NOVA, the long-running PBS series, will air a special episode on Tuesday, June 30, titled “
Musical Minds.” In the St. Louis area, it’s currently scheduled to air on KETC, Channel 9, at 8 p.m. Please check the
program schedule on KETC’s Web site to confirm.
In this episode, Dr. Oliver Sacks, world-renowned neurologist and author, explores how the power of music can make the brain come alive, how music affects the brain, and how it can impact some neurological disorders.
New York State percussionist Matt Giordano, and his mother, Kathy, appear in the show. Matt, who has Tourette Syndrome, talks about the impact of music on his life. This documentary was filmed in 2008 and originally aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom last year.
“Both Matt Giordano and his mom, Kathy, have presented to us in the past,” said Lynn Dunlap, co-president of the TSA’s Greater Missouri chapter. “Matt brought his ‘drum circle’ a couple years ago to a special meeting for our kids, and they loved it. Kathy, who is a private educational advocate, mostly for TS kids, came in town in the fall of 2007, as an educational presenter at the Missouri National Education Conference. Later that evening, she presented to our chapter.”
Dr. Oliver Sacks’ long list of books include The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, Oaxaca Journal, An Anthropologist on Mars, and Awakenings, the film version of which starred Robin Williams as Dr. Sacks.
Dr. Sacks’ most recent book is Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, featuring Matt Giordano, Tobias Picker, and other individuals with Tourette Syndrome.
