Is Your Child’s School Bus Safe to Ride On? by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Does your child enjoy riding on the school bus coming to school and going home after school?   

On September 24, 2014 it was reported on the radio and in the Virginia –Pilot newspaper of Norfolk, Virginia that on a Norfolk school bus taking students home from school, two students ages 11 and 13 got into an argument, and the 13 year old stabbed the 11 year old with a knife.

The 11 year old was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the 13 year old was taken to the Norfolk Juvenile Detention Center.

How could this have been avoided?

By putting the slow movements of Baroque music, music from 1600-1750, and Mozart Symphonies, from 1764-1788, from the Classical music period,

on in the back ground of the school bus the students would be able to calm down and enjoyed the ride home from school and the ride going to school would be calm without any incidents.

What does listening to Baroque and Classical music do for your students?

By listening to the Mozart Symphonies, Classical Music, and the slow movements of Baroque music your students will be calmer and be able to concentrate and think more clearly.

Dr. Raymond MacDonald, of Glasgow’s Caledonian University says, “Some classical music approximates the rhythm of the resting heart (70 beats per minute). This music can slow a heart that is beating too fast.” 

Carol A. Locke, M.D. for PRWEB, Boston, MA, a Harvard trained psychiatrist says, “listening to classical music has an impact on intelligence and productivity…stimulates the mind, relieves anxiety, helps with concentration and reduces stress.”

What are the three things you can do on your school bus to calm your students down from the excitement of going to school and arriving home safely?

1)   Put on Mozart Symphonies and /or the slow movements of Baroque composers Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Corelli, Tartini, and Pachelbel before your students get on your bus to calm them and help them to relax.

2)   Dr. Georgi Lozanov, medical doctor and educator says, “the second movements of Baroque music are slower than a person’s heart beat and relaxes the students and helps them remember more.”

3)   Dr. Anne Savan, a Welsh science teacher, plays Mozart Symphonies in the background of her classrooms to relax her pupils, “lower their frustration levels enough to allow them” to think clearly and calmly “to perform manual tasks effectively and efficiently” in her science classes.  She puts the Mozart symphonies on “before” her students enter her classes.

So remember to put on your Mozart Symphonies and/or your second movements of Baroque music before your students enter your school bus so they can be calm and stress free going to school and going home from school on your bus.

 Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, sought after speaker, business owner, motivational teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations “Tune Up their Businesses”. Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly newsletter “Madeline’s Monthly Article & Musical Tips” and a monthly radio show “Madeline’s One Minute Musical Radio Show”. She has just published her new book “Leadership On A Shoestring Budget” available  on Amazon.com as a book or on Kindle.

Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

Teamwork is the Legacy that Keeps Giving by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

In the recent 2014 movie, "The Hundred -Foot Journey", the Kadam family from India moves to France and opens their restaurant 100 feet from "Madame Mallory's" Michelin starred restaurant.

At first, "Madame's" restaurant makes it impossible for the "Kadam Indian" restaurant to purchase food at the local markets on their opening night. The next incident, one of "Madame's" Chefs, spray-paints the exterior wall and later firebombs inside the restaurant. Hassan, the cook and second son of Papa Kadam, stops "Madame's" Chef but injures his hands.

The scene is a reminder of why they left India and came to Europe. In India, the Kadam family had a restaurant that was attacked by "firebombs" caused by "an election dispute". The Kadam family moved their guests to safety however their cook, beloved wife, and mother, Mrs. Kadam dies.

"Madame", the next morning after the "firebomb" incident at the "Indian" restaurant, asks her Chefs who is responsible for this damage? She fires the Chef.

"Madame" goes out to clean up the graffiti off the exterior walls. At this point, Papa Kadam goes out in front of his restaurant and begins talking to "Madame" as she is cleaning the graffiti off his walls.

"Madame's" Chef Marguerite told Hassan, about how "Madame" auditions new Chefs by making an omelet. She has also loaned and given, Hassan, French Cook Books with the Michelin guidelines. Marguerite has been a friend, mentor, and teacher to Hassan.

"Madame" has an audition with Hassan and helps him make the omelet as his hands are burned. He picks out all the spices. She realizes his gifts as a Chef when she takes a bite of his omelet.

"Madame" hires Hassan to learn as a Chef at her restaurant and later he will leave for a well-known Paris restaurant and will later return to "Madame's " restaurant as Chef and partner with Chef Marguerite to add a new Michelin star to "Madame's" restaurant. Papa Kadam and "Madame" are getting along and are helping each other to both have successful restaurants.

Both restaurants learn about helping each other to learn, grow, and change. By helping each other in a cultural exchange both restaurants are successful. They began as adversaries and grew into helping each other in a cultural exchange.

Everything in life is about connecting with others. None of us reach our highest potential without working with others cooperatively as a team.

At the Academy Awards every year, the winners are always thanking the other members on their team for making it possible for them to win. None of us win or succeed alone. It takes teamwork to get the job done.

