In the early 1980's, students from Spanish Harlem, Harlem, the Bronx and Queens took part in a Carnegie Foundation, New York Academy of Sciences and Ford Foundation-funded program entitled MIDI-MUSIC-MATHEMATICS-SCIENCE... WAYS OF KNOWING.

These students, with no prior musical training, learned how to compose a contemporary piece of music at a professional level. In the process, they learned concepts in Mathematics and Science which far exceeded the normal learning for their grade levels.

Tests rendered in the NYC Area schools verified a significant improvement in mathematics and science scores... and only after weeks of immersion in the process.

Noted scientists involved with the project included Seymour Papert, author of MINDSTORMS and Professor at M.I.T., as well as Marvin Minsky, the "Father of Artificial Intelligence".

Fueled by great successes, MMMS eventually expanded into courses in which as many as 275 New York City Mathematics and Science Teachers learned how to utilize Music to better teach concepts pervasive in and inclusive to Music, Mathematics and Science. Only now, almost 20 years later are schools in Los Angeles beginning to attempt to come close to what was presented years ago in this Teacher-Based Curriculum Guide.

This Teacher-Based Curriculum Guide is exactly the kind of knowledge and broad scope our Music Teachers need to have in their arsenal, as they work with administrations and sometimes, colleagues, who are misinformed about the vast and potent usefulness of Music!

The concepts covered, the facts presented, uplift the role and importance of Music in every child's life. The text, whether implemented or not serves to expand one's knowledge base with specific regard to the intersection of Music, Mathematics and Science... and more.

My personal feeling is that the fee for this potentially district-wide investment should NOT come from your Music budget. Godspeed!

"Thanks for the timely arrival of STORMQUEST and MMMS. Prime sources of great thought! I love the way you blend these sciences together. I have been talking with the other teachers about what you have done and they they are getting excited. I confess, I had to pin down the Physics teacher on Newton's First and Second Laws. She filled me in and asked why in the world would I need to use that in my class. That's when I began to use your models and examples to let her know just what we in music are doing out there. After she picked her jaw up off the floor, she asked if maybe she could bring her Physics kids up sometime later when they are studying sound and acoustics. SURE!!! We'll teach them a thing or two!!!! Again, Thanks Steve!!!" Mike Lee, Roswell, NM

"Steve! I just wanted to write and thank you again for all that you've contributed to the music ed world. Between your methods and those of our friend Sir Edward Lisk, this has been a truly remarkable year for my bands! Less than three weeks into my daily rehearsals and the groups are tuning so well that they're getting the overtones to sound! I've been rendering By Love Compelled... with my 9th grade band. The levels of teachable music are astounding. I even took your suggestion about relating the music to the literature the english classes are reading. When I told them this music was "heroic like Atticus Finch" (every 9th grader just finished the book) the sound clicked! So thanks again for everything. And be on the lookout for a PO from Lower Merion HS for Escape From Plato's Cave - I can't wait to turn my advanced wind ensemble onto the same piece that introduced me to the world of stormworks! Sincerely", Aaron Datsko, PA

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