Intrinsic motivation, leadership, and extreme performance are at the heart of this podcast episode, where Christof Zürn deconstructs the mental models of exceptional individuals who perform at the top of their fields and also happen to be musicians. This conversation explores the profound links between leading academic scientists and playing historical string instruments - featuring expert research, unique mindsets, and the intense discipline you can leverage as a toolkit for your own path.

Meet the Guest: Ralph Meulenbroeks has lived a fascinating, multitrack life. He started his career in physical engineering, researching large-scale solar cells, before pivoting to become a full-time, professional bass and viola da gamba player for ten years - recording 15 albums, winning an Edison award, and touring the world. 

Today, he is a full professor of scientific literacy and chairs the Freudenthal Institute at Utrecht University, where he leads 120 highly autonomous academics. Yet, every single morning, his day still starts with meditation and playing his instrument.

Key Insights from the Episode

Show notes:

We are celebrating a major milestone! Exactly five years ago, on the 19th of May, The Power of Music Thinking podcast was launched.

To mark the occasion, host Christof Zürn revisits the archives to share hidden gems, profound insights, and incredible sonic journeys from the past five years. Based on neurobiologist Nina Kraus's insight that "we can ultimately hear only what we already know," this special episode is designed to expand what you know by connecting the worlds of music, leadership, and space.

The 4 Big Themes for Modern Leaders: We dive into 20 essential leadership questions broken down into four key areas:

Leadership Style & Organisational Structure (featuring the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra)

Innovation, Agility & Strategy (tackling AI with Dr. Maya Ackerman)

Culture, Communication & Empathy (practising active listening with Steve Keller)

The Leader as an Individual: Development & Wellbeing ("mind DJing" with Jeena Earthiva)

Sonic Travels & Spaces: We step outside organizational strategy to explore how sound shapes our physical world. Discover the "spatiosonics" of the Sagrada Familia with Emma-Kate Matthews, look inside instruments with Charles Brooks, cross cultural boundaries in Japan, and experience field recordings from Germany to Venice.

Harvey Seifter on leadership without a conductor.

Dr. Maya Ackerman on navigating generative AI.

Steve Keller on the power of strategic silence.

Jeena Earthiva on shifting your mindset under pressure.

The Complete 20 Questions Guide: Read the comprehensive guide with all the links and show notes from this archive deep-dive at musicthinking.com.

Try the Music Thinking Search: Scroll down to the footer on any page of the website and type in a keyword like Japan, AI, Architecture, Orchestration, or Deep Listening to get a curated mix of episodes, articles, and downloads.

Join the Community: Want to ask questions and discuss these 20 leadership themes with other music thinkers? Subscribe for free to the Music Thinking Substack.

Thank you for five incredible years of listening, and remember to listen to the spaces in between!

#leadership #musicthinking #personal #development #organisational #change

Spatiosonic practice is the groundbreaking field at the heart of this episode. Christof Zürn sits down with architect and composer Emma‑Kate Matthews to explore the profound links between the act of making space and the act of making sound.

In this episode, you will hear:

Audio Landmarks: The 12-second reverb of the Sagrada Família versus a dry anechoic chamber.

Resonant Bodies: Emma‑Kate’s self-made, 3D-printed experimental instruments.

Aural Diversity: Why "reading the air" requires acknowledging that we all hear the world differently.

Key Topics:

Why architecture is an active collaborator, not a passive host.

Translating technical acoustic language into intuitive community terms.

The creative value of "not knowing" and letting experiments talk back to you.

About the Guest: Emma‑Kate Matthews is an architect, composer, and educator. She is the co-editor of the Routledge Companion to Sound and Space and explores the intersection of sonic and spatial practices.

Links and Resources:

Website Emma-Kate Matthews: https://www.ekmworks.com/

The Routledge Companion to the Sound of Space: https://www.soundingfuture.com/en/article/reflections-routledge-companion-sound-space

Music Thinking Society on Substack: https://musicthinking.substack.com/

Full Episode Page: https://musicthinking.com

Soil ecoacoustics is the groundbreaking scientific field at the heart of this podcast episode, where Christof Zürn deconstructs the mental models of exceptional individuals who perform at the top of their fields and also happen to be musicians. This conversation explores the profound links between music and scientific work – featuring the seminal papers, scientific research, and unique habits you can leverage as a toolkit for your own path.

Meet the Guest: Alex Flynn Taylor is a Research Assistant at Flinders University with the Frontiers of Restoration Ecology team. While he is the bass and guitar player for the indie-rock band Stormy-Lou, his pioneering scientific work involves sticking aluminium probes and contact microphones into the earth to listen to the hidden vibrations of our ecosystems.

