The 'Music in the Brain' Initiative - Thursday 1 October 2015
The 'Music in the Brain' initiative - hosted by the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development - aims to share exciting developments in music and science with musicians, students, teachers,
educators, and music lovers.
The twin goals of the initiative are to work with musicians to uncover the core neural and mental processes that underpin successful solo and ensemble performance, and to better understand the heath and educational benefits of musical training by exploring how music shapes the brain.
Who Are We?
The Music Cognition and Action group in the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development is a team of Neuroscientists, Psychologists and Musicians who apply neuroscience techniques to explore how the brain gives rise to musical behaviour.
Our members have worked with musicians from across the globe including the Chicago Orchestra(opens in a new window) and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.(opens in a new window)
We are primarily interested in understanding the psychological, neural and social elements involved in solo and group ensemble performance.
- How do we develop musical expertise?
- What group skills assist ensemble performance?
- How does musical memory work?
- What are the health and educational benefits of music in children and older adults?
- Can music help physical rehabilitation and combat the effects of neurodegeneration?
- What are the causes of musician's dystonia and how can we treat it?
Event Details
The initiative will be launched with an afternoon information session held on Thursday 1 October 2015 at the Bankstown Campus of Western Sydney University (Bullecourt Ave, Milperra).
The event will open with a short series of presentations covering the ongoing projects at the MARCS Institute.
This informal discussion will provide a forum for attendees to ask questions and identify critical areas for future research.
The session will include with a tour of the research facilities to demonstrate the experimental techniques used to explore Music in the Brain.
You can learn more on our Music Cognition and Action home page.
For any questions or further information about this event, please contact Dr Bronson Harry.
| Event | 'Music in the Brain' Initiative |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 1 October 2015 |
| Time | 3.00pm - 5.00pm |
| Venue |
Western Sydney University, Bankstown campus Building 23, Room 23.G.40 |
| Contact | Dr Bronson Harry (b.harry@westernsydney.edu.au) |
Event Program
| Welcome and Masters of Ceremony Building 23, Bankstown campus, Western Sydney University | Dr Bronson Harry and Dr Jennifer MacRitchie MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development |
| Opening Addresses Building 23 [3.00pm - 3.30pm] | Launch of Music in the Brain Initiative Professor Peter Hutchings, Provost & Dean of the School of Humanities and Communication Arts, Western Sydney University Performance Skills Associate Professor Peter Keller, Program leader of the Music Cognition and Action group, MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University Creativity, Improvisation and Meaning in Music Professor Roger Dean, Research Professor in Sonic Communication, MARCS Institute, Western Sydney University |
| Music in the Lab Building 9 [3.30pm - 4.00pm] | Use it or Lose it! Piano lessons as a health intervention for older adults Dr Jennifer MacRitchie Exploring joint music making irrespective of musical expertise Dr Giacomo Novembre Using Motion Capture Technology to understand Musicians' Movements Dr Manuel Varlet and Dr Kohei Miyata Measuring brain waves with electroencephalography (EEG) Ms Peta Mills and Ms Anita Paas |
| Speed Presentations Building 23 [4.00pm - 4.30pm] | Forget-Me-Not: Predicting Melody Recognition Mr Steffen Herff Making Connections: How music shapes the brain Dr Bronson Harry Applying music to health: Music therapy Ms Tina Read Capturing audience reactions to music and dance Professor Kate Stevens Software for generating rhythms based on novel mathematical principles Dr Andy Milne & Mr Steffen Herff |
| Q&A Panel Building 23 [4.30pm] | Facilitator - Dr Jennifer MacRitchie |
| Refreshments | Margot Hardy Gallery, Building 23 |
Register
To register your interest in attending this event, please use our registration form.(opens in a new window)
