Neurosciences and music meet in Montreal

In the wake of the success of previous meetings in Venice in 2002 and Leipzig in 2005, the Fondazione Pierfranco e Luisa Mariani ONLUS announces the third edition of the Neurosciences and Music international conference which will be held in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) from June 26th to 28th, 2008.

The upcoming meeting will be held in partnership with the BRAMS (International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research). BRAMS is jointly affiliated with McGill University, Université de Montréal and the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital. We also have the cooperation of the New York Academy of Sciences, USA.

The Montreal meeting will be a renewed opportunity for scientists, musicians, major researchers and promising young students to exchange information, share experiences and to discuss and disseminate the emerging scientific discoveries. The conference program is overseen by the International Organization Committee: Isabelle Peretz, Université de Montréal, BRAMS, Robert Zatorre, McGill University, BRAMS, Virginia Penhune, Concordia University, BRAMS, Giuliano Avanzini, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico “C. Besta”, Milan, and the Scientific Secretary Luisa Lopez, University of Rome, “Tor Vergata”.

The main theme of the conference is research on interactions between music and the human brain in healthy and pathologic conditions. The conference will focus on many topics such as: the importance of music in the biologic and cultural evolution of man, differences between musicians trained at an early or late age, congenital amusia, absolute pitch, the relationship between the study of music and intellectual abilities in children, musical abilities in behavioural disorders and genetic syndromes, music perception in cochlear implant patients, dystonias in musicians, the effectiveness of music as a means to reduce the perception of pain, and music rehabilitation. The event is mostly targeted to medical professionals, neuroscientists, neurologists, psychologists, educators, music therapists, musicologists, and sound engineers.

The conference will be preceded, on June 25th, by a Workshop on research design and methodology in music and neurosciences and will be opened by an introductory address by a renowned keynote speaker. The conference will include 5 or 6 symposia devoted to providing in-depth insights into the main themes. Also included in the program are two poster sessions.

The conference organizers encourage all members of the “Neuromusic Community” to participate in the development of the conference program by submitting proposals for symposia on specific topics that actively contribute to the research in this field. Proposals, which must be submitted to the Mariani Foundation by September 30, 2007 will be evaluated by the Scientific Committee and selected based on merit, interest, and consistency with the conference themes. The projects should include: description of the goals, abstract of proposed presentations, confirmed availability of speakers.

Montreal has been chosen as the location for the upcoming conference in recognition of the opening of the new BRAMS laboratory 2006.

The event dates have been chosen to coincide with the “Montreal International Jazz Festival” which welcomes some of the world’s greatest jazz musicians. Participants will have the extraordinary opportunity to attend exceptional concerts and be part of the contagious atmosphere of the Festival. The event offers an indoor program in the city’s finest venues and many free outdoor concerts and activities.

Source : Fondazione Mariani Onlus