Why Our Brains Love Music

Quick Links Why We Love Music Four Ways Music Boosts Social Bonds Five Ways Music Makes You Healthy How to Find Your Sweet Spot Christine Carter on Finding Balance Happiness Tip: Stop Checking Your Phone Top Scientific Insights of 2014 Our Favorite Books of 2014 More About Us Get Involved! Upcoming Events GGSC Events   The Science of Happiness: Free Online Class Take It Anytime, Anywhere Science of Happiness at Esalen Feb. 27-March 1, 2015 Frans de Waal on Empathy in Animals March 9, 2015 Taking in the Good with Rick Hanson March 14, 2015 GGSC/Berkeley Arts & Letters Events  Michael Gazzaniga: A Life in Neuroscience  February 11, 2015 Co-Sponsored by the GGSC Bridging the Hearts & Minds of Youth Feb. 27-March 1, 2015 Wisdom Week Feb. 21-March 1, 2015 We've got new benefits! It's a great time to become a GGSC member. Like this newsletter? Please forward to a friend or colleague. Every gift helps! January 2015 Greetings! Most of us know that music helps us feel better. Science is now discovering why. This week, we bring you some of the latest insights from the science of music, including: Research discovering how music affects the brain and why we love the songs we love Five ways music makes you healthier--maybe even more than medication does Four ways music strengthens our social connections Finding Your Sweet Spot The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work, the new book from the GGSC's Christine Carter, is all about finding the right balance in your life rather than burning out in pursuit of an impossible ideal. In a Q&A with Jill Suttie, Carter describes her own path tobalance and ease. Upcoming GGSC Events Putting the Science of Happiness into Practice When: February 27-March 1, 2015 Where: Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA This weekend retreat builds on material from the GGSC's groundbreaking "Science of Happiness" online class, although that course is not a prerequisite for this workshop. Lectures will be complemented by group discussion and experience with research-tested "happiness practices." Significant time will be devoted to the importance of "fit"--that is, finding the happiness practices that are best suited to your individual lifestyle and personality in order to maximize the benefits that the science can offer you. Led by the GGSC's Emiliana Simon-Thomas and Dacher Keltner. CE credit for psychologists, MFTs, and LCSWs. Frans de Waal, Ph.D. Frans de Waal on Empathy in Animals and Humans When: March 9, 2015 Where: Sibley Auditorium, UC Berkeley Campus In this talk, Dr. de Waal will reveal expressions of empathy in non-human animals, explore the evolutionary roots of empathy and sympathy--and consider why these discoveries have received relatively little attention.   Dr. de Waal's research is not only foundational to the GGSC's work but is always highly entertaining and eye-opening. This event is free and open to the public. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. Taking in the Good with Dr. Rick Hanson When: March 14, 2015 Where: UC Berkeley Campus In this day-long presentation, renowned teacher and best-selling authorRick Hanson will explore how mindful attention to positive experiences can cultivate happiness, resilience, love, and inner peace. Dr. Hanson will summarize the core concepts of his strategies for "taking in the good," then apply these ideas and approaches to important relationships, offering practical resources for mental health professionals and anyone looking to enhance connections (and deal with difficulties) with close friends, family, or colleagues. 6 CE credits for health professionals. Discounts for members! Co-Sponsored by the GGSC Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth When: Feb. 27-March 1 Where: San Diego  Bridging the Hearts & Minds of Youth seeks to connect people across disciplines--from the classroom, to the laboratory, the therapy room and the living room--all in support of the growth, study and dissemination of mindfulness for the next generation.   Wisdom Week When: Feb. 27-March 1, 2015 Where: San Francisco Wisdom Week 2015 is a series of daylong and evening events taking place in the Bay Area February 21st - March 1st, affiliated with the 2015 Wisdom 2.0 Conference. Each event allows for a deeper dive into a particular focus and provides an opportunity to gather and meet friends and colleagues before the main conference.