MARQUETTE, Mich (WZMQ) – Everyone listens to music, and while you might have your favorite tune or song, you might not have the best health, and performing arts can go a long way in changing that. Starting on Piano and moving to the Violin, Dr. Barbara Rhyneer has been a student of music her entire life. “Music has always been one of those things that go okay, let’s just break this down into small steps measure by measure, and do a little bit every day it’s an investment”, says Rhyneer.
Rhyneer conducts the NMU Symphony Orchestra and sits as the Principal 1st Violinist for the Marquette Orchestra. From fiddling to classical, she says she was lucky enough to have music in the house from a young age. “I finally got lessons and I played every day, I played by ear, I listened to songs I heard on the radio and I just started playing”, says Rhyneer.
The passion grew from there, measure by measure and note by note. But why? Could music really have that much influence on a daily routine? Rhyneer says it has a lot to do with the discipline that the arts instill. “You know other problems sometimes people have is they don’t know why they’re getting up in the morning, you know why should I do anything and I think some of the time people are just bored”
Dr. Mark Shevy studied in music therapy and he says that in a lot of ways the instrumental tones can actually influence a lot of motivation. “Music is known to engage multiple areas of the brain that are involved with cognitive processin…and perception as well”, said Shevy. While the influence may be great in music, the routine of good practice is important to keep up with as well. As life continues to barrel more difficult notes to play, it’s easy to forget these practices.
Rhyneer says the arts have helped her life in more measures than even the Chaconne by Johann Sebastian Bach, which is presented at around 256 measures and 18 minutes long. Practiced and memorized for her own enjoyment. “Everything that you do expands your whole world and you end up helping other people too so I think music is amazing it’s so limitless”, said Rhyneer.