Dr. John Maxwell asserts, "that one is too small a number to achieve greatness. You cannot do anything of real value alone." Coach John Wooden says, "It takes ten hands to make a basket." Each person on the team knows his or her job and works together for the goal of the team. Teamwork gets the job done. Teamwork makes it happen!

In 1979 the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series. Above their dug out it said, "Family". Willie Stargell said, "We won, we lived, we enjoyed as one. We molded together dozens of different individuals into a working force."

What are the three steps you need to know to build your team?

Each member of the team has a job they are expert at doing, and they do their job well. (No member of the team is a prima donna.)
Each team member works well with the other team members, and supports the other members of the team in harmony to reach their goal.
When a member on the team has a problem, each of the other members on the team listens carefully to help find the best solution. By working together, the team can accomplish any goal set before it.
"Madame Mallery" and "Papa Kadam" learned these lessons over time. The winners of the "Academy Awards" have won time and time again by their knowledge of teamwork and their gratitude for it. Every winning team like the "Pittsburg Pirates" who won the "World Series" in 1979 have learned the lessons of putting together a winning team and so can you by following the above three steps.

Remember, "Teamwork" is the Legacy that Keeps Giving!



Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, John Maxwell Team Member, sought after speaker, business owner, motivational teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly article & Musical Tips Blog" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". She has just published her new book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget."

Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

Does Your Business Need More Customers? by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

Would you like to promote your business to have more customers? Can Social Media build your business?

In the 2014 movie "Chef", Chef Carl, played by Jon Favreau, is a well-known Chef working in Riva's restaurant, played by Dustin Hoffman, for the last 5 years. The head food critic, Oliver Platt, gives the restaurant a bad review saying the food was "unimaginative."

Chef decides to write back on Twitter after his 10-year-old son, Percy, shows him how. Chef sends his comments out to thousands without realizing it.

Chef Carl throws out a challenge to the food critic that he would put together a new menu of original wonderful foods for the critic to taste. Chef's boss insists he continue to cook the usual dishes on the menu the way it is. Chef refused and he was fired. The critic came to the restaurant expecting the special menu and the Chef comes in and tells the critic off and one of the customer's videos the breakdown and it goes on You Tube ruining Chef Carl's reputation.

Chef Carl's ex-wife suggests he take an old food truck, restore it, and go on the road cooking the dishes he wants to cook. At first, Chef says no to this offer, but eventually he decides to clean and repair the food truck with his son's help and later Martin, his former assistant chef joins them. In the process of fixing the truck and going on the road, Chef repairs his relationship with his son Percy, and they travel from Miami to Los Angeles cooking a Cuban menu of foods. Percy, the Chef's son is learning to cook and tells customers on Twitter each day where the food truck will be located, the street address, City and State, and the menu and prices for each dish. At each stop they have a crowd of people waiting to purchase the special menu of the day.

Chef Carl and his food truck have become a success. His ten-year-old son Percy has promoted their food truck on Social Media and Chef Carl has gone from being a washed up Chef to once more having a new stronger reputation. The food critic that once ruined his reputation is now offering him a new restaurant.

So what are the 3 things you can do to promote your business through social media?

1) Begin by joining Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube and write up your businesses profile. Tell your audience what products you offer and how you can help them with a problem they have related to that product. Offer the names of your products, the benefits, and the cost of each product. Begin a customer list so your customers can receive your article or blog regularly to share special product features and specials.

2) Send out one-line messages to your customers about the sale of the day or the sale of the week with the prices of your merchandise or your restaurants new dishes for that week.

3) Make sure you have all your vendor licenses in order for food trucks and vendor trucks. If you are on the road in a food truck or in a vendor truck tell your customers by Twitter or Facebook where you will be on a specific date, the time you will arrive and open for business, the street address, and the City and State you will be in. Also tell them what your daily specials are and the cost for each.

What happens if you don't tell people about your business?

"Nothing!" So get started and advertise your business on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube. It's cost effective too!



Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, sought after speaker, business owner, motivational teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly Article & Musical Tips" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". She has just published her new book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget".

Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com

"Sailor with a Heart" by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

How would you like to meet a very fine family man and learn by his example?

I’m going to tell you about this caring family man, son, brother, husband, father, friend, and neighbor. His name was Kevin Matthew Phillips.

He lived next to my family in our neighborhood with his wife and three children.

On a crisp Spring day after work, as I pulled into our drive way ,I noticed our neighbor, Kevin, working on an old boat in his side yard with his young son Trenton.

I asked about the boat and Kevin said, "The boat was my Grandfather's and we are restoring his boat as a legacy for Trenton". Kevin was teaching his son how to replace the rotted wood on the hull by re-gluing new treated wood in its place to preserve it for the next generation. They were both smiling and enjoying their work together.

