Cognitive spillover & Feldenkrais
Newsletter 5
Highlights
1. Announcements:
• Improve Hearing through the embodied Experience of Sound w/ David Kaetz
• New website & a page for all our videos
2. Thought of the Week:
• Do “cognitive spillovers” happen with a Feldenkrais practice ?
3. Book of the Week
• Every Brain Needs Music !
4. Quote of the Week
1. Announcements
Improve Hearing through the embodied Experience of Sound, a workshop with David Kaetz.
What can you do to improve your hearing?
To listen with more of yourself?
How can you derive more pleasure from music?
How can you listen to others more effectively and take better care of this precious sense?
The human ear – with its wonderful tiny structures – is one aspect of good hearing and listening,
but it’s not the only one. Like vision, listening is a whole that integrates movement, breathing,
attention, attitude, context, relationship to others, and all the other senses. Becoming more aware
of how you organize yourself for listening can therefore pave the way to overall improvement.
The workshop Listening with Your Whole Body™ invites you to experience an innovative
approach to the sense of hearing, based on: the Feldenkrais Method®, the practice of mindfulness, research (ancient and modern) in acoustics and neuroscience, and a life in music.
On Saturday evening there will be an optional field trip to a church for a concert of Bach’s
organ music!
Who is it for?
This course is designed for those seeking to nurture and improve their listening skills, and protect
their hearing. It will be of particular interest to those for whom listening is at the heart of their
daily activities: musicians, therapists, healthcare professionals, teachers, lawyers, doctors,
parents, colleagues, partners or lovers.
Who is David Kaetz?
David is a Canadian musician, writer, Feldenkrais teacher, and the developer of Listening
with Your Whole BodyTM, an integrative approach to the auditory sense. He is the author of
three books that explore, in various ways, the intersection between somatic work and inner
life. David teaches embodied listening, both in person and online, to groups and individuals
in Canada and Europe.
2. Thought of the week
What is “Cognitive spillover” ?
Have you ever noticed how learning one skill can make you better at something completely different? That’s what “cognitive spillover” is all about—it’s when your brain takes skills or processes you’ve developed in one area and uses them to improve other areas.
Let’s use an example… Music!
Practicing an instrument involves a complex interplay of skills that engage many brain areas. In other words, when you play an instrument, your brain works really hard, using different parts to do all kinds of things at once. The benefits often “spill over” into other parts of your life. And there is a lot of research on this topic.
Here are a few examples:
1. Focus & Problem solving
Music improve what Neuroscientists call Executive functions. In other words, a music practice requires sustained attention, planning, and problem-solving - all aspects of executive functions that can spill into other everyday activities by improving your focus, decision-making, and the ability to manage complex tasks.
2. Improved Memory
Musicians develop robust memory systems, including working memory (e.g., holding and manipulating musical notes) and long-term memory (e.g., memorizing compositions). In other words, remembering songs or musical patterns strengthens your memory, which can maybe help you remember things for your school tests or your shopping list!
3. Language and Communication Skills
Practicing music enhances your ability to discern subtle changes in sound. This can help with language learning, pronunciation, and even understanding emotional nuances in language.
4. Emotional Regulation
Music practice involves emotional expression and the management of performance stress. Learning to stay calm while performing can help you manage stress in other situations, like speaking in front of a group of colleagues at work.
5. Multitasking and Coordination
Playing an instrument often involves coordinating hands, eyes, and ears simultaneously. Multitasking and coordination serves many other functions in life… think of driving or cooking!
6. Social Skills, Empathy and Teamwork
Some research suggests that intensive musical training in childhood increase empathy. Playing in a band or an orchestra requires collaboration and listening. These interpersonal skills are obviously useful in other contexts, making you a better teammate or friend.
7. Neuroplasticity
At a fundamental level, engaging in music practice promotes neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new connections. So practicing music helps your brain adapt, making it better at learning new things.
Does This Spillover Happen with Feldenkrais Too?
If you’ve tried Feldenkrais, you know it’s not just about movement—it’s also about becoming more aware of your body, sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Through a feldenkrais practice, you probably have also experienced first hand that learning is not isolated—it’s integrative, enriching the brain in ways that benefit the whole person.
So, do “cognitive spillovers” happen with Feldenkrais too? How do the things you learn in your movement explorations spill into other parts of your life, like problem-solving, focus, or relationships?
We’d love to hear your thoughts! Whether you’re a student or a practitioner, your experience could inspire others.
If you’re interested in reading more about how music shapes the brain and enhances our lives, check out the book recommendation below.
3. Book of the week
“Every Brain Needs Music”
Imagine yourself sitting at home, sipping on a coffee and listening to the radio, or enjoying your favorite tune. Sounds like a simple thing to do, no? Well, that “simple” activity involves mental abilities most of us don’t even realize we have!
This book dives into the neuroscience behind music, revealing new perspectives on listening, learning to play, teaching, how to practice and perform, the ways we react to music, and why the brain benefits from musical experiences.
We loved reading this book. We definitely recommend you read it if you want to find out how music can complement your journey toward greater awareness and being the best version of yourself!
4. Quote of the week
“Master your instrument. Master the music. And then forget all that bullshit and just play.”
— Charlie Parker