Music and the Brain
Few things stimulate the brain as much as music does. Music has been shown to have therapeutic, developmental, and emotional impacts on neuroplasticity. Musical training has been shown to increase the connectivity of certain brain regions. This course fuses science and the arts in order to examine how music can alter brain structure and function.
Dr. Henry (Peter) Ralston will present the cutting-edge information along with representative music curated by Jeremy Geffen, executive and artistic director of Cal Performances.
“If you want to firm up your body, go to the gym. If you want to exercise your brain, listen to music… it provides a total brain workout” (Johns Hopkins).
With the rapid development of cognitive neuroscience and brain function detection technology, the relationship between music and the brain has increasingly attracted the attention of neuroscientists. We will explore these issues, in the language of science for laypersons.
Peter Ralston received his M.D. from UCSF, with additional training in New York and London. He held faculty positions at Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin and served as chair of UCSF’s Department of Anatomy, where he was a professor. During his 35-year career at UCSF, he directed the medical school’s course in neuroscience and ran an NIH-supported research lab.
This is an In-Person, Livestreamed + Recorded Course
- Classes will be held in person at Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St.
- Classes will also be streamed live simultaneously, as well as recorded.
- Course materials, including videos, will remain available to view and enjoy through May 31.
- Zoom link will be posted in the Member Dashboard. Learn more.
Schedule Highlights
- Course starts on Tuesday, April 11 and ends on Tuesday, April 25.
- Classes meet for three weeks, two hours per session.