ACO Pier 2/3, Sydney: Tue 1 Nov, 6.30pm
The Wheeler Centre, Melbourne: Thu 3 Nov, 8pm
‘The human experience of music appears to transcend the sound itself’ – Susan Greenfield
This special panel event taking place in both Sydney (ACO Pier 2/3, 1 Nov) and Melbourne (Wheeler Centre, 3 Nov) as part of Wheeler Centre's Spring Fling festival explores the intersection of music and the human mind. It brings together the perspectives of a scientist and musicians in what promises to be a fascinating counterpoint: Baroness Susan Greenfield, one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, writers and broadcasters, and author of the bestselling The Human Brain: A Guided Tour; and trumpeter, ACO collaborator and composer Phil Slater, a leading practitioner of the art of improvisation and whose PhD focussed on skill acquisition and motor learning. For the Melbourne instalment of the discussion, Susan Greenfield is joined by the experimental pop and performance artist, Sui Zhen.
The capacity to create and respond to music is one of the defining features of the human brain. As Greenfield puts it, “in the age-old debates about what makes us human, some argue that sign-language skills are possible to a limited extent in other, specifically trained primates, but no one has yet claimed that chimps … are capable of generating and appreciating music. In contrast, our own ancestors have been doing so for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of years.”
In these discussions, Greenfield, Slater and Zhen will explore how our brains interact with music, and what that means for creatives and audiences alike. Moderated by Sana Qadar (host of All In The Mind on ABC RN) in Sydney, and Clem Bastow (author of Late Bloomer) in Melbourne, the two evenings will end with an exclusive musical performance.
ACO Pier 2/3 Sydney speakers
Baroness Susan Greenfield
Phil Slater
Host: Sana Qadar
The Wheeler Centre Melbourne speakers
Baroness Susan Greenfield
Sui Zhen
Host: Clem Bastow
Supporting Partners
