It’s the last in a series. My first post on Multiple Intelligence theory attracted a lot of attention, so the folks in the social media and marketing offices decided to capitalize on it with a series of posts. I wrote many of the drafts, and I edited and contributed to the others. Here’s the last in the series: the Musical Intelligence. Those who know me and my family will not be surprised by the reference to the history of the well-known Suzuki method of learning to play an instrument.

My only regret is that the social media Powers That Be did not include my tribute to Barbara Dryer. Barbara was co-founder of Connections Academy and leader of Connections Education. She passed away in early September from a very aggressive breast cancer. As she faced her own mortality, Barbara took the time to create a smooth and workable succession plan. Her brilliance and her dedication to online learning will live on.

When I met Barbara in person, I mentioned that I was the music teacher at WCA. She smiled broadly – I can only call it a grin! – and asked, “What’s your instrument?” I knew immediately that she was a musician, too. I will always remember how brief and yet exciting our chat was, and how enthusiastic she was about this partnership between Juilliard School of Music and Connections Education.

And so, in honor of her memory, here it is: The Language of Music.