If Music Be the Food of Love

Music rouses the emotions like nothing else. But what is it about music that taps into our feelings so powerfully? Is it just personal associations, or is something more complex going on? Get in the mood for Valentine’s Day by joining us for dinner and an exploration of music and the emotions.

We all know the feeling of “they’re playing our song…” that triggers happy memories, but scientists believe that music stimulates our emotions because it mimics the vocal sounds of particular feelings. For example, if the tune is slow and ends with lower notes, this sounds like the speech patterns of someone sad, and so the music will tend to inspire sadness in the listener. Perhaps this is why music from other cultures is still easy to relate to – these vocal patterns are common to all humans.

Join us to discover the secrets of music and the mind, while enjoying a special Valentine’s menu. Music from iconic romantic films will set the scene, and canapés and drinks will be served as you arrive.

Live music will accompany dinner, and you will find out how music is all about expectation, defeated or otherwise, and how music helps us to interpret ambiguous situations in films and television. Finally you’ll get the chance to ask our experts about music and how it affects our emotional lives.

The dinner menu costs £13 per person, payable on arrival, and includes a glass of wine, canapés, main course (fish or vegetarian) and dessert.

Event organised by The European Dana Alliance for the Brain and the New London Orchestra

Speakers

Ian Lynn, musician and composer
Lauren Stewart, Goldsmith’s College London
David Stoll, composer
New London Orchestra musicians Jonathan Kitchen (cello) and Ruth Potter (harp)

Chair:
Daniel Glaser, Wellcome Trust