The Power of Music Thinking

Could smart sound design actually make calling a hospital a less stressful experience? And what if the sound of a cello could be scientifically mapped to our emotions? These are just some of the questions we’ll be exploring today with our guest, Caitlyn Trevor. Caitlyn holds a PhD in Music Theory, a Master’s in Cello Performance, and is an award-winning film score composer. As a researcher and UX professional, her work sits at that fascinating intersection of performance, science, and user experience. In our chat, we trace Caitlyn’s journey from discovering the Lord of the Rings soundtrack to conducting neuroscience research in Switzerland. We’ll get into the specifics of how playing music acts as a full-body exercise for the brain, and why she’s applying that knowledge to improve everyday sonic experiences. We also discuss her fantastic LinkedIn series, "Sound Effects," which shows how sound can drive behaviour change. For example, one post reveals how adding a simple warning sound to an e-scooter can cut the number of times it goes unnoticed by pedestrians from a staggering 97% down to just 3%. It's a wonderful conversation packed with insight.  Show notes Connect with Caitlyn via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlyn-trevor/   The Sound Effect series on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sonicuxr   Video Music in the tunnel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Irk1leLxfk   What is Music Cognition, video by David Heron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R76p5B9nyPk   Show support If this podcast has sparked an idea, offered a new perspective, or provided a tool you’ve found useful. Please consider to support Music Thinking on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/musicthinking  

Today we’re heading to Hoboken, New Jersey, to speak with Chris Dalla Riva, who works at the fascinating intersection of music and data. He’s a Senior Product Manager at the streaming service Audiomack, and the writer behind the popular newsletter Can’t Get Much Higher. His work has been featured by The Economist and NPR, and you might know him as the guy who set off an internet-wide debate about the decline of key changes in popular music. In our conversation today, we get into some incredible territory. We’ll discuss his research into the Billboard charts that reveals the surprising moment Black artists began to dominate popular music. We’ll also find out how his company, Audiomack, is beating giants like Spotify across Africa with one simple, but crucial, feature. And we'll hear about the book that came from his personal quest to analyze every single Billboard number one hit since 1958. Show notes Connect with Chris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-dalla-riva-114ab078/  Website: https://www.chrisdallariva.com/uncharted The free and open spreadsheet with all Billboard Top 100 from 1958: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j1AUgtMnjpFTz54UdXgCKZ1i4bNxFjf01ImJ-BqBEt0/edit?gid=1077686609#gid=1077686609 Show support If this podcast has sparked an idea, offered a new perspective, or provided a tool you’ve found useful. You can now show your appreciation and help sustain the show through our new Ko-fi page. Your support, whether a one-time ‘coffee’ or a monthly membership, makes a huge difference. Thank you for being part of this journey. Please consider to support Music Thinking on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/musicthinking     

And we're back! In this special first episode after the summer break, Christof takes you on a sensory journey to Japan with a series of 'audio postcards' recorded in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Koyasan. It's an immersive exploration of sound, mindfulness, and creativity. Stick around for the second half, where Christof makes three major announcements about the future of Music Thinking, including a new way for you to support the show and an upcoming online workshop. IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL HEAR: Audio Postcard #1: The serene water basin and surrounding soundscape of the Ryoanji Temple garden in Kyoto. Audio Postcard #2: The chaotic, energetic wave of sound at the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing in Tokyo. Audio Postcard #3: The meditative, rhythmic sound of a Zen garden being raked by artisans in Koyasan. Announcement 1: Introducing a brand new, simple way to support the podcast on Ko-fi. Announcement 2: Details on the new 'Music Thinking 101' online workshop. Announcement 3: A preview of the exciting new guest episodes and Japan specials coming this season. ❤️ SUPPORT THE SHOW If you find value in Music Thinking, you can now support the show directly and help keep it ad-free and independent. Become a member for perks or make a one-time 'thank you' donation on our new Ko-fi page: ▶︎ https://ko-fi.com/musicthinking 🧠 NEW ONLINE WORKSHOP: MUSIC THINKING 101 Join the new 90-minute online introduction to the Music Thinking Framework. A fast-paced, interactive session to transform how you co-create, lead, and understand your business. ▶︎ https://lu.ma/is0p00tv RESOURCES MENTIONED: Ryoanji Temple, Kyoto Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo Kongobuji Temple, Koyasan Pro Tip: For an even better listener experience, consider adding timestamps to the items in the "IN THIS EPISODE" list after you've edited the final audio.  

