The Power of Music Thinking

What does basketball truly sound like? Beyond the simple squeak of a sneaker, the soundtrack of sports carries profound socio-cultural and economic stories. Today, ethnomusicologist and sound artist Jordan Zalis unpacks the hidden sonic layers of the NBA. Specifically, we explore how listening differently reveals deep connections between sports, music, and business leadership.   In this episode, w...

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 researc...

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 s...

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-m...

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...

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 autoc...

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. I...

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 huma...

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...

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 p...

Could smart sound design actually make calling a hospital a less stressful experience? And what if the sound of a cello could be scientifically mapped to our emotions? These are just some of the questions we’ll be exploring today with our guest, Caitlyn Trevor. Caitlyn holds a PhD in Music Theory, a Master’s in Cello Performance, and is an award-winning film score composer. As a researcher and UX...

Today we’re heading to Hoboken, New Jersey, to speak with Chris Dalla Riva, who works at the fascinating intersection of music and data. He’s a Senior Product Manager at the streaming service Audiomack, and the writer behind the popular newsletter Can’t Get Much Higher. His work has been featured by The Economist and NPR, and you might know him as the guy who set off an internet-wide debate about...

And we're back! In this special first episode after the summer break, Christof takes you on a sensory journey to Japan with a series of 'audio postcards' recorded in Kyoto, Tokyo, and Koyasan. It's an immersive exploration of sound, mindfulness, and creativity. Stick around for the second half, where Christof makes three major announcements about the future of Music Thinking, including a new way f...

Our guest today is both an accomplished musician and a fascinating researcher. Dr. Sandra Garrido is a pianist and violinist who holds a PhD combining the worlds of music and psychology. Her work focuses on a question that touches all of us: how can music regulate our mood and improve our mental wellbeing? What's truly unique is that she explores this not just today, but through a historical lens,...

Our guest today is Dr. Maya Ackerman, a world-renowned AI expert who has been at the forefront of generative AI since 2015. She holds a PhD in Computer Science, is a professor at Santa Clara University, and has authored over 60 research publications.  As the co-founder and CEO of WaveAI, one of the earliest generative AI startups, she specialises in creating systems that elevate AI from a novelty...

This is a personal story about my first online interview at the end of the 1990s. It is a trip back in time with original sound snippets from the interview with famous conductor and pianist Daniel Barenboim in the Opéra Royale at Versailles. Find out how we did this technically and what questions the maestro was asked that came from the internet. This is another special episode where I experiment...

What can people and organisations learn from science and music? Why should we care? Are there universal mechanisms that are valid all over the world to all human species? Or is everything an individual experience?  Today, we talk with Hauke Egermann, Professor of Systematical Musicology at the University of Cologne. We speak about universal mechanisms that are valid all over the world; we learn fr...

A few episodes ago, I asked the question What is Orchestration? This was because I saw a lot of different orchestrators, nota bene, non-musical orchestrators with job titles like Design Orchestrator, Value Network Orchestrator, Data Orchestrator and Innovation Orchestrator, just to name a few. This is an ongoing research, and I am writing a paper about what people do when they say they are orchest...

Let’s talk about books today. What was the last book that inspired you? Was it a novel, a non-fiction book, a design book, a music book or a cookbook?    In this episode, I share three books that inspired my sound way of thinking, experiencing the world with an open ear and what has led to developing music thinking, the framework, the jam cards, the book and the podcast.  I will briefly discuss Na...

Today we speak with Willemijn van Hussen - a trained concert pianist, strategy consultant - co-founder and owner of Sonic Branding agency TAMBR. We talk about the power of our senses and how sound can make a difference in recognising a brand and what it stands for. Willemijn shares with us insights from an audio branding project, with a sonic logo, brand anthem and different sound assets that are...

We end this year with Leonoor Opstelten, a young researcher who used improvisation and music as an experimental approach for her thesis on forest and nature conservation.  With this approach, she won the Birgit Elands thesis prize just a few weeks ago. In her thesis, she included five piano pieces accompanying five different storylines - patterns and themes that resulted from her research. Let's l...

Christof Zürn talks about music thinking, the music thinking framework, and JAMMIN’ before SCORE and what this means in the context of co-creation in the business. How does this sound?  It sounds marvellous; we hear a lot of musical experts from the new (digital) album of MRZ - an ambient improvisation trio - and get an explanation of how this relates to the music thinking practise. Show notes Thi...

What is orchestration? And What is an orchestrator? What do they do? Is everybody now a musician or music thinker? Is it important? And Why should we care?     What challenges around orchestration are there in different fields and can music, music thinking or the grandmaster of orchestration, Rimski-Korsakov, help? In this short episode, I discuss a pre-research concerning orchestration in differe...

join us in our conversation and hear more about the journey from Poland to Germany and the US, from playing violin in a top-notch orchestra to getting an MBA at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and writing a white paper about AI and music.  Show Notes Connect with Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aniaf/   Berlin Philharmonic: https://www.berliner-philharmoniker.de/en/   AI White Pa...

Today is a special episode of the podcast, not just because of the 50th episode anniversary but because there will be no guests today. Instead, you'll be immersed in a unique sound walk experience, a journey of sound I recorded in July in Italy. This is not just a regular episode; it's a sonic adventure.  Open your mind and listening brain because, as we learned in the last episode with Professor...