The next Conversa Improvável (Improbable Conversation), with the theme Is music good for your health?, will take place on July 24th, from 12 noon to 1pm, at the University of Coimbra's Botanical Garden, at the entrance to the Arches. The talk will feature Professor Cristina Toscano Faria, a researcher at the Centro de Estudos de Sociologia e Estética Musical (CESEM) at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and a lecturer in the scientific area of music at the Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra (ESEC). Dr. Joana Carvalho, a speech therapist trained in music therapy and director of the clinic “Joana a terapeuta e a mãe” (Joana the therapist and the mother), Dr. Jorge Felício, a music therapist and coordinator of the music therapy office at the Coimbra pediatric hospital, and Professor Miguel Castelo-Branco, a physician and neuroscientist at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra and director of the Center for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research (CBIT). The talk will be moderated by Sandra Amaral, a researcher at CNC-UC/CIBB, and will be illustrated live by comic artist Rui Tavares. The cultural moment will be hosted by trumpeter Cláudio Batista.
Recognition of the therapeutic power of music dates back to ancient civilizations. In ancient Greece, for example, Plato believed that music had a profound effect on the soul and body, promoting balance and harmony. In the Middle Ages, music was used in religious and healing contexts. Gregorian chants, for example, were used in monasteries to promote inner peace and spiritual contemplation. In the Renaissance, interest in the relationship between music and health was renewed, with several scholars exploring how different rhythms and melodies could affect emotions and physical well-being. Today, music therapy is a scientifically recognized discipline. But how does music exert its effects? How does it trigger emotions? How does it revive memories? What parts of our brain are involved? How can we use (or change) music to achieve specific therapeutic results?
In this talk, we'll try to answer these and other questions in order to understand how we can make the most of this powerful tool.
The event is in Portuguese, open to the whole community and admission is free.
The Conversas Improváveis are an initiative of the communication action group of the Metabolism, Aging and Disease (MED) research line of the Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB) of the University of Coimbra, and aims to foster science and health literacy with informal discussions, approaching topics from various perspectives, to promote awareness of various diseases, and encourage early and informed actions and decisions, ultimately contributing to a healthier society.
The Conversas Improváveis take place in various iconic locations at the University of Coimbra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, namely at the Rómulo - UC Science Center, the Science Museum, the Botanical Garden and the UC Exploratory, just to name a few.
The next unlikely conversation, moderated by Dr. Manuela Grazina, will take place on September 5th (the month in which World Mitochondrial Disease Week is celebrated), at 12 noon, at a location to be announced.
