Recent

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

August 1, 2025

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

August 1, 2025

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

July 30, 2025

Jeff Mulvihill Appointed Combo Drum and Concert Percussion Brand Manager for KHS America

July 29, 2025

John Harvill to Assume Brand Management of Mapex & Majestic Marching Percussion

July 29, 2025

Introducing New PreSonus Special Edition StudioLive Digital Mixers

July 29, 2025

D’Angelico Guitars Launches 60th Anniversary Grateful Dead Collection

July 29, 2025

Recording and Mixing Engineer Thiago Baggio Thrives with DPA Microphones

July 29, 2025
Saturday, August 2, 2025
  • Contact
MMR Magazine
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!
No Result
View All Result
MMR Magazine
No Result
View All Result

Teaching Critical Thinking via Metal?

Christian Wissmuller by Christian Wissmuller
March 13, 2016
in Editorial
0
938
SHARES
2.3k
VIEWS
Share on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

In this issue, we devote a sizable chunk of real estate to examining the current fretted market for instruments and gear geared toward the hard rock and heavy metal enthusiast – what purchasing trends are emerging in 2016, how best to sell to this type of consumer, what products are really moving off the shelves, et cetera.

While both my own commentary and that of some of the industry experts we spoke with argues that metalheads shouldn’t all be categorized as thuggish brutes (as Nick Bowcott of Marshall points out, these players come from “all walks-of-life and all ages – from 11 years old to 65 years young; and from ditch-diggers to doctors, dentists and CEOs”) none of us made the leap that Rodney Schmaltz, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at McMaster University in Edmonton, Alberta has.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a recently published article in the journal, Frontiers in Psychology, Schmaltz argues that heavy metal music can promote scientific thinking.

An example he puts forth is the famous 1990 Judas Priest trial during which the band was ultimately found to be not liable for the deaths of two young men who cited Priest’s music as the reason they had killed themselves. “The case can lead to an interesting class discussion on how extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” he writes. “The claim that a backwards, subliminal message can lead someone to take their own life is an extraordinary claim. Students can be challenged to describe how they would experimentally test the impact of subliminal messages on behavior, followed by a class discussion of how the actual research was conducted in the field. This is an engaging example to help students better understand variable manipulation, demand characteristics, and issues of generalizability. At least in the case of subliminal messages, students will learn that music does not lead to problematic or harmful behavior.”

Schmaltz additionally points out that research has demonstrated that “people who were fans of heavy metal music in adolescence fared better in many aspects of their adult lives than people who were not fans.”

How about that?

Potentially a solid source of income for your MI retail operation and a useful teaching tool!

In this month’s installment of ‘The Good Fight,’ Mary Luehrsen urges taking advantage of the passage of the Every Students Succeeds Act, noting that “Now is the time to plant the seeds of expansion and development for music education programs in all school districts across the country.”

Maybe part of that expansion and development should include incorporating some hard rock in the curriculum. I’m not even sort of kidding – I know I and my friends would’ve been a lot more excited about attending music class if metal had been in the lesson-plan. Just something to consider.

Rock on.

Previous Post

The Pick of Destiny or How A Jack Black Movie Inspired The Creation of Riversong Guitars

Next Post

Rovner Products – From the Dark, Small Things Turned Big in the World of Woodwinds

Related Posts

Current Issue

Bridging the Sound – Audio Interfaces and the Modern Musician’s Toolkit

April 25, 2025
Current Issue

Twang, Nostalgia, the Americana Boom – and Why Now is the Time to Take Advantage

March 25, 2025
Editorial

Enough with ‘It’s Back!’

March 25, 2025
Editorial

Is Your Store an ‘Experience Destination’?

January 9, 2025
Editorial

A New Year – and Potentially Plenty of Change – Awaits

March 25, 2025
Editorial

FOMO Can be Good for You!

December 17, 2024
Next Post

Rovner Products – From the Dark, Small Things Turned Big in the World of Woodwinds

Please login to join discussion
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest

John Harvill to Assume Brand Management of Mapex & Majestic Marching Percussion

July 29, 2025

D’Angelico Guitars Launches 60th Anniversary Grateful Dead Collection

July 29, 2025

Taylor Guitars Launches New Collection Ahead of NAMM

January 27, 2025

Atomic Music: A 30-Year Legacy in the Heart of Beltsville

December 17, 2024

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

Celebrating 25 Years of Gator Cases: Built for Retailers, Trusted by Musicians By Mike Lawson

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

Neil Potter Promoted to Director of National Sales at Allen & Heath USA

August 1, 2025

Sonique Drums Unveils Poly Pro Slim Snare Wire Straps

August 1, 2025

NAMM Announces New Leadership Teams For Women of NAMM and NAMM Young Professionals

July 30, 2025

Jeff Mulvihill Appointed Combo Drum and Concert Percussion Brand Manager for KHS America

July 29, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
The Latest News and Gear in Your Inbox - Sign Up Today!
  • July 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • June 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • May 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • April 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
  • March 2025

    Articles | Digital Issue
© 2005 - 2025 artistpro, LLC
7012 City Center Way, Suite 207
Fairview, Tennessee 37062
(800) 682-8114

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Now!
    • Subscribe Now!
  • Advertise
  • Email Press Releases!
  • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
  • Newsroom
    • News
    • MMR Global
    • Supplier Scene
    • Upfront
    • People
  • Awards
    • Dealers’ Choice Awards Ballot 2024
    • Don Johnson Award Winners Archive
  • Directory
  • Get Support!

© 2005 – 2024 artistpro, LLC 7012 City Center Way, Suite 207 Fairview, Tennessee 37062 (800) 682-8114

This is Modal Title

Click Me
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?