“A look at music’s effect on our everyday lives.”
Whether you consider yourself a musician or not, music is all around us! Augment your life with the inspiration and enrichment of music by looking at its benefits and impact on our daily lives through the lens of science, medicine, sports, education, entertainment, business, service, and history. The show considers current events (e.g., The Olympics, holidays, and the Black Lives Matter movement) while exploring the prevalence and relevance of music. What is the soundtrack of your life?
This weekly podcast is hosted, created, and produced by Mindy Peterson, a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music. The show was launched in summer 2019, the result of an event Mindy initially saw as a huge disappointment (hear the story in the 10-minute Ep. 1: Introduction). View a complete episode list here.
What others are saying:
“With Enhance Life with Music, Mindy is spreading the word of music’s impact on our brain function and health, whether we consider ourselves musicians or not.”
– Dr. Nina Kraus, Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology at Northwestern University
“John Coltrane once said, ‘One positive thought produces millions of positive vibrations.’ Mindy Peterson’s Enhance Life With Music is producing billions of positive vibrations for music, life, and humanity.”
– Dr. Clint Randles, Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of South Florida, and author of, To Create: Imagining the Good Life through Music.
“Mindy Peterson of Enhance Life with Music has created an exceptional podcast providing the most up-to-date research and material relating to all aspects of music. If you’re looking for the latest in music and brain research, children’s music, music in sports, music in our schools, the connection between music and color and so much more—Mindy has you covered! A ‘must’ podcast for those recognizing the power of music in their lives.”
– Sharlene Habermeyer, author of Good Music, Brighter Children
“Wow! I’ve been a guest on a lot of podcasts, but you are in the top 1% in terms of people who know their stuff and know how to interview guests in an engaging, knowledgeable way. Great experience. Thank you!!”
– Dr. Julia Mossbridge, cognitive neuroscientist
Ep. 70: What you don’t know about 1 in 6 people you encounter, and why it matters; with David Knott
The CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study investigated the correlation between childhood trauma and life-long development, health, and well-being. The astounding results have led to trauma informed approaches to education and medicine, among other areas. David Knott explains why an ACE understanding can elevate our music instruction, and how music education be used as a conduit to help...
Ep. 69: Tinder for musical instruments – matchmaking AND community building
At Enhance Life with Music, we believe that music and music-making has value for all of us humans, regardless of age, or where we live in the world, or whether we will eventually be a professional musician or not. We also are aware of the fact that not everyone can afford a musical instrument AND arts education funding is...
Ep. 68: Advocating for justice with music, and cultivating creativity for the common good; with Sara Groves
Singer/songwriter Sara Groves describes how her Christian faith informs her advocacy for justice, community-building, and cultivation of creativity for the common good. Through nurturing a creative community of people who learn, grow, and create together, Sara believes good things result for us all – including our world’s most vulnerable – and point people toward the same things that Jesus...
Ep. 67: “Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste,” with author Nolan Gasser, PhD
Dr. Nolan Gasser was the chief architect of Pandora’s Music Genome Project, and is author of the 2019 book, Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste. Dr. Gasser discusses his role in the Music Genome Project and the ethical component of its design. He then explains some of the most important factors that influence our...
Ep. 66: Olympic trainer Daniel Stewart on enhancing motivation and performance with music
Athletic anthems can be used to enhance motivation and performance in athletics, on the job, and in life. Author and trainer-to-Olympians Daniel Stewart discusses selecting the perfect song for your situation, the role of song lyrics, and converting your anthem to a mojo mantra.
Ep. 65: Musical Playgrounds – the neuroscience of nature & music combined with PLAY! With Melissa Hughes, Ph.D.
We are hard-wired to learn through play, and to learn better in nature. Musical playgrounds utilize outdoor musical instruments and the science behind them to combine learning, nature, and play to promote community health and engagement. With no wrong notes, musical training is optional; and the resulting music is always as delightful as the sound of a windchime! ...
Ep. 64: Does Practice Make Perfect? With Ed Varner, Ed.D.
There is a pretty universal saying that “Practice Makes… [and we all fill in the blank] Perfect.” Ed Varner, Ed.D., argues that improvement, not perfection, should be the goal in the creation of art, in education, in work, and in everything that we do. He explains what he calls “The Practice” and how this approach is the application of...
Ep. 63: Confessions of a piano tuner, with Billy Sadler
Piano tuners interact with a broad swath of people, including performing celebrities, stage crew, academics, and everyday families with kids taking lessons. They interact with people on stage, backstage, in their workplaces, and in their homes. Billy Sadler has been an Independent Piano Tuner & Technician since 1971. He shares some of his experiences with celebrities including Prince, Leon...
Music hack-the work I’m doing in the office will drive the type of music I listen to. I’m usually sitting at my desk all day so my music is always on. If I’m working on reports, it might be class rock/pop. If it’s something that needs a lot of concentrating, it could be Enya. If it’s something monotonous, maybe Metallica, to keep me awake!
Thanks so much for sharing!
We love music in our home- whether it’s listening to “cleaning music” while we clean up the house, or belting out songs we know together as a family around the piano and mandolin❤️ We are also schooling at home utilizing a curriculum that puts everything to music for easy memorization! We were thrilled the other night when we discovered this pony tail holder on our floor positioned like this: IMG_0742.JPG
Love this, Sarah — thanks so much for posting!! Definitely brought a smile to my face!
Hi my name is Vanessa, I am 11 year old.
I use just dance on the Wii to have fun dancing with music and being competitive with my sissy Delany.
Thank you, Vanessa! I’m so glad you listen to the podcast! I’ll include your Listener Improv on the next show. :^)
A way that we use music in our everyday life as a family is to sing a “brush your teeth” song while brushing my sons teeth. He never fights us during it, and he knows just how long to brush his teeth.
I wish I would have thought of that when MY kids were young! Thank you!
Mindy — Wow! I’ve been a guest on a lot of podcasts, but you are in the top 1% in terms of people who know their stuff and know how to interview guests in an engaging, knowledgeable way. Great experience. Thank you!!
Thanks so much, Dr. Mossbridge – It was a pleasure to meet you on the phone!!
Improv: Every time I am getting ready for the day I crank Beyonce. She makes you feel so empowered as a person/women and gets me dancing. Helps to start my day out right.
Love that — it’s like an audio version of the Power Pose – thank you, Lynn!