Joan and her music therapist Roxie singing together.
Impact of Sound

Age Gracefully with Music

by Emma Laurence

If you’d like to prevent memory issues, turn on the tunes! Meet an inspiring elder, Joan, and her music therapist, Roxie. I’m astounded by the beautiful, clear quality of Joan’s voice and her pitch-perfect recall of the harmony part of a favorite hymn: 

Does Joan remember all the words? No. But she remembers the sounds. Seniors with memory issues teach us how music bypasses parts of the brain that no longer fully function. 

But can musical activities lower risk for dementia and help us age gracefully?  Time to geek out on some stats.

Last week, my friend Tim introduced me to a 2025 study revealing benefits of music on cognitive aging. This new study out of Monash University in Melbourne, Australia (in conjunction with two American partners) studied 11,000 adults aged 70+. Two longitudinal studies supported by the National Institutes of Health provided underlying data.

The study analyzed dementia-related outcomes for older adults who listened to music, played a musical instrument, or did both, at various levels of frequency. 

Here’s a summary of some key results (pun intended):  

  • Listening to music often was associated with a 39% reduced dementia risk,
  • Playing an instrument was associated with a 35% reduced dementia risk,
  • Regularly engaging in music listening and playing was associated with a 33% decreased risk of dementia and 22% decreased risk of cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND).

Beyond the promising science, it’s fun to listen to, dance to, or play music throughout our lives. Sounds that bring back happy memories or create joy in this moment uplift us!

Today, we can start a new habit that takes advantage of music to age gracefully.

So, turn on the tunes, grab the guitar, or sing in the shower. Besides the short term fun, we’ll be investing in long term benefits for ourselves, family, and friends.

That is living as music. 

Picture of Joan smiling. She has dementia and loves to sing

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11-year-old blonde girl yodeling at TV competition
Inspiration

Yodeling Day?

by Emma Laurence

I’ll bet you’ve never heard of Yodeling Day. You’re welcome. This January 30th, you can join voices around the world that celebrate with contests or in community practice. And before you dismiss yodeling, like I did, as belonging to Alpine mountaineers and sheepherders, you need to meet a well-known Ukrainian.

She’s not an old man in lederhosen, though this young yodeler might make you reconsider reincarnation. Check out Sofia Shkidchenko wowing the judges in talent competition as an eleven-year-old (2 min):

As if that isn’t impressive enough, eighteen-year-old Sofia yodels Mozart [say what?] at the 2024 Winner’s Concert of the Boston International Music competition (3 min): 

Clearly, yodeling isn’t just some quirky, folksy vocal technique of fast flipping from chest to head voice. It’s an art form of recognizable value. Check out these facts:

  • In 2025, Switzerland’s yodeling was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage—which includes oral traditions, performing arts, festive events, and traditional craftsmanship.
  • Physical benefits of yodeling include strengthening vocal cord muscle fibers and increasing lung capacity for cardiovascular health.
  • Yodeling even releases endorphins. 

What’s not to love? 

I’m game for playing with a yodel for vocal agility and performance confidence [go big or go home]. What new vibration could launch the new year for you? A whistle, a mouth sound effect, or just louder laughter?

New sounds bring fresh energy!

That is living as music. 

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Uncategorized

Ride, Red, Ride!

by Emma Laurence

This is the one holiday tune you must hear because some songs break the mold. Ella’s version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town literally redefines holiday joy. (2 min) 

What is it about holiday music that reaches into our consciousness, igniting memories that set our expectations for upcoming celebrations? 

Some festive songs always lift us. Other melodies weigh us down when repeated ad nauseum in bricks and mortar retail. But a remake has the power to can shake us out of weepy nostalgia (positive or otherwise), and bring fresh spirit to this moment. 

Traditions aren’t a bad thing. Christmas trees bring the smell of pine, holiday baking infuses cinnamon and nutmeg, reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas or watching Love Actually for the 17th time can bring togetherness and goodness. 

And, we can also look for what’s new. Decorate to a different drummer than the little drummer boy. Learn how other cultures celebrate. Re-invent a recipe with ras-el-hanout, give gifts to neighbors we haven’t even met, or write a holiday limerick.

Let’s embrace the pulse of the present and get creative in bringing joy! It’s fun to combine the best of tradition with playful invention. 

My husband and I once hosted a New Years Day Pajama Brunch. Our friends arrived in PJs—one even rode the train up from Manhattan before public PJs were cool. Ride, Red, Ride! 

That is living as music.

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Did you miss last month’s adorable otter? Meet Leya, whose life was saved by music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Otter looks up at the man in his kayak from the water and rests on his shoulder in a second photo
Uncategorized

A Man and An Otter

by Emma Laurence

While researching the extraordinary world of music, I came across the story of a man who saved a baby otter. Not by playing music, but by living as music. What do I mean?

Watch how this man attunes himself to the otter in every beat of her recovery and growth (8 min.— longer than usual, but so joyful, sweet, and fun).

How does this man succeed in tuning into a fellow creature?

