Instru(mental)

Does knowing someone's motivations for using music change our opinion of them? This episode features an interview with Dr. Tanushree Agrawal discussing her research on aesthetics, beauty, and prosocial judgments. Our conversation opens with how our judgments of someone's emotional sensitivity, helpfulness, and intelligence can change when we understand why they're doing something (e.g., listening to music, cooking, walking in nature). Later, Dr. Agrawal explains how her findings might show up in the real world from our everyday conversations to changing perceptions of incarcerated persons. 

References and Resources

• Dr. Agrawal’s website: tanushree-agrawal.com
• Agrawal, T., & Schachner, A. (2023) Aesthetic motivation impacts judgments of others’ prosociality and mental life. Open Mind: Discoveries in Cognitive Science, 7, 947-980. https://doi.org/10.1162/opmi_a_00113
• Center for Open Science. (2026, August 17). What is preregistration? https://www.cos.io/initiatives/prereg

Music Credits

• Instru(mental) Theme (Daniel Goldschmidt, 2018)

Support the show

Where can you catch up on the latest music cognition research, watch a musical about the scientific process, and karaoke to your heart's desire? SMPC 2026! This episode is series of recordings from the 2026 Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC) conference from a music therapist's perspective. And no, we were not sponsored by Hoosier Mama Pie.

Featured Interviewees and Resources

• Emily Wood, PhD candidate at Mcmaster University (Insta: @emilywood2, @live.lab)
• Peter Martens, PeARL Lab at Texas Tech (Geolisten app)
• Science! The Musical composed by Dr. Andrew Goldman, featuring Yifan Huang, PhD student
• Dr. Kelsie Lopez, MIND Lab at Northeastern University (Insta: @mindlabneu)

Support the show

Have you ever noticed that music just hits differently when your high? In this episode of Instru(mental), we're diving into the surprisingly sparse, but curious body of research that explains how cannabis changes our musical experiences. Along the way, we'll touch on what mix of THC and CBD might enhance musical reward and what this might mean for clinicians working with people who listen to music under altered states of consciousness. Thank you to the sponsor of today's episode, Daniel Goldschmidt from Etude, LLC!

References:

• Darakjian, L., Glassman, H., Lo, C. Y., & Russo, F. A. (2025). Exploring the interaction between cannabis and music. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1551, 140–158. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.70010
• Duggan, P. J. (2021). The chemistry of cannabis and cannabinoids. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 74(6), 369–387. https://doi.org/10.1071/CH21006 
• Freeman, T. P., Pope, R. A., Wall, M. B., Bisby, J. A., Luijten, M., Hindocha, C., Mokrysz, C., Lawn, W., Moss, A., Bloomfield, M. A. P., Morgan, C. J. A., Nutt, D. J., & Curran, H. V. (2018). Cannabis dampens the effects of music in brain regions sensitive to reward and emotion. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 21(1), 21–32. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyx082 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2025). Key substance use and mental health indicators in the United States: Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (Publication No. PEP25-07-007, NSDUH Series H-60). Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt56287/2024-nsduh-annual-national-report.pdf 
• Tart, C. T. (1970). Marijuana intoxication: Common experiences. Nature, 226, 701–704. https://doi.org/10.1038/226701a0 

Resources

• Marijuana Anonymous

Support the show

What can we deduce from hearing less than 1 second of music? Learn how accurately listeners can identify music genres from excerpts that are less than a quarter of a second long, and see how your brain does in a mini version of the experimental task. Our takeaways include how these sophisticated, split-second associations to music sometimes work against our better judgment.

Support the show by checking out https://ko-fi.com/breamurakami1. Thank you!

References

• Mace, S.T., Wagoner, C.L., Teachout, D.J., & Hodges, D.A. (2012). Genre identification of very brief musical excerpts. Psychology of Music, 40(1), 112-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0305735610391347

Song Excerpts

• Classical: Adagio for Strings (Barber), The Planets, Op. 32: IV (Holst), Trois Gymnopedies: I (Satie)
• Country: All I Want to Do (Sugarland), Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (Kenny Chesney), 
• Jazz: In the Mood (Glenn Miller), Take Five (Dave Brubeck), So What (Miles Davis)
• Metal: Troops of Doom (Sepultura), Madhouse (Anthrax)
• Hip-hop: Whatever You Like (T.I.), What Them Girls Like (Ludacris), Got Money (Lil Wayne & T-Pain)

Resources

• The Record: Q1 2025 U.S. Audio Listening Trends
• TokChart.com
• Harmony Healthcare American Phone Usage and Screen Time Statistics

Support the show

Can music change our moral judgments of others? In this episode, we explore how knowing about someone's, or something's, musicality shifts our moral decision-making. This episode's research study includes four related experiments involving musical monkeys, anti-musical humans, dogs, babies, and robots. Then, we explore what the converging results suggest about music’s impact to shift social attitudes and advocacy efforts related to groups that are often dehumanized, like the homeless community or incarcerated individuals. 

