Meet Ben Parrott – String Technician at Paige’s Music

Ben Parrott - String Instrument Technician at Paige's Music

We’re very excited to introduce you to the latest addition to our string technician staff in our repair shop, Ben Parrott.  Learn more about him by reading our quick Q&A with him below!

Position: String Instrument Technician

Start Date: June 2017

Training or Education:
Graduated from Indiana University School of Music in 1999 with an A.S. in String Instrument Technology. Worked in Philadelphia at Paul Stevens Violins until 2000. Worked for Casa Del Sol Violins until I started working for myself as a full time violin maker in 2001.

Where are you from originally:
Franklin, IN

What instruments do you play:
Classical guitar, violin and a small amount of cello.

What do you enjoy most about being a technician:
I enjoy helping an instrument play to its full potential which also helps the player reach their musical goals.

What is the most unusual repair you’ve had to deal with:
Most unusual would have to be the 18th century violin that had the top crushed from a falling bottle of water.

What is your most memorable musical experience:
Listening to, and  talking with Janos Starker about his cello in the shop. He also mentioned his classical guitar to me several times that was given to him by Andres Segovia.

Students Who Take Music Lessons Show Higher Intelligence Quotients

A study examined the influence of music education on nonmusical abilities, the effects of music lessons on academic performance, and cognitive abilities. The study revealed that students who participated in music lessons showed statistically higher intelligence quotients.

~ Glenn Schellenberg, Music Lessons Enhance IQ, Psychological Science, Vol. 15, No. 8, 2004

Music Is A Higher Revelation Than Philosophy

“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.”

~ Ludwig van Beethoven quoted in “Music Is a Potent Source of Meaning,” Tom Jacobs, August 20, 2015.

Matt Hicks – Staff Spotlight

This month’s staff spotlight is with Matt Hicks. Matt has been with us for about 14 years and is currently one of our District Managers. Learn more about him by watching his interview below!

 

Students In Music Programs Score Higher On Tests

Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.

~ Johnson, C. M. & Memmott, J. E. (2007). Examination of relationships between participation in school music programs of differing quality and standardized test results. Journal of Research in Music Education, 54(4), 293-307

Music Is A More Potent Instrument Than Any Other For Education

“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”

~ Plato

Product Spotlight – Yamaha Xeno Artist Trumpets

Yamaha recently released a series of extraordinary trumpets developed with world-renowned performers. These “Xeno Artist” trumpets are some of the finest instruments in the world and showcase the beautiful delights that can be achieved when world-class engineering meets world class craftsmanship. The Chicago and New York artist series trumpets were designed with input from a number of world-class players and demonstrates the absolute best in sound quality, playability, and construction. Paige’s Music has three of these extraordinary instruments available for purchase and we highly encourage you to audition them in our store. Included below are the highlights that make these instruments unique. If you have other questions, please call your Sales Associate at 1.800.382.1099 or stop by our store in Indianapolis.

Xeno Artist Model “Chicago” C Trumpet (YTR-9445CHSII)

Developed with John Hagstrom of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago series focuses on achieving the ideal blowing resistance and weight balance creating an instrument that is not just easy to play, but also provides delicate response when playing pianissimo and powerful presence when playing fortissimo. Every component of the instrument contains the input of artists from around the world, allowing us to create a highly evolved Chicago trumpet.

Music Lessons Help Students With Criticism

Taking music lessons offers a space where kids learn how to accept and give constructive criticism, according to research published in The Wall Street Journal in 2014.

~ Joanne Lipman, “A Musical Fix for American Schools,” The Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2014.