July 2019 SIETAR Kansai (co-sponsored by JALT Osaka)

Music in our brains–a universal human characteristic

  • Speaker:  Dr. Amanda Gillis-Furutaka
  • Date: July 28, 2019 (Sunday)
  • Time: 14:00-17:00
  • Venue: Takatsuki Shiritsu Shogai Gakushu Center, 3F Room 1 (10 minutes from JR Takatsuki station, 8 minutes from Hankyu Takatsuki-shi station) 高槻市立生涯学習センター 3階 Room 1. JR高槻駅より徒歩10分; 阪急駅高槻市駅8分
  • Fee: Free for members and students; 500 yen for non-members. No preregistration required.
  • Language: English
  • Social event (optional): Dinner after the session at a restaurant nearby. Reservations for dinner required by July 24th.
  • Contact: fujimotodonna@@gmail.com

Description of the program

We are the only species on the planet that makes music. Moreover, all human societies make music of some kind. This is because music is hardwired into the human brain, just as language is. In this workshop we will examine what music is, and explore the ways in which our brains “hear” and respond to various kinds of music: both music that is familiar and music from other cultures. We will also look into the differences between recorded and live musical performances and discuss ways in which music is an integral part of our daily lives. My aim is that by the end of the workshop, we will all consider ourselves truly “musical” and appreciate the effects that music can have on the brain, providing numerous benefits to our overall wellbeing.

Profile of the speaker

Dr. Amanda Gillis-Furutaka is a professor of English and British Culture at Kyoto Sangyo University. She became fascinated by the findings of neuroscience when she first started working on her PhD in Music and has continued to explore recent discoveries about various aspects of the brain and how they can be applied to daily life. She is Program Chair of the JALT Mind Brain and Education SIG and a regular presenter and contributor to the SIG’s monthly magazines called Think Tanks.