UND celebrates relaunch of Music Therapy with lecture by renowned neuroscientist
Bestselling author, musician Dr. Daniel Levitin to present ‘Music and Health’
What: Lecture by Dr. Daniel Levitin celebrating the return of UND’s Music Therapy degree program.
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Where: Josephine Campbell Recital Hall, Room 202, Hughes Fine Arts Center, UND.
Admission: Free and open to the public.
‘Music therapy can have impacts both big and small on people’s lives. It can help people of all ages and in many populations. Music therapy can help a baby and its parents bond in the NICU. It can help an Alzheimer’s patient be present and connect to their core self through musical memory and engagement …’
After a 10-year pause of its Music Therapy bachelor’s degree, the University of North Dakota will mark the return of the program with a special guest lecture by Dr. Daniel Levitin.
The world-renowned neuroscientist, bestselling author and musician will present “Music and Health” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in the Hughes Fine Arts Center’s Josephine Campbell Recital Hall, Room 202.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
“Dr. Levitin’s lecture promises to be a memorable experience for students, staff, faculty members and the wider Grand Forks community,” said Brad Rundquist, dean of UND’s College of Arts & Sciences. “He does an amazing job explaining the importance of his groundbreaking research into how our brains process music and how music’s therapeutic benefits can be used in treating Alzheimer’s disease, depression, pain and other conditions that impact our well-being.”
Levitin’s research spans music, the brain, health, productivity and creativity. He has published more than 300 articles in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and his work has been featured in popular press, including The New York Times, as well as Scientific American and Rolling Stone magazines. His TED talk is among the most viewed of all time.
Levitin also is the author of several New York Times bestsellers, including “This Is Your Brain on Music,” “The World in Six Songs,” “The Organized Mind” and “Successful Aging.” Further, he has consulted for companies the likes of Apple, Microsoft and Sony, and he has spoken at institutions ranging from the U.S. Congress to Google and Amazon.
Performing with some of the greats
As a musician, Levitin has performed with legends such as Mel Torme, Sting and Rosanne Cash, and he has contributed to albums and films, including “Good Will Hunting” and “Pulp Fiction.”
Levitin earned degrees from Stanford University and the University of Oregon. He’s taught at Stanford, Dartmouth and University of California-Berkeley. He currently serves as the founding dean of Arts & Humanities at Minerva University in San Francisco and is a James McGill Professor emeritus at McGill University in Montreal.
About music therapy
Music therapy is an allied health profession where a board-certified music therapist uses music within a structured therapeutic relationship to support personal growth and enhance quality of life. The focus is on developing nonmusical skills through music-based interventions. Together, the therapist and the person receiving treatment set goals to target specific skills. The therapist then designs music experiences tailored to those goals.
Carly Flaagan, director of the Music Therapy program at UND, says there’s both a “high need and high demand” for the program, adding that there are no other such programs in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho or Wyoming.
“As music therapy is an increasingly significant part of health care in North America — and allied health care professionals are in high demand — I am so thrilled to have the program back so that we can increase access to education and training for future music therapists in the Midwest,” Flaagan said.
Added Rundquist: “I am thrilled to reopen the Music Therapy major to enrollment following the pause in the program. It fits in so well with UND’s Grand Challenges associated with mental and behavioral health and well-being. I’ve already had the pleasure of meeting a few of the incoming students, and seeing their excitement has been wonderful.”
Both Flaagan and Rundquist say the event will be interesting and eye-opening for a broad audience. It will involve a Music Therapy Experiential conducted by Flaagan, a Q&A session by Chair Daphne Pedersen as well as highlights from three alumni who now are practicing music therapy in the community.
‘… Music therapy can help an autistic individual develop strategies for joint attention, and it can support young children in developing early language and communication skills. It can be there even as a person takes their last few breaths to support physiologic symptoms such as increased heart rate — the therapist may use music to bring down the heart rate and make those moments more peaceful.’
— Carly Flaagan
>> Hear all about it: Flaagan talked about Levitin and UND’s Music Therapy program on the “Bonnie & Friends” program on Thursday, Sept. 19, on WDAY Radio. Listen to the interview.
>> Watch the livestream: If you can’t make it in person, you can watch a livestream of the Levitin event.
MORE INFORMATION:
- Daniel Levitin bio at daniellevitin.com/bio.
- UND Music Therapy program at arts-sciences.und.edu/academics/music/music-therapy.html.
CONTACT:
Kelly Jordet
Multimedia Coordinator | Department of Music IT/Media Operations Director | Pride of the North Bands
University of North Dakota
Phone: 701.777.0485
Email: kelly.jordet@und.edu
# # #
