The Business Case for Playing Music
By now, the data supporting the academic and developmental benefits children experience through playing an instrument has become widely known. But just as compelling is a new book called “Everything We Needed to Know About Business, We Learned Playing Music,” which illustrates how CEOs and business leaders who started playing instruments in their youth experienced transformations that ultimately helped them to develop their successful careers.
Written by Craig M. Cortello, the book is a compilation of interviews with 32 CEOs and business leaders who played music as children or adolescents and view that experience as a defining one in preparing them for success.
The nine common lessons learned, attributes developed, and insights gained are identified, discussed and illustrated through the experience and personal accounts of the participants. The musical stories chronicle the journeys of these business leaders, innovators, educators, musicians, music hobbyists and music enthusiasts.
“While recent research into the benefits of music education focuses on improved math, science, and I.Q. scores, successful professionals generally attribute only about 15 to 25 percent of their success to technical proficiency,” said Cortello. “We asked these business leaders to identify the lessons learned, attributes developed, and insights gained through music education that had a direct correlation on the remaining 75 to 85 percent of the determinants of success.”
According to Cortello, through introspective narratives, the reader develops a thorough understanding of the transformations. After the stories are documented, each participant was asked to reflect on that musical experience and their business achievements, and to identify those takeaways from playing an instrument or playing in a band that had a direct correlation on their success. The core skills and values experienced by all participants included teamwork, self-discipline, confidence and individuality.
“ ‘Everything We Needed to Know About Business We Learned Playing Music’ makes an important point: making music impacts people in a way that they will probably not get anywhere else, and it affects all of them differently,” said Moriah Harris-Rodger, executive director of The Fender Music Foundation (www.fendermusicfoundation.org), a promotional partner in the launch of Cortello’s book. “All people deserve the opportunity to make music. Through our partnership…I hope we are able to encourage others to take a stand and join us on this mission. It’s not about giving people the opportunity to become famous musicians; it’s just about giving them the tools they need to succeed in life.”
“Craig Cortello’s book is a refreshing real-world take on the arguments for why music and music education matter to all of us,” said Scott Robertson, director of marketing and communications at NAMM. “Craig tells a powerful story using first-hand accounts of people from all parts of the business world who share a powerful belief in music and its many proven benefits.”
Cortello is a contributing music writer to Where Y’at magazine and AllAboutJazz.com. He has interviewed such New Orleans music icons as Pete Fountain, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., Marva Wright, and Henry Butler. Cortello is also a 30-year veteran of the guitar, self-taught pianist and composer. In business, Cortello most recently served as national sales manager of Trinity Consultants, a successful environmental consulting firm with 28 offices in the U.S. and China. He is a board member of the National Speakers Association, New Orleans Chapter, and of the Metairie Sunrise Rotary Club.
Book details
Book Launch: Sept. 15, 2009
Publisher: La Dolce Vita Publishing
Price: $16.95
ISBN: 978-0-9789900-1-5
Distributor: AtlasBooks Distribution
To order the book, visit http://www.ldv-enterprises.com
