Thursday, June 21, 2018

Music-Linked Learning Helps Restore Neural Connections


Michael Moshan is a respected entrepreneur who has created edutainment series such as "Rock the SAT,” which places SAT test vocabulary within the context of song lyrics. Michael Moshan’s work as co-executive producer has included creating the original music that is used in building students’ vocabularies. 

The close connection between music and learning has been demonstrated in numerous studies. A recent University of Edinburgh study found that basic movement performed to music, while a simple task is being learned, helps develops cognitive centers within the brain.

In particular, the practice of this music-related movement affected those parts of the brain that control movement and sound processing. This enhanced structural connectivity provides the wiring for different cells to better communicate with each other. 

A conclusion of this study is that this connection could help rebuild structural elements of brains that have suffered impairment. This finding could be critical in enabling patients who have lost a limited degree of movement control to regain mobility.

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Rock the SAT - Helping Students Master SAT Vocabulary


The president of Haven Tusk Title, LLC, Michael Moshan manages staff and oversees client development and account management at the New York City-based title company. Outside of work, he is a musician who formerly played in the band Brother Josephus and the Love Revival. Michael Moshan also used his musical skills to co-write volumes one and two of Rock the SAT. 

Co-written by Moshan, Michael Shapiro, and David Mendelsohn, Rock the SAT 1st Edition integrates SAT vocabulary into real rock songs to help students master terminology relevant for the SAT. The package features 13 tracks and a study guide with definitions, song lyrics, and sentences that use key SAT terms.

The 2nd Edition includes six additional tracks with unique vocabulary-packed names, including The Evil, Nefarious, Wicked Town of San Pedro, Copasetic, and Panegyric to My Grandmother. With these songs, students can master terminology in a fun, engaging way to boost their performance on the SAT and prepare for postsecondary studies.

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Why Working with a Teacher Is Crucial to Learning Piano


Michael Moshan is the president of Haven Tusk Title, LLC, in New York City. His responsibilities include overseeing staff, managing clients and accounts, and deploying marketing strategies for the title agency. In his free time, Michael Moshan enjoys playing the piano. He previously played for the band Brother Josephus and the Love Revival and the soul band Nonfiction. Moshan also played piano and wrote songs for Rock the SAT, Volume's 1 and 2. 

For beginners looking to learn how to play the piano or improve their skills, there are numerous guides, tips, and videos online to help you learn on your own. That said, nothing beats the value of taking lessons from a piano teacher.

If you try to teach yourself piano, you will likely end up developing bad habits along the way that may later impede your progress. Conversely, starting out with a teacher gives you a firm foundation and grasp of the basics, while also helping you to understand the more advanced aspects of the instrument when you're ready.

A good piano teacher will help you discover how best to practice and learn new songs on your own, enabling you to take your new skill in whatever direction you choose. Even as you progress, a teacher can provide invaluable feedback, structure, and support to help you advance further and faster than you could without personal instruction.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Anti-poaching Efforts in Kenya’s National Parks


Many eco-conscientious groups and animal welfare organizations contribute to anti-poaching efforts around the world, including the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), which deploys anti-poaching units to protect the lands within and around the Tsavo National Parks in Kenya, helping orphaned and injured elephants. The Trust operates through generous donations from community leaders and businesses such as Haven Tusk Title. Michael Moshan is the president of Haven Tusk Title. Haven Husk Title, through the leadership of Michael Moshan, donates 10 percent of its company’s net earnings to the DSWT. 

DSWT boasts eight anti-poaching units, equipped with camping gear, cameras, and navigation systems to protect wildlife in and around the Tsavo National Parks. The units disassemble poaching snares and provide mobile veterinary care when possible. Spanning over 22,000 acres, Tsavo National Parks are home to some of Africa’s most beloved wildlife and scenery. It is divided into Tsavo East, which has typically dry plains and Tsavo West, which boasts mountains, springs, and swamps. Visitors from around the globe visit the parks each year for hikes, safaris, and sightseeing. 

To learn more about DSWT, visit www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org.