Our guest today is both an accomplished musician and a fascinating researcher. Dr. Sandra Garrido is a pianist and violinist who holds a PhD combining the worlds of music and psychology. Her work focuses on a question that touches all of us: how can music regulate our mood and improve our mental wellbeing? What's truly unique is that she explores this not just today, but through a historical lens, uncovering how music has always been used to help people feel better.  In our conversation, Sandra gives us fascinating insights into the paradoxical appeal of sad music. We discussed why the same Adele song might comfort one person while sending another into a negative loop. Sandra also shares how music can be a powerful tool for young people with depression and its surprising role in dementia care. This makes this a conversation you won't want to miss, with practical tips like how to organise your summer playlist (or the winter one if you are down under). Show notes Connect with Sandra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandramgarrido/  University profile: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/marcs/about/our_people/researchers/dr_sandra_garrido MoodyTunes website: https://www.moodytunes.com.au Dementia resources: https://www.musicfordementia.com.au Show support Please choose one or more of the ‘three ways to support the show’: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave us a review — even one sentence helps! I appreciate your support; it helps the show! Tell your friends about the podcast and musicthinking.com Buy the book The Power of Music Thinking and/or the Jam Cards at a 20% discount using musicthinking20 at the check-out of the BIS Publishers website only.  

Our guest today is Dr. Maya Ackerman, a world-renowned AI expert who has been at the forefront of generative AI since 2015. She holds a PhD in Computer Science, is a professor at Santa Clara University, and has authored over 60 research publications.  As the co-founder and CEO of WaveAI, one of the earliest generative AI startups, she specialises in creating systems that elevate AI from a novelty to an essential tool for millions. A recognised 'Woman of Influence' and sought after for her expertise by outlets such as NBC News and New Scientist, her perspective is truly unique. In our conversation, we explore the delicate balance between human and machine creativity. It's a relationship that requires trust, improvisation, and a deep understanding of what you could truly call the dance of leading and following. And that perspective is exactly what we explore today. This is a conversation that bridges worlds: from learning to play the piano and sing opera to becoming a CEO in AI.  We get into the very nature of creativity itself, discussing improvisation, hallucination, imagination, and what Maya refers to as 'computational creativity.' We even touch on science fiction, asking how these humble creative machines might elevate, and not replace, us in the near future. Show notes Connect with Maya on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackerma/  LyricStudio: https://lyricstudio.net/  MelodyStudio: https://melodystudio.net/  Creative Machines Book (available for pre-order, releasing in Oct) https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Machines-Future-Human-Creativity/dp/1394316267  Mentioned in the talk, speculative fiction books by Annalee Newitz, check out Terraformers and Autonomous:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/191888.Annalee_Newitz  Show support Please choose one or more of the ‘three ways to support the show’: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave us a review — even one sentence helps! I appreciate your support; it helps the show! Tell your friends about the podcast and musicthinking.com Buy the book The Power of Music Thinking and/or the Jam Cards at a 20% discount using musicthinking20 at the check-out of the BIS Publishers website only.  

This is a personal story about my first online interview at the end of the 1990s. It is a trip back in time with original sound snippets from the interview with famous conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim in the Opéra Royale at Versailles. Find out how we did this technically and what questions the maestro was asked that came from the internet. This is another special episode where I experiment with different kinds of storytelling.  This time, it is also about pioneering the internet and music thinking. You hear original sounds from 1997 that might sound a bit bumpy but have historical value. It shows unreleased material from a great musician, an empathic, sympathetic person in a relaxed, collegial atmosphere. Show notes Europa Concert 1997: https://www.medici.tv/en/concerts/europakonzert-1997-chateau-de-versailles-paris-daniel-barenboim-conductor-and-piano-berliner-philharmoniker-ravel-mozart-beethoven Daniel Barenboim Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Barenboim  Show support Please choose one or more of the ‘three ways to support the show’: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave us a review — even one sentence helps! I appreciate your support; it helps the show! Tell your friends about the podcast and musicthinking.com Buy the book The Power of Music Thinking and/or the Jam Cards at a 20% discount using musicthinking20 at the check-out of the BIS Publishers website only.​​  

