Why Music Matters

Friday, November 7
7 - 9 pm
$15 ($10 Jung Center members)

What purpose does music serve? The last decade has seen an explosion in scientific interest in music. Some scientists regard music as the happy by-product of our language ability and of little value beyond sheer enjoyment. Others believe music is deeply rooted in our cognition, and has the capacity to model and influence our inner life with a richness that rivals the spoken and written word. In this provocative talk, Anthony Brandt shows how a classical musician would settle this question. Using extensive listening examples, he will demonstrate how music connects with our mental life and how an understanding of the structures inherent in classical music can transform the way we think and live. Dr. Brandt will also offer principles for focused listening so that you can derive the maximum benefit and pleasure from music – and perhaps even compose your life in new ways.

Anthony Brandt is Associate Professor of Composition and Theory at the Shepherd School of Music and President of the Houston-based contemporary music ensemble Musiqa. His chamber opera The Birth of Something was commissioned and premiered by Da Camera of Houston. With support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Rice University’s Connexions and Ken Kennedy Institute, he created Sound Reasoning, a free, online music appreciation course, the first of its kind. He has been awarded Rice University’s George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching and Phi Beta Kappa Teaching Prize.

You can click here to REGISTER ONLINE for this workshop.

If you prefer, you can call The Jung Center at 713.524.8253 to register for this event. You can also click here to download a registration form - fill it out and fax or mail it to us.