Friday, March 23, 2018

DSWT's Rescue Efforts Saves Elephant Calf Sagala


An alumnus of Washington University, Michael Moshan is a passionate musician who serves as co-executive producer of Rock the SAT, which uses original rock music as a means for helping students memorize key vocabulary for the SAT. Additionally, Michael Moshan serves as president of Haven Tusk Title, which provides comprehensive title services to individuals buying and selling homes and donates 10 percent of all net earnings to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT).

Established by Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick in 1977 in honor of her late husband, DSWT is a Kenya-based conservation organization that primarily works to rescue and rehabilitate orphan elephants. On September 25, 2017, DSWT works manager Trevor Jennings was completing a routine inspection of a water boreholes throughout the Dika plains when he discovered a starving and abandoned two year old elephant calf lying dangerously close to a pride of lions. 

The area in which the elephant was found had undergone a severe drought in September that claimed the lives of roughly 400 elephants, but DSWT staff was determined to protect orphaned babies and that's what it did with the aforementioned elephant, which it named Sagala after a mountainous range near the Dika plains.

Realizing he had to act quickly, Jennings contacted the DSWT headquarters, which prompted one of its helicopters to make a 40-minute flight to the scene. DSWT's ground team was able to restrain and capture the Sagala before transferring her to the helicopter. Upon arrival at the DSWT nursery, Sagala grew weaker despite receiving nutrition, but her strength returned after a few days and she was subsequently released in Nairobi National Park.

Monday, December 11, 2017

Meet Maisha, the Newest Addition to the DSWT Elephant Sanctuary


Michael Moshan is the president of Haven Tusk Title, a New York-based title company and closing services. Striving to generate a positive societal impact, and under Michael Moshan's leadership, Haven Tusk directs 10 percent of the company earnings to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT)

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a conservation organization particularly concerned with protecting endangered populations of elephants and black rhinos. The Trust pursues this mission in large part through the Orphan’s Project, which seeks to rescue and rehabilitate baby elephants and rhinos throughout Kenya. 

Since its inception, the organization has rescued over 150 baby elephants, hand raising them with financial support from participants in its fostering program. One of the most recent additions to this life-saving program is Maisha, a baby elephant saved from an incredibly dire situation in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park. 

On September 5, 2017, park rangers observed a young elephant calf collapse after struggling to reach a watering hole in an area ravaged by drought. Knowing that time was of the essence, the rangers contacted the DSWT mobile veterinary unit, who quickly arrived on the scene. 

After delivering emergency medical care in the field, DSWT vets transported the young elephant to stockades where she could receive shelter from the sun. Soon after, they transported her by plane to Nariobi National Park. 

Despite the best efforts of the DSWT team, the calf’s condition failed to improve. They worked tirelessly to keep her warm, hydrated, and stimulated until finally, at around midnight, the young elephant was able to stand on her own and drink from a bottle. Her condition only improved from that moment, and the calf has since bonded with another young elephant at the shelter named Emoli. 

Named after the Swahili word for “life,” Maisha’s condition has only improved since then, and the calf has even bonded with another young elephant named Emoli. Her story is a prime example of the incredible work conducted by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017

College Admissions Testing - a Brief History of the SAT


An executive in the title industry, Michael Moshan oversees Haven Tusk Title, LLC, as company president. Michael Moshan also was co-producer and co-songwriter for Rock the SAT, an SAT study guide that is available in two volumes. The musical guide helps students memorize SAT vocabulary using original rock music. 

Since it was first administered to college applicants in 1926, the SAT has been known by various names, including the Scholastic Aptitude Test, the Scholastic Assessment Test, and the SAT Reasoning Test. The exam was developed by Carl Brigham, a Princeton professor who previously worked on IQ testing experiments in the U.S. military.

The SAT gained significant ground as a college admissions test in the early 1930s, when Harvard University began using it to test scholarship candidates. Henry Chauncey, an assistant dean at Harvard, later convinced other schools to use the test, and by 1940 over 10,000 students were taking it each year. By the early 1960s, the number of students taking the SAT worldwide had grown to more than 800,000. 

Although the SAT has evolved over the years, the modern test covers many of the same basic concepts that were included in the original version. Recent revisions to the SAT have focused on improving questions and making the test more competitive with the ACT, a similar admissions exam which was first administered in 1959.