Free, but registration is required: z.umn.edu/r_fleming 

A prominent advocate for research at the intersection of arts and health,  Renée is passionate about the vital role music and the arts play in our  society. Most of us have, at times, felt moved or comforted by music, but scientists are now discovering that music can teach us a lot about the brain itself. Music engages many neural regions at once, and evidence suggests that it can shape and even alter our brains.  

In addition to using music to better understand the complex functioning of the brain, researchers have found creative arts therapies to be effective tools in addressing the effects of an ever-widening array of conditions. Especially compelling is the fact that music, dance, and art therapies are cost-effective, non-pharmaceutical, and non-invasive. With an aging population, the potential implications of this work are immense. The impact of arts on the developing brains of children is another burgeoning field of study, with effects reaching beyond test results and scholastic aptitude to creativity and success throughout life.

Renée will be joined in discussion with the founder and director of the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing, Dr. Mary Jo Kreitzer, who will also moderate a discussion with our esteemed panelists.