  • He listens closely. 
  • He harmonizes with her, making adjustments to tend her with utmost care.
  • He serves her at the rhythm of her development.
  • And, just like musicians, they play together!

And he did this for two years before she was ready to return to the wild. That’s patience.

What musical parallels did you notice while engaging in this beautiful story? 

Whatever you discovered may reveal your gifts in relationships with others and with life.
It’s good to bring forth our gifts, so they sing.

That is living as music.

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P.S. Living as music takes self-awareness. If you’d like to explore the connection between conscious living and conscious leadership, I’m a contribution author to this Amazon bestseller, Leading with Self-Awareness, Starting from the Inside Out. You may discover more of your gifts in this book.💛

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Owl montage, 5 kinds
Uncategorized

Why Listen to Nature?

by Emma Laurence

The other night, I stepped out onto the back patio, drawn by a sweet smell and cool breeze. I found myself rocking slightly back and forth with the wind in the trees, when I heard a Great Horned Owl. I became still, my senses alert, and filled with awe.

Coincidentally, my friend Tim had forwarded me an article on listening to birds that ended with this: Birds live in the moment, and when I’m listening to them, so do I.  A Great Horned Owl’s call brought the writer to a heightened state of aliveness. Clearly, we both felt pierced with presence.

Here are several striking owls calls in a two minute clip. You may want to close your eyes and imagine your own after-dark experience:

Would you like the science on the benefits here? Mo, another reader, shared a scientific study on the effects of listening to sounds of nature vs urban sounds. This article speaks to nature’s impact on body and mood, including lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and increasing positivity.

What busyness keeps us from stepping outside and going silent inside? Is it so hard? Sometimes I find myself so churned up with daily stuff that taking a moment to step beyond the sliding glass door into my backyard seems daunting. 

Yet, it’s exactly what I need. The night I heard that owl, I slept better than I had in days. I remembered that humans aren’t the only species on the planet. As I took deeper breaths (just naturally, not yoga-forcing), I rediscovered a rhythm that’s calm, connected to all life, and far more enjoyable.

So, here’s permission to be as wise as an owl. Let’s step out beyond that inertia when the pressure of our next to-do item or our binge-watching wants to take charge. Let’s listen to the birds, and remember.

That is living as music.

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Three teen siblings singing in harmony
New Perspective

Unexpected Harmony

by Emma Laurence

Last winter, my husband and I got in a car accident. A young driver pulled out from a side street  to cross our lane and make a left turn. We couldn’t brake in time. We hit the driver’s side door, shattering glass and sending the alarm keening into the night. Our car was totaled. 

Aside from being shaken up and having mild whiplash, we walked away pretty much unscathed. When I woke the next morning feeling surprisingly intact, the song title, “Amazing Grace” came to me.

I’ve searched for hours for a simple, beautiful version of one of the best-loved songs ever written. No famous recordings brought chills like the unexpected acapella harmony of these teen siblings (3 min):

Isn’t that stunning? Pure and true. Watching them reminded me of the innocence of the 17-year-old who pulled out into our path. 

Oddly, I experienced that accident as more of a healing than a car crash. For some reason we were meant to participate in a young man’s life lesson. As I sat with him on the curb waiting for the police, he kept saying, My Dad is going to kill me. Then he asked quietly, Am I going to go to jail? 

Remember that teenage vulnerability? No sweetheart, I answered, you’re not going to go to jail.

The next day, my chiropractor said my spine was actually better after the accident than before. The jolt improved my alignment. Who knew that was possible? More grace. 

Sometimes the synchronicity of an experience is truly music in motion. We really never know when we walk out the door what or who we’ll meet. But if we stay open to amazing grace—an unexpected or miraculous gift—it may come. 

That is living as music. 

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Demonstration of sound impact with car engine
Uncategorized

The Impact of Sound

by Emma Laurence

How much does sound impact us? Even in a subtle way, sound influences our thoughts and emotions—and it often does without us being aware.

Here’s a quick experiment to play with what I mean. Take a listen to this 15-second video with the sound OFF, then play it again with the sound on.

How did hearing the sound change your experience?

Last summer, I took my fabulous 2007 Honda Civic in for a pre-emptive check. I can hardly believe how low maintenance it’s been for 18 years.

But I’d been hearing a slight sound difference. I’m very tuned in to my car. So, while I asked my mechanic to look over what would make it last another year, I also requested that he check the exhaust system. The answer?

Besides new tires this winter, you’re good to go. Oh, and you do have a tiny hole the size of a ballpoint pen tip in your exhaust pipe. But there’s plenty of time before that’ll need replacing. 

I appreciated his integrity and still chose to replace it right away. No one else could hear the sound yet, but my vehicle and I are in synch. Why wait?

Similarly, when we’re in synch with ourselves, we’re aware of subtle changes in thoughts and emotions that can signal the very beginnings of a larger issue. Even a slight shift can bring us down, and we want to stay buoyant. 

Choosing to repair a tiny hole in our happiness now saves a much bigger problem down the road.

