and the girls still laugh about it.  Those were the 

days!



I stumbled across your enlightening story by accident while surfing on the 

Internet.  Who knew?  Actually, I was always impressed with your poise and found 

you extremely talented (and handsome).  I also got the impression that you were 

the more serious and business savvy brother in the group because you were so 

quiet.  A striking reminder of myself.  After reading your story I now see why.  

I am also a firm believer of fighting for what's right as well as fighting for 

what's rightfully yours.  I applaud and admire that you take seriously your 

family's legend - for it truly has its place in New Orleans History.



Your spirit reminds me of my two favorite quotes...



     "The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's 

determination."

                 By Tommy Lasorta



And...



     "Above all, remember that the most important thing you can take anywhere is 

not a Gucci

Bag or French-cut jeans; it's an open mind."

                 By Gail Rubin Bereny



You are my new inspiration!  I salute you Paul and wish YOU and your talented 

family long life and much continued success. I pray that the next generation 

represents the groundwork that you've set forth with as much poise and grace as 

you have.



Peace and Blessings.  Be well.



Gilda "Gi-Gi"  Hagan-Brown