"The Musical Brain," by and with Eleonora Fullone and Federico Curzel. With Alessio Zuccaro, piano.

by and with Eleonora Fullone and Federico Curzel with musical examples performed by pianist Alessio Zuccaro

Music is a fundamental element in human life, present throughout history and across all cultures. It is not just an artistic form in its own right but a complex experience, capable of involving numerous cognitive and affective processes such as memory, attention, movement, emotions, and social relationships. But how does our brain process music? What happens when we listen to or make music alone or with others? How beneficial is playing an instrument for children’s development? And how can music improve human well-being and cognitive function? In this lecture-concert, Eleonora Fullone, cellist and PhD student in Cognitive Brain Sciences at the University of Pavia, explores, together with Federico Curzel, how our “musical brain” works, understanding how its elements of rhythm, melody, and harmony are processed and how they influence emotions and psychological well-being. We will also explore the specific neurobiological mechanisms activated by music and how the brain is “shaped” by practice and listening through mechanisms of cerebral neuroplasticity, benefiting cognitive processes, such as memory and language, throughout all stages of human development. A reflection on how music is an effective tool not only in education but also in therapy.