Talks

Book a talk for your event and turn it into a meaningful, memorable experience that resonates far beyond the final note.

Ana John delivers inspiring and science-based talks on the powerful connection between music, the brain, and healing. Drawing from her experience in the arts and neuroscience, she explores how sound can influence emotions, enhance well-being, and activate cognitive transformation. Below are the three available keynote talks. To learn more or tailor a session for your audience, please get in touch.

The Neuroscience of Well-Being through Music

How sound activates the brain’s happiness circuits and fosters emotional balance

This lecture reveals how music can be a powerful catalyst for mental health and emotional well-being. Drawing on neuroscience and psychology, we’ll explore how music stimulates areas of the brain linked to joy, motivation, connection, and even empathy. Discover how curated sound experiences can reduce anxiety, elevate mood, and cultivate resilience.

Pic: AI

Sound Healing

Exploring the therapeutic power of frequencies and vibrational resonance

Dive into the ancient yet increasingly scientific world of sound healing. This talk explores how specific frequencies, rhythms, and vibrations interact with the human nervous system, promoting relaxation, emotional release, and physical regeneration. From crystal bowls to binaural beats, learn how sound can be used as a tool for balance, inner alignment, and transformation.

Pic: AI

How playing and listening to music trains the brain and supports cognitive health

Music doesn’t just move us emotionally, it rewires our brain. In this talk, we’ll delve into the concept of neuroplasticity and how both passive listening and active musical engagement can enhance memory, coordination, language, and even healing after trauma or neurological injury. Ideal for educators, therapists, and creatives seeking to understand how sound strengthens the mind.

Pic: Pexels, Shvetsa

Neuroplasticity Through Sound

Reading Suggestion

Paper

Music and emotions: reflections on how sound moves us

By Ana John

The other day I read an article that truly resonated with me: “Music and Emotions: From Enchantment to Entrainment.” It explores how music evokes not just basic emotions like happiness or sadness, but complex and deeply aesthetic experiences such as nostalgia, tenderness, power, even transcendence. Using fMRI, the authors show that music activates not only emotional and reward areas in the brain (like the ventral striatum and amygdala), but also regions tied to attention, memory, and movement.....

Paper

Techno Music: Repetition, and Altered States of Consciousness

By Ana John

Recently, I spent two months in Cologne, Germany, and was struck by the abundance of clubs dedicated to techno. Finding a place to listen to house music was nearly impossible; techno undeniably dominates the scene. Intrigued by this almost addictive fascination with repetitive beats and intense atmospheres, I decided to investigate what makes this musical style so powerful. The answer goes far beyond entertainment, it involves the brain, body, and emotion.....

Books & Scientific Studies on Music

Write a short text about your service

Write a short text about your service

Scientific Studies on Music

Ana John studied during her Master’s with PhD César Lima, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Iscte, University Institute of Lisbon. His research focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of music, vocal communication, and emotion.