Music and Neuroscience

[PsychToday] “Thank You Mister Speaker”: On Music and Social Behaviors

May 9, 2013
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Think music doesn’t matter in our lives? You would be hard-pressed to watch this 2 minute clip and not see how music can change the entire mood of a rather serious group of people…Read more

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[PsychToday] Listening to Music Ain’t a Simple Thing

February 14, 2013
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If you were one of the millions who watched the Superbowl halftime show last week, you likely had one of two reactions:
You loved it. Or you hated it.
You simply need to read the headlines to get a sense of the extreme reactions people had to her performance. Some called it electric and thrilling. Others watched [...]

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[PsychToday] Signed, Sealed, Delivered: The Music of Politics

November 8, 2012
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Even watching from my living room in Warrensburg MO, I could feel the electricity and the energy in the room. Flashing lights, yelling crowds, waving hands, American flags flying, smiles and cheers all around. President Obama and his family walking out on the blue-floored stage. He had just won the 2012 Presidential election and was [...]

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Defining Emotion Regulation

June 7, 2012
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Last week, I wrote about the importance of clear writing and talking when making a concept easy to understand.
This week, I will put it into practice.
I am struggling with clearly defining, writing, and talking about my research interest: the effect of music on emotion regulation. The first hurdle is to define “emotion regulation” itself.

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Article Sharing: Music Therapy, Sensory Integration, and Pain

May 23, 2011
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The title is kind of funny, isn’t it? I mean, what do “sensory integration” and “pain” have in common?
For starters, articles I wrote on those topics were published last week
I have the good fortune of periodically being invited to write for other blogs. One of those blogs is Pediastaff, a provider of pediatric [...]

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It’s Raining Awesome YouTube Videos!

March 28, 2011

Ever hear the saying “when it rains, it pours”? Well, it was raining awesome YouTube videos for me last week!
Below are three videos I highly recommend you watch. The first is an interview between Ellen (yes, THAT Ellen) and Jodi Picoult, author of the music therapist’s favorite new book, Sing You Home. They don’t chat [...]

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It’s Brain Awareness Week!

March 18, 2011
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Did you know that this week is Brain Awareness Week (BAW)? I didn’t!
According to the Dana Foundation, BAW is a global campaign aimed at increasing “public awareness about the progress and benefits of brain research.” I don’t know the history behind how BAW got started, but it now happens every March. BAW highlights efforts of [...]

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A Musical Way to Help Babies Sleep

October 13, 2010
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I love podcasts. I’ve written about my favorite podcasts before, and now I have another to add to the list! Earlier this summer, I was introduced to the “Music and the Brain” podcast published by the Library of Congress. They don’t post new episodes often, but when they do, they’re quality and highly informative.
The latest [...]

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[VIDEO] Music as a Core Function in Our Brain

September 29, 2010
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So is it a bad thing to brag on your own blog?
The bragging isn’t just for me, it’s mostly for my husband. My husband, Steve, is a lifelong band director, conductor, and music educator. The other week, he gave a talk exploring the theory that music is a core function in our brain. He summarizes [...]

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