The Hidden Sounds of the Underground

Key Insights from the Episode

Show notes

Matthias is an internationally recognised expert at the intersection of creativity, leadership, and artificial intelligence. 

He was the Director of the Karajan Institute and led the team that used AI to complete Beethoven’s 10th Symphony. He is also a trained Classical Guitarist, Musicologist, Musictech Visionary, Founder, and Angel Investor.

We discuss why he believes AI is actually 'email autocomplete' for music, why we should view it as a 'living archive' rather than a replacement, and why leaving behind the concept of 'right and wrong' is the ultimate freedom.

In many episodes, we discuss the strategic bridge between the boardroom and the stage, often focusing on clear insights and structured conversations about leadership and innovation.

Today is different.

We step out of the studio and into the heat of Nara, Japan, for a "soundwalk" with Jonen, a 'shakuhachi priest' and former Komuso monk.

Jonen’s practice isn’t about silence; it’s about engagement. In this immersive field recording, we explore the Japanese concept of "reading the air" (Kuuki wo yomu) and the practice of "meditation in the midst." He demonstrates that playing the bamboo flute is not about performing for an audience, but about harmonising with the environment — regardless of what that environment contains.

In our conversation today, the soundscape is as much a guest as Jonen is. You will hear the raw, unfiltered interaction between the shakuhachi and the world around it: from the hypnotic drone of cicadas and the rhythm of cleaning crews to the jarring intrusion of election loudspeakers.

This is listening as active participation. It is an experiment in presence, adaptability, and finding contentment in the "zero state."

And if you are listening as a leader and want the 'gist' of these insights — the strategic bridge between the boardroom and the stage — to support your own company, let’s talk. 

Whether it’s a facilitation session or acting as a sounding board for your leadership team, you can reach me directly via LinkedIn

In many episodes, we talk about how sound and listening can make a difference for good. We’ve explored themes like sound healing, music psychology, and deep listening—all ways sound and music thinking can be a force for good.

Today is somewhat different.

We speak with Fabio Cervi, an audio investigator for Earshot, a non-profit audio investigation organisation that works on the front lines of human rights and environmental advocacy.

Fabio’s work isn't just about listening; it's about finding evidence. He uses sound to tell the stories of communities affected by violence.

In our conversation today, Fabio shares sound files from two astonishing cases. First, we’ll hear and deconstruct the evidence from an attack on a silent vigil in Serbia, involving a mysterious sound that people felt rather than heard, and a potential sonic weapon known as an LRAD.

Then, we move to the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to explore Zifzafa, a protest video game that uses real-world field recordings to fight against an illegal massive wind turbine project.

This is audio as ballistics, as evidence, and as advocacy. It’s a truly fascinating look at how sound can be used in the fight for justice.

The word 'orchestration' is everywhere in business right now—we see 'innovation orchestrator,' 'data orchestrator.', ‘Change orchestrator’. It’s become a strategic buzzword and many are using it, just search for the term on LinkedIn.

I’ve mentioned my research on this topic before, and I’m thrilled to share that the full peer-reviewed paper—which I co-authored and presented at the RSD14 Relating Systems Thinking and Design conference—is now available. You can find the link in the show notes.

But to bring this idea to life, I wanted to try an experiment. I used AI, specifically NotebookLM, to take the core concepts from our paper and turn them into a conversation, as if it were a podcast itself.

So, what you’re about to hear is a 16-minute audio piece, created by AI, that explores what a musical orchestrator actually does, and how this music thinking relates to business, all based on our research. 

It's a fun experiment, and I think it's the perfect introduction to why this concept is so critical for leadership today. Let’s listen. 

One of the great myths of a modern career is that you have to choose just one path. My guest today, Jessica Wan, is living proof that you absolutely don’t.

Her career has taken her from leading marketing teams at world-renowned organisations like Apple and the San Francisco Opera, to becoming a sought-after executive coach. And running parallel to all of this, she is a classically trained singer preparing for her next recital.

She champions a philosophy she calls 'The Ampersand Manifesto', which celebrates people who connect multiple passions and professions. 

It's a really inspiring chat about embracing all parts of who you are. And as a special treat, you will also hear a sneak peek at the end of the conversation from Jessica's recital. She sings a song together with the audience that was popular everywhere in Taiwan in the 80s and 90s called 月亮代表我的心 – The Moon Represents My Heart. So, let's dive into the conversation.

Show notes

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