Sound plays a deeper role in our lives than many of us may realize. It doesn't just connect us to the world and each other: it connects us with our own bodies, and with parts of our brains that we aren't even aware of most of the time. These podcasts focus on the relationship between sound and our physical and mental well-being, and how we can utilize sound to help us relax, inspire ourselves and teach our brains to think in new ways and recognize signs of hearing loss and impairment.
One of the most phenomenally popular audio developments since the turn of the millennium has been the emergence of ASMR videos. ASMR is short for “autonomous sensory meridian response,” and it describes an oddly relaxing tingling along the spine that certain soft sounds, like whispering voices or rustling leaves, can trigger in the listener. It’s also the name of a new category of online videos featuring talented artists who work with a variety of sound effects to create that state of relaxation for their audience. It’s become one of YouTube’s most popular genres, and these podcasts take a closer look at the science and history of ASMR and at some of the best “ASMRtists” online.
Sound can also serve as a bridge between ourselves and the deeper, less conscious parts of our brains, and in these episodes, we discuss that powerful connection with a variety of expert guests. We look at the subconscious effects that sound has on us, from the sense of dread that low-frequency infrasound can create to such unusual medical phenomena as auditory-visual synesthesia and misophonia, to the mystery of binaural beats, and whether they can alter our brain's state of awareness.
We also focus on the medical side of sound and feature guests who help us delve deeper into the field of audiology, the science of hearing, balance, and all the surprising connections between our ears and the rest of our bodies. Sound's becoming increasingly important in our daily lives, which can also mean that it's louder, more uncomfortable, and more widespread than ever before. These episodes offer a closer look at recognizing signs of hearing trouble, managing our personal soundscapes, and the work being done to create a healthier, more satisfying audio environment for everyone.
The complex and often subtle link between sound, our ears, our brains, and our overall health is something that’s still being studied, and we're constantly making new discoveries. Audio is all about connection: it connects us to the world around us, to our audience, and even to ourselves.
The Universal Language of Music: A Conversation with Stephen Ridley – Part 2 “And then his youngest daughter, who’s six years old, comes up, and she’s into gymnastics and she’s kind of cartwheeling around the room while everyone else is playing. And then, ‘All right, she’s going to play you a song.’ And she comes […]
The Power of Music: A Conversation with Stephen Ridley – Part 1 “Chick invited me to go to this jazz club in Soho called Ronnie Scott’s in London. And it was, like, two o’clock in the morning – I was like, ‘I don’t think it’s gonna be open.’ I did not know who I was […]
Effective Leadership Through Sound Connections: A Conversation with Jem Fuller – Part 2 “And to bring it back to sound, I find this is also fascinating, when we put things on vibration. So yes, your thoughts are powerful. And when you think something, but you also speak it or sing it, when you put […]
The Power of Communication and Sound: A Conversation with Jem Fuller “When I’m in there working with leaders, it’s around communication, and how do they communicate initially with themselves? What’s that like? And then with the people around them, because without communication, communication underpins our ability to be successful in anything that we do. […]
Making a Difference with Operation Smile: A Conversation with Mark Climie-Elliott – Part 2 “Sound is probably one of the most prevalent things that we focus on with our children at Operation Smile. And you know, they’re so thankful that they have, they work as hard on their homework for speech therapy as they […]
The Impact of Operation Smile’s Global Mission: A Conversation with Mark Climie-Elliott – Part 1 “Anyone who needs surgery around the world will be able to do it and get it and survive from it. And we’re making significant impacts by delivering cleft surgery care and by educating and training more and more people […]