On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 2:16:17 PM UTC-5, Andrew Schulman wrote:
> I mentioned previously that in one of the chapters I write about the guitar being an ideal instrument for critical care music. To support this I've added - along with the Music & Medicine experts - guitarist Ben Verdery - chairman of the guitar department at Yale School of Music (who's had some experience in critical care music), and Fan-Chia Tao, Director of Research & Development at D'Addario & Company (I've been a D'Addario endorsee since 1982).
>
Oddly enough, I think this was a more important part of the opening post then the beamer/bimmers Perk addition thingy (which landed me some quite funny emails this morning from some pals).
I had planned on have Fan-Chia Tao add some things about the acoustics of the instrument, but happened to run into Ben at Whole Foods on Saturday. We've known each other for years, live nearby, and he was commenting about the article I'd written for Allegro Magazine and mentioned that when he was part of the Affiliate Artists program years ago he'd once played in an ICU and was amazed at the effect the music had on patients. I'd been looking for another guitarist besides me for that chapter, you need back-up for this kind of book. Ben has also been closely affiliated with D'Addario for years and knows Fan well.
By the way, to be forthright about this, I don't actually think the guitar is "an ideal instrument for critical care music." I really don't. I think the guitar is THE ideal instrument for critical care music but I'm wording it so I don't have harpists and violinists, etc., annoying me on their NGs. And God forbid a book reviewer is a harpist, or violinist or one of those other inferior instruments.
Andrew