Bringing together jazz music and science as we celebrate the way that music affects our brains and bodies.

Join us for a special Valentine's-themed installment of Music on the Brain, where we explore aggression, courtship, and cooperation. Research scientist Zach Mayer (Bendesky Lab) studies betta fish, whose dramatic fighting displays and unconventional mating rituals offer a powerful window into fundamental emotions like aggression and fear. Alongside saxophonist Patience Higgins, the conversation will draw striking parallels between genetic tools that "turn the dial" on behavior, the signaling dances betta fish perform when fighting and courting, and the way jazz musicians communicate, negotiate, and improvise within musical constraints.

Harlem Jazz Tour Guide Amanda Humes hosts an evening of live music and conversation, exploring the fascinating parallels between neuroscience and jazz improvisation.
 

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Music on the Brain is a collaboration between the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute.