Nobel medicine winner says: I owe it all to my bassoon teacher

Have you ever wondered "is it worth the sacrifice of having my child study an instrument, even if it will not be his/her chosen profession"?   A Nobel Prize winner thinks so. Thomas Sudhof, who shares this year’s Nobel Prize for medicine and physiology, told The Lancet in August 2010 that he owes his powers of analysis and concentration to studying a musical instrument. When asked "who was your most influential teacher, and why?", he replied, "my bassoon teacher, Herbert Tauscher, who taught me that the only way to do something right is to practice and listen and practice and listen, hours, and hours, and hours."

For another fascinating report on the "music-success" connection, see this New York Times article which mentions notables Condoleezza Rice, Alan Greenspan, and many others:
Click here for article.

Our family places a high value on music study, because it develops the full person. I don't know if there is any other endeavor which simultaneously engages every part of our person with equal intensity other than the practice and performance of music. All at once the mind, body, and spirit are called forth to analyze, coordinate, and express. The act of music-making is a work of God to be sure, with overwhelming evidence of its importance in the Bible. It's a no-brainer: whether your child is a Mozart or can't carry a tune in a bucket, studying an instrument (or voice) should be part of their development. When you hear those almost painful sounds coming from the next room, remember that your children are not just learning how to read notes and reproduce them, they are developing core skills that will follow them all their lives; things like focus, concentration, and persistence. As the well-worn cliché goes: "Let's do this!"

*Source for Thomas Sudhof article by Norman Lebrecht

Comments

You all are so gifted/called by God to touch the world with His presence. My few years with the Bethel choir under your direction will forever be rooted in my soul as the most joyous experience of growth in worshio, devotion, and ministry. The commraderie of saints in one accord in unity of spirit and mind bringing forth the passion and joy of Heaven with voice and instrument - none other can exceed. I'm so thrilled to see your blessings come to fruition for all that you have invested by faith. Thank you always.

Steve Harrow's picture

Jean, I remember you well, and your love for music and commitment to the Lord and His people. It is great hearing from you again.
I miss those days to be sure.

Amen Steve - thank you. I do too. You were/are the best teacher. As Solomon tells us in Ecclesiastes - there is a time and a season for everything. You had/have a destiny to reach the world with your family beyond the boundaries of the choir room. Those of us who knew you when are blessed to do the same. Your words of encouragement and challenge to excel will never be forgotten. Commitment, quality, sincerity, transparency, passion, - how blessed we are that God has called us all to be His instruments through music - the language of Heaven. I could not imagine a greater joy for my soul - next to prayer.

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