vi.summer.2013

Hello all,

I hope this summer has left you well rested, or at least rejuvenated in spirit if you have spent the majority of these warm days upon the wards. For this edition of TBE, we ask you to lend us your ear as we bring you several pieces of medical student musicianship. We will try not to sing out of key.

Noah Wride, an MS4 with a long list of piano accomplishments, shared a piece with us that he has been working on all summer.

Niel Siekman, TBE co-founder and editor brings you his magnum opus, a full length album by his solo project, The Modern Woodmen Forester Team, entitled Jailbird.

On non-musical notes (hah!), we have Kacia Lee sharing a wonderful piece of quilting craftsmanship with us, and Lan Luu some choice photographs.

Enjoy!

Aaron and Neil

vi.summer.i

Hey everyone,

Neil here. Below I've posted 9 songs, which make up an album that I've been calling Jailbird: a project I've been working on over the past 3-4 years. I did all the vocals and instruments myself and recorded it all in my apartment with some equipment I bought with Summer in Medicine (SIM) money. I actually had always planned to make this music as part of a group, but because medical school kept getting in the way, it just never worked out. So I'm putting this up under the pseudonym/band-name, "The Modern Woodmen Forester Team"in the hopes that someday it will be more than just me. In the meantime though, thanks so much for listening!

-My Island Life: an Introduction-

-Jailbird-

-Tom Sawyer-

-Again and Again-

-Flicker-

-Tell Tale-

-Your Evening Rig-

-Snowden-

-The Tip of My Tongue-

vi.summer.ii

Kacia Lee - Quilter Extraordinaire

Kacia just finished this fine piece with fish and triangle motifs. Med school folk art at it's finest! What finer way to  vanquish the stress of clerkships than to stitch away the cares of the day? In the three years The Body Electric has been running, we are very happy to have our first sample of med student needlework.

vi.summer.iii

Noah Wride - Malagueña

Noah recorded his version of the song by Ernesto Lecuona while studying for Step 2CK (he is legally bound from informing us which item of USMLE World requires one to perform it). 

Noah, like many members of his family, is quite musical. He has been playing Jazz piano for years, many of them at a competition level. 

If you would like to learn more about Noah, you can check out this article from the Spring 2012 MMF Newsletter.

vi.summer.iv

Here at the Body Electric, we hope you've been able to get out and find some trouble this summer, to kick off your shoes and have a little adventure. If you haven't yet, let these stunning pictures from 4th year Lan Luu be your call room escape. All of these are from journeys she took as a med student.

v.autumn.2012

Hello and welcome to The Body Electric's first issue of the 2012-2013 academic year. To those of you experiencing TBE for the first time, I can assure you that the joys of distraction neatly packaged and enshrined here will make even the most gruesome Derm pictures or tongue-twisting metabolism lectures but a distant memory. So that we are all up to speed, you should know that the works to follow are all products of the imagination of UMN med students. You know them - they sit next to you in class. Or maybe they pass you on the floor at 4:30 AM, all of you half asleep and careening from room to room asking - F/C/S last night?

This is an opportunity to know them a little better so that the next time you run into each other you can say, "I like what you did there." You might smile, or just think, or look up at the clock and suddenly realize it's an hour later than you thought. (Psych! You forgot to set your clock back.) Or maybe you will be inspired to take up a little project of your own, and if you do - please share. There's nothing wrong with a little distraction.

This issue features a profile of Amanda Murphy, the second year student who has expanded her artistic approach to tackle medical themes. It features poetry from Benjamin Braus and Kathryn Weaver, and wonderful music by Phil Lee. As always, there are some tidbits from Neil and Aaron. Neil did a nice overhaul of the site's format that we would love to get feedback on, and Aaron added some verses to make this issue a poetry hat-trick. The memes got such a good response this spring that we decided to close out with another one by Neil.

So read on. Enjoy! Find inspiration and know you are among friends.

- neil and aaron

Photos by Neil Siekman

v.autumn.i

Press Play:

TBE tip of the day - The Body Electric is best savored with an accompanying soundtrack. Check out this song from MS3 Phil Lee while you peruse the Autumn 2012 issue. I give you: Phil & Max - The Long Play.