Workshop: Music, the Nervous System, and Mental Calm

All cultures create music—patterns of tones and rhythms that influence our emotions, bodily states, and social connections. Modern research is now mapping the neurobiological mechanisms that explain music’s uplifting, regulating, and healing effects on the brain and nervous system.

This workshop combines scientific insight with sensory experiences. Participants will have the opportunity to listen, sing, feel, and understand how music can relax the body, create calm, and support mental well-being. Singing bowls, the voice, and guided soundscapes provide a holistic experience where theory and practice are intertwined.

Target Audience: Anyone interested in exploring the effects of music and delving into the underlying neurological processes.

Purpose: To provide participants with a deeper understanding of the neurobiological effects of music—and to experience how sound, rhythm, and vibrations can be used as tools for regulation, relaxation, and well-being.

Duration: 2–6 hours

Format: Alternating between lectures, listening sessions, vocal exercises, and practice-based musical experiences.

Time & Place: By agreement

What participants will gain:

• Insight into the neurobiological mechanisms behind music’s effects

• Experience with musical practices that promote calm, presence, and well-being

• Understanding of how sound, rhythm, and vibrations affect the nervous system

• A safe space for relaxation, reflection, and mental recharge

• Tools to use music as a regulation and well-being practice

• A shared experience of community through listening, voice, and sound

Workshop in Practice:

During the day, we alternate between:

• Lectures on the neurobiology of music

• Guided sound experiences, including Nepalese singing bowls

• Voice exercises and group singing

• Reflection and discussion

• Sensory exercises supporting calm and regulation

Participants gain both knowledge and experiences that enhance well-being—and that can easily be applied in daily life.

Instructors:

• Mette Sandstrøm: music anthropologist, sound therapist, and singer

• Karen Johanne Pallesen: neurobiologist, stress researcher, PhD dissertation on the brain’s response to music

Read an interview with KJP about “earworms.”

Questions & Booking: Spørgsmål & booking: info@synergia.dk / +45 2679 7407