Radio presenter Andrew McGregor explored how music can calm our minds as part of the BBC’s Mindful Mix Prom, which aired on 26 August. During the show he spoke to Westminster’s Professor Catherine Loveday by the stage of the Royal Albert Hall before the live Prom took place about the power music has on the brain.
During the interview, Professor Loveday offered her expertise on how music influences our minds, highlighting that music can significantly alter our mood and even change the chemistry in our brains. She also explains that music has the power to bring back memories, provoking a range of emotions.
She said: “Music has a really powerful and profound effect on our minds and on our brain. We can see this not just in what people say and how they behave but in the activity that we see in their brains and the changes in chemistry. There are a couple of ways this is particularly expressed. One is the way in which our emotions can be affected and regulated by listening to music and that is partly because effectively music taps into our essential communication system - our emotional communication system. The other key thing is the way it impacts on our memory and the fact that we can call to mind very specific memories and sometimes feelings that are provoked by music.”
The BBC Prom, Mindful Mix, which took place on 27 August, offered late-night musical relaxation that focused on stillness and prayer. The concert featured a range of composers including William Byrd, Caroline Shaw and Ola Gjeilo who also spoke during the segment.
On the experience Professor Loveday said: “It was such a fantastic experience. I felt so privileged to be there, especially as the proms is something that has always been very close to my mum’s heart.”
Professor Loveday has been interviewed by the BBC on various occasions, speaking to BBC Radio 4 about her research on memory phenomenon, BBC News about the effect of lockdown on people’s memory and BBC’s CrowdScience on the impact of noise pollution.
Listen to Professor Loveday’s appearance on BBC World Service.
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