The Neuroscience Behind Music’s Hidden Impact on Your Life

Music can change how we feel, connect and act. What happens when we understand why, and learn to use that power deliberately? We have songs at weddings and funerals because music changes how we experience these moments. At concerts, thousands of strangers can cry, scream, move and feel intensely together, despite having almost nothing else in common. Few things can turn private emotion into a shared experience so quickly. Part of the reason is that music reaches systems involved in emotion, memory and motivation at once. This helps explain why a song can stay tied to a moment for decades, why it can change how we feel almost instantly, and why it can make us feel connected to people around us. That reach gives music possibilities far beyond pleasure and connection. Once we understand why it affects us so deeply, we can begin to use those mechanisms deliberately to materially improve people’s lives, especially their health. Mikey Jose is a PhD candidate in Neuroscience at UBC whose work sits at the intersection of music, the brain and health. He is also a songwriter and independent recording artist, giving him the perspective of studying music scientifically while making and performing it himself. Agenda 6:00 PM doors open. Guests are welcome to arrive early, order drinks, and have dinner before the lecture begins. 7:00 PM lecture begins, followed by Q&A. 8:15 PM wrap up. Guests are welcome to stay for conversation and another drink.