Music Psychology
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Thoughts on listening to new music, emotion and memory
Huffington Post asked me to comment on the idea that we tend to listen to only familiar music. What may be the benefits of listening to new music instead and how might we approach this challenge? The questions I received from the Huffington Post are in bold text below and my full, original answers are underneath. How might we retrain our brains to appreciate and take in more new sounds, when many of us become more accustomed to nostalgic sounds as we grow older? Lamont and Loveday (2020) conducted most recent review on the importance of music in our lives; the power of music in our memories and how that…
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Taiko drumming and wellbeing
I am fortunate to receive messages from talented musicians on a regular basis, with anecdotes about supporting wellbeing in their communities. In an era when positivity can be in short supply, these stories brighten my spirit, reminding me that our artists never give up on making a better world for us all. One such artist is Jack Painting, a music psychology MSc student, who reached out to introduce me to Taiko Drumming. Having studied kit drums and music performance at the London Centre of Contemporary Music, Jack completed Taiko Meantime’s apprenticeship program in 2011. He is a former kickboxer, a member of the London Beefeaters Military drum corps and continues…
