Archive for the 'music' Category

ISQRMM Music and Medicine Conference Presentation

Globe

I just received confirmation that the Interdisciplinary Society for Quantitative Research in Music and Medicine (ISQRMM) has accepted our abstract entitled “Cross-Cultural Sound and Music: A Novel Rhythmic Approach for Improving Brain Function” to be presented as a workshop session during the 2013 conference to be held on July 26-27, 2013, at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music in Athens, Georgia!  I’ll be presenting along with my colleagues, occupational therapist Sheila Allen, and master ethnic percussionist and composer Nacho Arimany.

If you follow or are involved with our work at Advanced Brain Technologies you really won’t want to miss this conference. In addition to our presentation (see abstract below) more than 20 music effects researchers will be presenting from around the world.

Cross- Cultural Music and Sound: A Novel Rhythmic Approach for Improving Brain Function 

The integration of acoustic elements: frequency, amplitude, time and spatiality, form the basis for how sound affects us.  Since ancient times, sound has been used with great purpose to affect man.  More recently, in the last seventy years, ongoing technological and scientific advances have enabled the development of sound-based programs for applications ranging from brain injury rehabilitation to wellness, and peak mental performance.

Beginning with its release of The Listening Program® in 1999, Advanced Brain Technologies, a leader in applied psychoacoustics and music cognition, has been combining artistry, musicianship, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration with technological innovations to record and produce music-based methods specifically created to improve and support brain function in children and adults.

The next generation of sound/music for brain fitness begins at the 2013 ISQRMM Conference. This presentation will unveil the newest development in The Listening Program, comprised entirely of original music which highlights and connects acoustic elements through a distinctive integration of rhythmic cross-cultural sounds.

This dynamic session will include the worldwide debut of this originally composed music through live and recorded performance, and audience participation. The history, rationale, and applications of this ground-breaking program will be presented by its creators.

Join us! Athens is a great college town, registration is only $75, and the conference hotel rates are very reasonable. Online registration is now open and may be accessed at http://www.isqrmm.org.

Also, be sure to stay on for The Listening Program® provider training course hosted at the University the day after the conference on Sunday the 29th. Registration information is available here.

 

 

 

 

Learning Made Easy with Sound Solutions

Gayle Moyers

Understanding how sound and music effect learning is often the key to reaching challenged and discouraged learners.  Music reaches parts of the brain that words, touch, and movement cannot.  Our role as parent or professional is empowered when we understand how to use music to increase a person’s ability to learn and achieve.

This Wednesday I’ll be exploring the sound—learning connection on the Sound Brain Fitness Teleseminar Series with my dear friend Gayle Moyers, creator of Learning Ears®. Gayle is a renowned educational therapist and expert in helping challenged learners. She and I will be discussing these four key points:

  • The role of music to connect the learner to thinking processes  (Triune Brain Theory)
  • The five essential steps for learning success
  • What we need to know about diagnostics and evaluations
  • What parents and professionals can do to make a difference

Join us! Free Registration

Date: May 1, 2013   Time: 8:00 pm Eastern

 

 

Music and Autism: Live Google Hangout

piano-the-desktop

Lately I have been using Google Hangout for video conferencing here at Advanced Brain Technologies.  I really like the technology and see the potential for many applications in our work. Tomorrow I’ll be doing my first live, global hangout with some wonderful people in a discussion about music and autism, and I’m pretty excited about it!

MUSIC and AUTISM is tomorrow evening, Thursday, February 7th at 9:15 pm EST. I hope you can come hangout with me, Dr. Stephen Shore, Jana Stanfield,  Gloria Andrioli, and our host Kathleen Tehrani, founder of Autism Brainstorm. Please join us on the homepage of Autism Brainstorm for what is sure to be an interesting dialog!

What do your feelings sound like?

Music Feelings

My musical choices are greatly influenced by my current mood. Today, I am feeling centered, grounded, focused, and grateful.

My soundtrack; Conditions of My Parole from Maynard Keenan’s @Puscifer. The song Monsoons is on repeat,  my sonic companion, not only supporting, but optimizing my current mood state.

