Sound Health: Music and the Mind

Event Details

The Charleston Gaillard Center is proud to present world-famous soprano Renee Fleming in a multi-media event on the subject of "Sound Health: Music and the Mind" on Friday, December 8 at 1:30 p.m. in the Martha and John M. Rivers Performance Hall.

Working with the Kennedy Center and the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC, Ms.Fleming has collaboratively created a program investigating the research and practices at the intersection of music, neuroscience, and health. In June 2017, a packed house at the Kennedy Center received this presentation with great fanfare and enthusiasm.

Joining Ms. Fleming on stage will be Dr. Jacobo Mintzer, Executive Director of the Clinical Biotechnology Research Institute with Roper St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, SC and Norbert Lewandowski, principal cellist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Mintzer will showcase his research exploring how a seasoned musician's brain works when he creates music.

The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Robert Turner, CEO, and President of Network Neurology in Charleston, SC.

Fleming discusses her interest in this research:
"Throughout my journey as an artist, I have been struck by music's power to heal and transform lives. Today we are riding a wave of scientific discovery in music and neuroscience, and I'm fascinated by the breadth of the research being conducted. Beyond its ability to enthrall and entertain, music offers a host of health benefits "from childhood development to therapeutic applications for Alzheimer's disease, autism, PTSD, Parkinson's disease and chronic pain. And close to my heart, singing can retrain the brain to use different neural circuitry, helping those who have suffered a stroke to regain the ability to speak."