Support the show by checking out https://ko-fi.com/breamurakami1. Thank you!

References

• Agrawal, T., Rottman, J., & Schachner, A. (2023). How musicality changes moral consideration: People judge musical entities as more wrong to harm. Psychology of Music, 51(1), 316-336. https://doi.org/10.1177/03057356221096507
• Robison, M., Aderhalden, F.P., & Joiner, T.E. (2024). Dehumanization and the association with nonsuicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation in an incarcerated population. Crisis, 45(4), 287-293. https://doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000952
• Schroeder, J., & Epley, N. (2020). Demeaning: Dehumanizing others by minimizing the importance of their psychological needs. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 119(4), 765-791. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000199

Resources

• WALL-E movie clip
• Train to Busan ending movie clip (turn on English subtitles)
• M3GAN Sings movie clip
• 60 Minutes Clip: Mr. Lopez Meets Mr. Ayers
• Inmates Discuss Impact of Music Therapy
• Music Therapy for Inmates at Worcester County Jail

Support the show

What if you didn’t have to be a scientist, or a musician, to use music in your everyday life? Hi there, I’m Brea, a board-certified music therapist and this is Instru(mental) – a podcast that explores the science of music and how it shapes your brain, your body, and your life. This podcast isn’t just about what music sounds like, it’s about what music does to you.

In each episode, I break down fascinating research about how music affects us and I share real-life takeaways you can actually use to feel better, think clearer, or just survive your Monday. Whether we’re learning about how your personality influences the music you enjoy, debunking the Mozart Effect, breaking down how music releases dopamine, or diving into how music shapes psychedelic experiences, there’s always something new I’m curious about – and I can’t wait to explore it with you.

So, follow the show on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts and start tuning into the science behind the music that moves you. Our website is instrumentalpodcast.com

Support the show

What's the best music for a wedding? In this episode, I explain how I lightly manipulated my guests with music to make my wedding as fun, engaging, and memorable as possible. We'll cover research about the music and social bonding hypothesis, the brain's reward circuitry, and statistics about my own wedding playlists that explains how music contributed to the celebration. And, if you're in wedding planning mode, this episode has tips for curating the best music for your special day!  

Support the show by checking out https://ko-fi.com/breamurakami1. Thank you!

Resources

• Brea's Wedding Reception Spotify Playlist
• SongData.io: Playlist analyzer

References

• Cevasco, A.M. (2008). Preferred vocal range of young and older adults: Implications for music therapy majors’ clinical training experience. Music Therapy Perspectives, 26(1), 4-12. https://doi.org/10.1093/mtp/26.1.4
• Montag, C., Reuter, M., & Axmacher, N. (2011). How one’s favorite song activates the reward circuitry of the brain: Personality matters, Behavioural Brain Research, 225(2), 511-514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2011.08.012
• Savage, P.E., Loui, P., Tarr, B., Schachner, A., Glowacki, L., & Mithen, S., & Fitch, W.T. (2021). Music as a coevolved system for social bonding. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 44, e59. doi:10.1017/S0140525X20000333

Socials

• https://x.com/InstrumentalPod

Support the show

How can music serve as a social surrogate when we can't directly interact with others? This episode explores how listening to music can serve as a social proxy and provides ideas for how to strengthen your social relationships in the age of social distancing.

For more information about the research, resources, and music in this episode, go to www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter for news and updates! 

Support the show

How can the fields of music therapy and music cognition strengthen each other? This episode features a conversation with music therapist Daniel Goldschmidt (@danielnnz) on a wide range of topics about bridging these two disciplines including:

• What it's like to going to music therapy vs. music cognition conferences
• How Daniel applies music cognition research to his professional practice
• Where music therapy/cognition can easily intersect
• Why music therapists need to seek expertise beyond their bubble

Find more information on the research articles and music included in each episode at our website, www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@instrumentalpod) for the latest news and updates!

Cool people mentioned in this podcast:
Jessica Grahn, PhD
David Huron, PhD
Blythe LaGasse, PhD, MT-BC
Hakeem Leonard, PhD, MT-BC
Marisol Norris, PhD Candidate, MT-BC
Jessica Riley, MM, MT-BC
Natasha Thomas, PhD, MT-BC
Laural Trainor, PhD, MT-BC
Lindsay Warrenburg, PhD

Support the show

This episode features an interview with Jessica McLean, a soon-to-be music therapist who started her career in music neuroscience. We talk about how Jessica first got involved in music science research and how she’s applied her research skills to help children with cochlear implants better hear prosody. In this episode you’ll learn more about what music may sound like for cochlear implant users, a drumming-to-speech paradigm Jessica designed to help with prosody recognition, and the importance of prosody in our everyday communication.

Find more information on the research articles and music included in each episode at our website, www.InstrumentalPodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@instrumentalpod) for the latest news and updates!

Mentioned Resources:

Video: Willy Wonka with Drums

Jessica Riley’s Thesis Research Poster: HERE

Follow Jessica on Twitter: https://twitter.com/urbanfiddle

Support the show