What can people and organisations learn from science and music? Why should we care? Are there universal mechanisms that are valid all over the world to all human species? Or is everything an individual experience?  Today, we talk with Hauke Egermann, Professor of Systematical Musicology at the University of Cologne. We speak about universal mechanisms that are valid all over the world; we learn from research with an isolated culture in Congo, the Pygmies from Mebenzélé, that refuse to practise negative music and have different songs to regulate their emotions. Songs against fear, anger, or, among others, music to protect hunters in the rainforest. How do they respond to music they have never heard or connected with? What does it evoke, and how does this relate to Canadian Indigenous people and the listening patterns in the Western world?  Hauke also shares the Music Date concert with us, where the audience's emotional reaction is tracked in the first tutti part of a concert to then separate and assign them to eight different mini-concerts around one emotion based on their responses.   Show notes Connect with Hauke: https://musikwissenschaft.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/en/mitarbeiter-innen/professoren-innen/hauke-egermann  Mentioned paper about universal emotion-related psychophysiological responses: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01341/full Google scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=de&user=aSSMPDoAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate    Related podcasts:  A love letter to sound with Nina Kraus: https://musicthinking.com/a-love-letter-to-sound-with-nina-kraus/ Standing still with Alexander Refsum Jensenius: https://musicthinking.com/standing-still-with-alexander-refsum-jensenius/

A few episodes ago, I asked the question What is Orchestration? This was because I saw a lot of different orchestrators, nota bene, non-musical orchestrators with job titles like Design Orchestrator, Value Network Orchestrator, Data Orchestrator and Innovation Orchestrator, just to name a few. This is an ongoing research, and I am writing a paper about what people do when they say they are orchestrating.  But today, we flip the side and talk with a music orchestrator, or, shall I say, an original orchestrator? We speak with Robin Hoffmann, a prize-winning composer, arranger and orchestrator from Berlin. We talk about orchestration in music and the difference between composing, orchestrating, arranging and conducting in Hollywood films, games and concerts.  This is a deep dive into the music industry and all its facets and an inspiration for everyone orchestrating something. Robin shares with us many insights and a great story.   Show notes Connect with Robin: https://www.robin-hoffmann.com/  Show support Please choose one or more of the ‘three ways to support the show’: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave us a review — even one sentence helps! I appreciate your support; it helps the show! Tell your friends about the podcast and musicthinking.com Buy the book The Power of Music Thinking and/or the Jam Cards at a 20% discount using musicthinking20 at the check-out of the BIS Publishers website only.​​    

Let’s talk about books today. What was the last book that inspired you? Was it a novel, a non-fiction book, a design book, a music book or a cookbook?    In this episode, I share three books that inspired my sound way of thinking, experiencing the world with an open ear and what has led to developing music thinking, the framework, the jam cards, the book and the podcast.  I will briefly discuss Nada Brahma by Joachim Ernst Berend, The Soundscape by R. Murray Schafer, and The Glass Bead Game, the prize-winning novel by Hermann Hesse. These three books directly and indirectly influenced the ideas in The Power of Music Thinking.  But my book also influenced another author, and he used parts of the music thinking framework described in the book to explain his idea of rebels in digital development in Belgium.  Today I speak with Geert de Mol, a CDO for the leading Belgian Bank for 16 years, during their development of ‘the best app in the world’. Geert is a music lover of rock and pop, and he shares with us how music thinking and the book helped him to pen his story.   Show notes Connect with Geert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geert-van-mol-1779812/  Music from the world of Anathem: https://soundcloud.com/ztutz/sets/iolet-music-from-the-world-of-anathem    Show support Please choose one or more of the ‘three ways to support the show’: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave us a review — even one sentence helps! I appreciate your support; it helps the show! Tell your friends about the podcast and musicthinking.com Buy the book The Power of Music Thinking and/or the Jam Cards at a 20% discount using musicthinking20 at the check-out of the BIS Publishers website only.​​

Today we speak with Willemijn van Hussen - a trained concert pianist, strategy consultant - co-founder and owner of Sonic Branding agency TAMBR. We talk about the power of our senses and how sound can make a difference in recognising a brand and what it stands for. Willemijn shares with us insights from an audio branding project, with a sonic logo, brand anthem and different sound assets that are used strategically.  Among others, we hear the brand anthem of Lazy Vegan and how this might be different from other brands in the industry. Willemijn gives tips for students who work on sound assignments and for brands that want to make a start with sonic branding. Show notes Connect with Willemijn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willemijnvanhussenfuhring/  TAMBR Sonic Branding Agency: https://www.tambr.nl/en/ Steve Keller Audio Alchemist: https://musicthinking.com/blend-sound-science-with-sound-art-to-make-sound-decisions-with-steve-keller/  Show support Please choose one or more of the ‘three ways to support the show’: Subscribe to the podcast. Leave us a review — even one sentence helps! I appreciate your support; it helps the show! Tell your friends about the podcast and musicthinking.com Buy the book The Power of Music Thinking and/or the Jam Cards at a 20% discount using musicthinking20 at the check-out of the BIS Publishers website only.​​