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World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming recently led a dynamic discussion about the powerful intersection of music, neuroscience, and healthcare at a community partner event entitled Music and Mind at the Sarah Belk Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement at ��������. The event was presented in collaboration with the Charlotte Symphony and Atrium Health, now part of Advocate Health.

“We are delighted to welcome the absolutely remarkable Renée Fleming and thank our community partners for joining us to not only enhance individual lives, but to truly strengthen the very fabric of our city,” said Dan Lugo, president of �������� University. “�������� serves as a powerful convener of the most important topics and conversations in this region and tonight’s collaboration is just one example of how we are engaging the broader community to explore topics of meaning and relevance.”

In addition to being a U.S. National Medal of Arts recipient and GRAMMY award-winning artist, Fleming is a Goodwill Ambassador for Arts and Health for the World Health Organization (WHO). Through her work with the WHO, she has become a leading advocate for the therapeutic benefits of music and art on health and wellness.

“Years of performing have allowed me to witness an emotional response to music and the arts on a profound level all over the world,” said Fleming. “And now with the emergence of new technologies, researchers are looking into the science underlying this response. Engaging with the arts fundamentally changes the brain – it lowers stress, improves cognitive function and quality of life across the lifespan and for a wide range of conditions.”

Fleming was joined by a panel of experts including John R. Beck, founder of Comfort Sound Drumming and coordinator for Arts & Health Partnerships at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine; Dr. Jonathan Burdette, section chief of neuroradiology and vice chair of research, and professor of radiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine; Christina Soriano, vice provost for the arts and interdisciplinary initiatives and professor of dance at Wake Forest University; Christina E. Hugenschmidt, Ph.D., Rebecca Shaw Professor and director of the Memory Counseling Program and associate professor of gerontology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine; and Meg Stanley Johnson, M.M., director of music therapy at �������� University. Together they discussed music and the extraordinary impact it has on brain function, cognitive development, movement, and rehabilitation after traumatic injury and debilitating illnesses.

“It’s an honor to share a space with people from a variety of paths who either understand or are curious about the amazing power of music on the mind,” said Johnson. “Board-certified music therapists are trained clinicians who use music to address needs and bring about a change for individuals in need from cradle to grave – from the neonatal intensive care unit to hospice and all areas in between. The �������� music therapy program continues to educate, challenge, and grow by creating dedicated music therapists who are bringing about a change in their everyday work.”

After the panel discussion, audience members were able to ask questions during an interactive Q&A session. Fleming’s sold-out Music and Mind was one of two community partner events offered this fall by Arts at �������� and the Gambrell Center for the Arts and Civic Engagement. The next event will be Legacy Concert: Dett & Bernstein on Sept. 30, in partnership with the Charlotte Master Chorale and the Charlotte Symphony.