A couple of months later, my husband and I piloted our boat to one of our favorite places, Factory Point. This little slice of heaven is adorned with a beach on one side and a bird sanctuary on the other. As we walked on the beach, we were greeted by the smiling faces of Kevin, his wife Kirstie,and their children, Trenton, Makenna, and Whitney Mae. They were enjoying a wonderful day together playing in the sand and swimming.

Later in the season, a terrible storm slammed into our area, and our dock in the back yard of our house was covered by water. I noticed our boat coming loose and ran out to tighten the ropes. I was having trouble tightening the ropes securing our boat to the dock. While the water was rising and the wind was blowing, I felt another pair of hands, Kevin's, helping me to tie the boat tighter.


What lessons have we learned from Kevin Phillips?

He was always willing to listen and help solve a problem. He listened intently when someone was talking. Kevin was always there when family, friends, and neighbors needed a hand and would guide them through the problem.

So remember to listen carefully, keep your eyes open to see what's happening around you. When you see someone needing help in a storm or any other time, lend them a hand.

Kevin Matthew Phillips passed away on June 16, 2013. He was 40 years old and his life was cut short, but his legacy lives on. His family, friends, and neighbors were blessed to have known such a wonderful caring person who was always willing to lend a hand. Kevin had a passion for being on his boat and sharing this passion with his family and friends.



Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling author, sought after speaker, business owner, teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up Their Businesses." Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly Article & Musical Tips Blog " and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". If you need a speaker contact Madeline at: mfrankviola@gmail.com

“Lessons from Great-Great Grandma” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM

If someone was trying to kill you and your family would you leave your home?

In 1898 you and your family, the Goldean's traveled by ship to escape the violent massacres in Russia of Jewish families condoned by Czar Alexander III.

You have just arrived in America, the land of opportunity where you have the right to religious freedom to worship as you choose. Your home will be in Newport News, Virginia with your parents and sister. Your parents are very religious and have chosen a man for you to marry from the old country. But you have met and fallen in love with an American boy.

Your parents say you cannot marry him. "We have chosen your husband, David Shapiro." The man you are to marry speaks many languages and is considered very educated and is a Hebrew schoolteacher. He has no refinement, but to honor your parents you must marry him. Your name is Bechie Goldean Shapiro.

After a year of marriage, you make a wonderful dinner with a lovely tablecloth on the table with your finest china, silver ware, and glassware. Your new husband sits down and pulls off the tablecloth saying, "It is much to fancy for me." He has a remarkable gift for removing the Tablecloth from the table without damaging the dishes or silverware but he is unable to earn a living with that skill.

What will you do? You have to find a way to support your husband and child. You have a baby daughter Belle.
You have several beautiful teacups and saucers. You decide to try selling them on the side of Jefferson Avenue. That day you discover you have a gift for selling and over time you start a department store called Shapiro's. It becomes a family department store where housewares, clothes, and shoes are sold for men, women, and children. Your daughter Belle will work at your store as a teenager as will your son Max.

On her daughter Belle's 20th birthday on August 12, 1924 Bechie Goldean Shapiro dies of Cancer. Belle Shapiro Frank, my father's mother, and my grandmother continue the store. Belle buys beautiful clothes for women in New York City. She married before her mother's death a man she chose, my grandpa Louis Charles Frank from Lithuania.

Grandpa came to America as a young teen-ager, 11 or 12 years old, and always jokingly said he arrived by covered wagon to America. He worked in the men's department store of Shapiro's as did their son, Robert, my father. Robert worked as a teenager in the shoe department. After working at Shapiro's Department store helping people who had forgotten to wash their feet try on shoes, he was inspired to study harder so he could go to college and become an engineer or a doctor. He was the first in his family to graduate college. Shapiro's Department Store lived on to support the Shapiro and Frank family for over 25 years.

What are the 3 lessons you can you learn from Great- Grandma Shapiro about solving your problems?

1) Have a positive attitude and always have a paper and pencil ready, wherever you are, in case you think of a solution to your problem.

2) Give yourself time each day to ponder your problem. Be observant and listen carefully to others, as you never know where you will find your solution.

3) Think of your problem as an opportunity and a new door or window will open up for you and never give up on solving your problem.

Great- Grandma Shapiro found she had a gift for selling and it was her opportunity to make a living and support her husband and child.

By following these three steps you will be able to solve your problem like Great- Grandma Beckie Goldean Shapiro and turn your problem into an opportunity to learn, grow, and change your life for the better.


Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an Amazon.com Best Selling Author, sought after speaker, business owner, motivational teacher, researcher, and concert artist. She helps businesses and organizations "Tune Up their Businesses". Her innovative observations show you the blue prints necessary to improve and keep your business successful. She writes a monthly newsletter "Madeline's Monthly Article & Musical Tips" and a monthly radio show "Madeline's One Minute Musical Radio Show". She has just published her new book "Leadership On A Shoestring Budget".

Contact Madeline Frank for your next speaking engagement at mfrankviola@gmail.com