Dan Levitin and Music As Medicine

Before ever even having a show, I had read the book This Is Your Brain On Music by Daniel J. Levitin simply because I was fascinated by the magic of music, and it was a wonderful read.

Then when I started to have my own show about music discovery, I “shot my shot” and reached out to Dr Levitin to see if he’d be open to coming on as a guest. And back in Nov of 2022, I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing him for episode 27 of Your Next Favorite Band. In addition to the book, we explore his personal journey as well as his catalog of music and songs he wrote.

That first book was released in 2006, and now almost 20 years later, he has a new book called I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music As Medicine – and it shows how far the understanding of how music impacts the brain from a healing perspective has come. There’ve been many trials and testing and statistical proof of its benefits in helping Parkinson’s patients walk, stroke victims speak, chronic pain sufferers get relief, and people who manage depression and addiction find some peace and connection. Ultimately helping people find themselves and some of the most human connections we have.

We spend time catching up with Dan and diving in to the content of his new book and the various ways that music is proving to be more magical than ever. Starting with “experiential fusion” or “flow”, and on through to the brain chemicals that unlock some of the positive effects.

If you’re a fan of music or science, you’ll love this episode. And if you’re a fan of both – consider this your next favorite episode.