So, here’s another experiment. This week, take a moment periodically to tune into subtle sounds. Focus on the ones that have an uplifting impact, open your heart, or make you laugh.

And if you notice any tiny disturbance, handle it now. 

That is living as music.

colorful painting of female singers
Uncategorized

Bucket of Love

by Emma Laurence

I learned a surprising truth about music when performing an acapella tune called “Bucket of Love.” Written by singer/songwriter Meg Tennant, this three-part harmony song carries a power all its own—a sound current of love. 

Take a listen to the original recording. It’s a big wow: 

Our trio prepared well. Tech rehearsal on Thursday night enlivened us. Every musician backstage came forward to listen, and they cheered us wildly at the end. 

Saturday night’s performance presented a different story for me, personally. I had a tough day, and by evening my body was tired and my voice felt weak. The other two singers came out of the gate on our first note with such force that I thought, I’m in trouble. 

I had a choice. Do I try to push the sound out, or do I relax into the resonance of my instrument, knowing some low notes would be barely audible?

I chose to stay true to my instrument in the moment and allow the sound to be.

Here’s the surprise: the feedback we got was so overwhelmingly positive, that I had to wonder what happened! What were they hearing out in the house? 

A trusted friend in the audience said something else came through our voices. 

The song’s musical flow and lyrical story carried outward on that powerful sound current, landing in the listeners. The truth is that music coming through a pure heart rides a wave, no matter what. Flow over push delivers buckets of love.

It takes both creator and performers to surrender ego and be conduits for that primal sound. It’s the love needed for our very survival—the one that assures us no matter how things may appear, all is well.

That is living as music.

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Blue background image of sound frequency in the form of a vibrating circle
Impact of Sound

Healing Sound Frequencies?

by Emma Laurence

Is it possible to heal our body, feelings, or mind using sound frequencies? Sound therapists and scientists appear to be discovering the same truth. That frequencies of sound can at least invite, if not bring about, relaxation, release from anxiety, deeper sleep, and healing.

I’ve been experimenting with a low frequency sound (175 Hertz) to reduce pain. The following short sample combines 175Hz with other vibrations to encourage a theta brain wave state. Theta is the wave our brains produce when drowsy, lightly sleeping or in deep relaxation.

I aim for the most pure and refined sound in what I allow into my consciousness and what I give out through my voice. Granted that’s a tall order! But one step I can take is to test out sounds to see what beneficial impact they may have on me as an individual. 

The older I get, the more careful I am at taking anything from an outside source at face value. For example, the advent of AI has required even more alertness and attunement to my inner guidance. 

With that bit of a disclaimer, if you’d like to test out particular sound frequencies, the following is the best video I can find to sample nine currently recognized beneficial tones. (10 min). 

What impact do these sounds have as you listen? 
Which sounds are you drawn to for peace, balance or healing?

If it’s helpful, this guide below lists possible benefits from listening to the nine frequency vibrations. Perhaps your experience matches, or maybe you feel something different.

In chaotic times, every tool we can find to strengthen the integrity of our bodies, minds, and emotions is welcomed. We want to be strong, secure, and sound within our own being. 

Let’s listen inside ourselves first and foremost for our highest guidance and truth. With that intention, we’ll be led to the gifts of sound that uplift, purify, and heal.

That is living as music. 

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Letters ACTG, representing the four nucleotides, against a backdrop of a DNA strand image.
Uncategorized

DNA-Music Connection

by Emma Laurence

In 1986, Japanese Geneticist Susumu Ohno discovered a remarkable connection between DNA and music. You’re probably familiar with the twisting ladder image of DNA. The rungs of the ladder consist of four molecules called nucleotides, represented by the letters ACTG. 

The order of nucleotide “bases” is all important to our genetic make-up. When we sequence a stretch of DNA, we read that code. However, Ohno took this a step further. He converted the four bases (ACTG) into specific notes (DGCA) and uncovered a musical score! DNA suddenly transformed into melody.

Check out this example of Ohno’s music based on an immunoglobulin gene (seriously, folks):

Ohno’s discovery prompted questions about the musicality of our genetic blueprint and the impact music might have on our genetic code. We’ve all become familiar with sound therapy to promoting healing. So why not consider an interplay of science and artistry through an interrelationship of DNA and music?

What I find most fascinating in this exploration is that human awareness is actually morphing, accepting a world where life is more fluid. Certainties like DNA as a locked-in sequence of life design, solid and inflexible, has changed. Now we witness how life sings.

And how can we apply this awareness to daily challenges? Perhaps we open to the belief that even our most rigid obstacles have “give” in them, or room to modulate, to use a musical term. 

Maybe that brick wall, the insolvable problem we believe we experience, is simply a set of frequencies that’s translatable into uplifting music. When we find our mind obsessing over a problem (like repeatedly pounding out a single note), we can invite a wholistic resolve. 

Like the feeling we get at the end of a glorious symphony, let’s land in harmonic balance, a sweet completion.

That is living as music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.