HAMILTON ON, November 3, 2020 - The McMaster University Institute for Music and the Mind (LIVELab) is excited to be presenting two virtual concerts this fall season. On Saturday, November 14, 2020, JUNO-Award-Winning jazz artist Laila Biali and her jazz trio, featuring Larnell Lewis on drums and George Koller on bass, will grace the stage at LIVELab as part of MIMM’s 16th annual NeuroMusic Conference. Their exclusive virtual performance will feature a discussion on the cross-cultural roots of Jazz and bring the audience through an innovative performance of jazz standards, contemporary covers and original music.

You really don’t know why you love something until you are forced to live without it. It’s been strange living in one of world’s cultural centers and not being able to interact with much art. When lockdown began in March, I started getting my fix by walking around town absorbing all of the architecture and public art possible (the greatest treat of our empty NYC was finally being able to take the time to enjoy Rockefeller Center’s WPA masterpieces without having to dodge tourists). Musicians in the parks became more appreciated than ever. I watched some of the performances organizations shared online, too … but frankly, I quickly became bored of them. Staring at a screen just isn’t the same as going to a show or meandering through a museum.

From heartbeats heard in the womb to rhythmic patterns of thought: 'rhythm is life'. Rhythm begins in the womb and the heartbeat. And recent findings in neuroscience reveal that for the rest of our lives, rhythm will continue to have a fundamental impact on our ability to walk, talk — and even love. Take a scenario almost all of us have experienced before. You're at a wedding. Everyone's talking, drinking, milling around. Then the DJ plays that one song — and suddenly, everyone rushes to the dance floor, as if obeying a collective siren call. Some tunes just make us want to move, even if we've never heard them before — but why?

All evidence indicates that music plays a significant role in every human society, both past and present. When we gather to celebrate, rejoice or mourn, music moves us in powerful ways. Caregivers around the world sing to infants to soothe, play with, and teach them. And yet we are just starting to uncover the profound impact music has on our brain, our emotions and our health.

Every musician knows the answer to that age-old riddle 'how do you get to Carnegie Hall?' The answer of course is 'practice'. But there is something else. Getting your chops down is one thing, but being able to communicate non-verbally with other musicians on-stage is another. This struck a chord with researchers at McMaster University in Hamilton.

As if first dates weren’t nerve-racking enough. A group of brave singles have signed up to let McMaster researchers track their every move. It’s all in the name of de-coding dating body language.

Some of the world's greatest musicians have been beset by stage fright.