What’s your soundtrack today? And… what does it say about your feelings? Share @alexdoman.

Balloons for your Ears?

asius-inflatable-headphones

Ears buds, you’ve heard me on my soapbox about the inherent danger of sticking these things in your ears and blowing out your hearing.  Apparently, Stephen Ambrose, a pioneer in audio technology and founder of Asius Technologies has an alternative solution to ear buds that I find intriguing.  I call them balloons for your ears, he calls them inflatable ear buds and they may be coming soon to an Apple store near you.  I’ll reserve comment until I test them personally, and deliberate the advantages and disadvantages with my audiophile and audiologist friends. This includes you Seth Horowitz and Jay Lucker! Perhaps Stephen Ambrose will send me a pair to review?  For now, you might be interested to read more on this innovation on Mashable.

Tell me, would you be comfortable with inflatable airbags in your ears?

The Power of Music

brainmusic

We have all experienced the healing power of music. Each of us instinctively select music we like to change our mental, physical, and emotional health.  Music effects research is helping us get a better grasp on what happens in the brain and body when we play and listen to music. As this understanding deepens, it improves our ability to select music which is good for us, and for companies like Advanced Brain Technologies to create evidence based music to give people healthy alternatives for improving their lives.

One of the leading neuroscientist’s helping us to understand what happens to the brain on music is Dr. Daniel Levitin of McGill University. He was interviewed by CBS News this past Saturday about the power of music. You can watch the video here

Music is Life

An unexpected event recently took place on the Advanced Brain Technologies Facebook wall. We shared a post with some wise words repined from a Pinterest board that really seemed to strike a chord with our fans.  So much so, that over 550 of them shared the post and it continues to be shared nearly two weeks later.

What were the wise words that resonated with so many?

“music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to  everything.” -Plato

This got me thinking, what is it about Plato’s words that compelled so many to share them? Personally, I believe this lyrical text resounds within as a musical composition, touching the very nature of our existence singing out music is life…  

What do you think? Why did this quote touch so many and inspire them to share? What does it mean to you?

Back to school already? Music as a brain primer

Back to school already? I’m afraid so… As July winds down and we transition into August it’s time to start thinking about how we help our kids have a successful school year. One of the best brain primers for the school day is a session of morning music before your sons or daughters are swept off to the halls of learning in a big yellow bus. Try just 15 minutes of Baroque music; Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli for example, through headphones while your kids are eating breakfast. This will cue them that it’s time to transition into learning mode while the music does wonders to organize the mind for maximum focus and a day of learning and discovery. When they make the transition home, wound up from a day in class, first, let them get their energy out riding bikes, running, anything that does not involve a game system controller. Then transition them to homework with a second daily session of Baroque listening over speakers or headphones. This will improve their concentration and accelerate speed of thought, while increasing their comprehension and retention. Homeschooling families can use this same framework but further utilizing music to enhance learning and creativity throughout the school day. The key to making this work is consistency, make this a daily ritual that you and your kids can rely on. I’m certain you’ll find benefits beyond the classroom.

Barcelona Flash Mob

My father and a colleague recently sent me a link to this YouTube video. This video is of a flash mob organized in Barcelona with an orchestra performing the final movement of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, Ode to Joy. Yes, the flash mob was organized to celebrate the 130th anniversary of a bank… It is quite good however and speaks to the power of live music performance to capture the curiosity of the young and old alike. Be sure to watch out for the little girl in the photograph climbing the light-post for a better view. I hope you enjoy!  View

What if Michelangelo Listened to Lady Gaga: Sculpting Your Brain with Music

What if Michelangelo Listened to Lady Gaga: SculptingYour Brain with Music

Did music influence Michelangelo? If so, was it the sounding of a harmonic chord, the new musical aesthetic for the period? Did it contribute to the transformation of a block of Carrara marble into David, the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture? What form would David have taken if sculpted in the 21st century, with such a broad range of music genres and styles?  Lady Gaga anyone… These are the kinds of questions I cogitate in moments of quiet. Continue…

New blog post at Cognitive Connections. Thanks for the invitation to contribute as a guest blogger Dr. Lise Delong!



Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 66 other followers

%d bloggers like this: