Instru(mental)

Where can you catch up on the latest music cognition research, watch a musical about the scientific process, and karaoke to your heart's desire? SMPC 2026! This episode is series of recordings from the 2026 Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC) conference from a music therapist's perspective. And no, we were not sponsored by Hoosier Mama Pie. Featured Interviewees and Resources Emily Wood, PhD candidate at Mcmaster University (Insta: @emilywood2, @live.lab)Peter Martens, PeARL La...

Have you ever noticed that music just hits differently when your high? In this episode of Instru(mental), we're diving into the surprisingly sparse, but curious body of research that explains how cannabis changes our musical experiences. Along the way, we'll touch on what mix of THC and CBD might enhance musical reward and what this might mean for clinicians working with people who listen to music under altered states of consciousness. Thank you to the sponsor of today's episode, Daniel Golds...

What can we deduce from hearing less than 1 second of music? Learn how accurately listeners can identify music genres from excerpts that are less than a quarter of a second long, and see how your brain does in a mini version of the experimental task. Our takeaways include how these sophisticated, split-second associations to music sometimes work against our better judgment. Support the show by checking out https://ko-fi.com/breamurakami1. Thank you! References Mace, S.T., Wagoner, C.L., Teach...

Can music change our moral judgments of others? In this episode, we explore how knowing about someone's, or something's, musicality shifts our moral decision-making. This episode's research study includes four related experiments involving musical monkeys, anti-musical humans, dogs, babies, and robots. Then, we explore what the converging results suggest about music’s impact to shift social attitudes and advocacy efforts related to groups that are often dehumanized, like the homeless communit...

What if you didn’t have to be a scientist, or a musician, to use music in your everyday life? Hi there, I’m Brea, a board-certified music therapist and this is Instru(mental) – a podcast that explores the science of music and how it shapes your brain, your body, and your life. This podcast isn’t just about what music sounds like, it’s about what music does to you. In each episode, I break down fascinating research about how music affects us and I share real-life takeaways you can actually use...

What's the best music for a wedding? In this episode, I explain how I lightly manipulated my guests with music to make my wedding as fun, engaging, and memorable as possible. We'll cover research about the music and social bonding hypothesis, the brain's reward circuitry, and statistics about my own wedding playlists that explains how music contributed to the celebration. And, if you're in wedding planning mode, this episode has tips for curating the best music for your special day! Su...

How can music serve as a social surrogate when we can't directly interact with others? This episode explores how listening to music can serve as a social proxy and provides ideas for how to strengthen your social relationships in the age of social distancing. For more information about the research, resources, and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for news and updates! Support the show

How can the fields of music therapy and music cognition strengthen each other? This episode features a conversation with music therapist Daniel Goldschmidt (@danielnnz) on a wide range of topics about bridging these two disciplines including: What it's like to going to music therapy vs. music cognition conferencesHow Daniel applies music cognition research to his professional practiceWhere music therapy/cognition can easily intersectWhy music therapists need to seek expertise beyond their bub...

This episode features an interview with Jessica McLean, a soon-to-be music therapist who started her career in music neuroscience. We talk about how Jessica first got involved in music science research and how she’s applied her research skills to help children with cochlear implants better hear prosody. In this episode you’ll learn more about what music may sound like for cochlear implant users, a drumming-to-speech paradigm Jessica designed to help with prosody recognition, and the importanc...

How do our ears and brains take in and process sound? This episode covers the basics of how we hear starting with sound wave all the way to the primary auditory cortex. Learn how music therapists work with individuals who are hard of hearing and how to protect your own hearing. For more information about the research, resources, and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for news and updates! Support the show

How can individual musical elements impact our music listening experiences? This episode is a quick dive into how melody and lyrics in a song impact the emotional intensity of music. Learn how you can make more strategic music choices by becoming mindful of musical elements’ influence in how you perceive music. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter with @instrumentalpod for news and updates...

How do certain songs become intertwined with our personal memories? This episode explores the musical reminiscence bump, how our musical preferences may be influenced by our parents, and the neurologic mechanisms behind music-evoked autobiographical memories. Get ideas for how to use music to frame and reflect on your past experiences. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter (@instrumentalpod) for n...

Does music release dopamine? And how can music be interpreted as a reward? This episode uncovers how reward circuitry in our brain can be activated when we listen to music. Learn how the interactions between music and dopamine contribute to neuroplasticity and how music therapists take advantage of musical rewards for increased motivation. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter (@instrumentalpod) f...

Why are some people tone deaf? This episode explores a musical disorder called congenital amusia, in which people have trouble processing the pitch and melodic structures of music. Learn the neurologic disconnect in amusic brains, what amusia can tell us about humans' musical foundations, whether people with amusia can still enjoy music, and how to find out if you may have amusia yourself. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPod...

How does music help us deal with death? This episode covers research that gives us insights into how music can lessen death anxiety and then discusses three ways that music is used in hospice care to support individuals at the end of life. Takeaways include resources like the Five Wishes document and ideas for how to start important conversations with your loved ones about death. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. ...

Do our musical tastes reflect our personalities? This episode dives into research about how the Big Five personality factors might influence what music we like. Along the way, learn what you may able to know about a person after hearing their favorite music and how to use that knowledge to build more genuine connections with strangers and people you've known your whole life. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follo...

Can music impact how we shop? This mini-episode explores how music can unconsciously influence our decisions of what to buy and how much money we spend in retail settings. Get the highlights of how music can impact our associations with products, change how we perceive time, and how to use music for a comfortable shared environment. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter (@instrumentalpod) for news...

How does music impact how we move? Can music help us exercise more efficiently? This episode dives into research that explains what's happening in your spinal cord and brain when you're listening to music during a run or at the gym. This episode features lots of takeaways for when and when not to use music for your workout. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter (@instrumentalpod) for news and updates!&n...

How do babies perceive music? Infants aren't blank musical slates, they're actually pretty sophisticated music listeners. This episode highlights how we're all built to process music from birth, and how this innate musicality helps medically fragile infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. Takeaways include tips for parents to share more music with their children. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitt...

The Mozart effect has gotten a lot of hype (and criticism) the past few decades...what's the real story? This episode breaks down the research that led to the Mozart effect being debunked. Even though those Mozart baby CDs won't make your baby smarter, we also share the one music activity that has shown to have long-term benefits to cognitive processing. For more information on the research articles and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter (@instrumen...

Music's ability to impact our emotions is often taken for granted, but how exactly does music influence our feelings? This episode dives into six ways to answer this question and explores how you can strategically use music for emotion regulation. More information regarding the research article and music clips can be found out our website (www.InstrumentalPodcast.com). Follow @instrumentalpod on Twitter for the latest news and updates! Support the show

Music often brings people together whether through dancing, choirs, or bands. How exactly does music help build stronger relationships, even among strangers? This episode dives into research behind musical entrainment and how synchronizing with another person can lead you to act in a more cooperative, helpful way. Check out our website (www.InstrumentalPodcast.com) for more information on the research articles and clips featured in this episode. Follow @instrumentalpod on Twitter for th...