Music and the Mind

This talk brings together the perspectives of a scientist and a musician in what promises to be a fascinating counterpoint: Baroness Susan Greenfield, one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, writers and broadcasters, and author of the bestselling The Human Brain: A Guided Tour; and trumpeter, ACO collaborator and composer Phil Slater, a leading practitioner of the art of improvisation and whose PhD focussed on skill acquisition and motor learning.

The capacity to create and respond to music is one of the defining features of the human brain. As Greenfield puts it, ‘in the age-old debates about what makes us human, some argue that sign-language skills are possible to a limited extent in other, specifically trained primates, but no one has yet claimed that chimps … are capable of generating and appreciating music. In contrast, our own ancestors have been doing so for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years.’

In this discussion, Greenfield and Slater will explore how our brains interact with music, and what that means for creatives and audiences alike. Moderated by Sana Qadar (host of All In The Mind on ABC RN), the evening will end with an exclusive musical performance.

Presented in partnership with the Australian Chamber Orchestra