“A holistic 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). The show is in Chartable’s Top 200 Music Podcasts for USA (top 100) and Global; and has downloads in over 70 countries. 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. 90: Glee, Ryan Murphy, and innovation in music education; with Beth Slusher
Concerns over national budget cuts for the arts in public schools led to Give a Note’s formation by Ryan Murphy, Glee, and 20th Century Fox. Give a Note (GAN) recognizes and boosts music educators utilizing especially innovative strategies to engage students and benefit their communities outside traditional music curriculum. GAN’s initiatives advance programs that attract students not typically enrolled...
Ep.89: Predicting musical hits with the mathematics of music, with Music Xray’s Mike McCready
Analysis of a song’s mathematical structure has led to technology called Hit Song Science (HSS). This science makes it possible to predict a new song's hit potential – AND has revolutionized the opportunities available to musicians. We discuss music’s structural components, and how songs’ mathematical relationships can predict commercial potential, level the playing field for musicians, connect musicians and...
Ep. 88: It Hurts So Good: When and why is sad music enjoyed? With Kimberly Sena Moore, PhD, MT-BC
The phrase, “It hurts so good” perfectly describes that experience of music perpetuating our negative emotions while somehow making us feel better at the same time. We untangle some of the different factors and threads that are at play in this paradox.
Ep. 87: Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning, with author Peter Brown
While there are many different learning styles and preferences, scientific research does point to certain common denominators in successful learning, meaning learning that not only acquires knowledge, but also retains that knowledge and applies it to future problems and scenarios. The book "Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning" is written by cognitive scientists to clarify what those...
Ep. 86: The latest research on music interventions in dementia, and two ways to get personally involved; with NIA’s Dr. Coryse St. Hillaire-Clarke
The award-winning movie Alive Inside (2014) inspired a five-year research project that is documenting the effects of a personalized music intervention for those with dementia. Dr. Coryse St. Hillaire-Clarke of The National Institute on Aging (NIA) explains the project, which is funded by an NIA grant. We discuss other studies and developments in music interventions for dementia, including two...
Ep. 85: Smule – Connecting the World Through Music, with CEO Jeff Smith, PhD
You can make music with others anytime, anyplace, and with anyone (including Ed Sheeran and Disney’s Maui the demigod!) thanks to an app that has a really unique way of bringing the world together thru the medium of music. Smule encourages people to create, not just consume, music – and to create music together. Smule co-founder and CEO Jeff...
Ep. 84: Music’s redemptive & restorative power in prison environments, with Arts Capacity founder Holly Mulcahy
I can’t think of a better purpose for harnessing the healing power of music than to re-humanize and reconcile people living in stressful and de-humanizing conditions. That is exactly what Arts Capacity is doing by bringing music’s healing and hope to prisoners. Music is used to allow people to access their own emotions and develop tools to be successful...
Ep. 83: Connecting the dots between SEL and music, with Scott Edgar, PhD
The development of social emotional learning (SEL) skills is embedded and inherent in musical training. And yet there are many ways we as educators and parents can streamline this process through being intentional in how we integrate SEL and music. A global pandemic has made this integration exponentially vital, and has increased our awareness of social and emotional needs...
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!