The Power of Music Thinking

My guest today is Rikkert Achtereekte, customer director of sales and electronic musician. Rikkert works for the IT engineering company Schuberg Philis, which focuses on mission-critical processes. And Rikkert is a composer and performer of electronic music and gets together with some friends for a bi-monthly improvisation session on modular synthesizers. Rikkert shares insights about his company...

Today we are in Hawaii. We speak with Dagan Bernstein, a teacher and musician passionate about designing and leading innovative educational experiences. Dagan is currently serving as Capstone Coordinator at an independent K-12 international boarding school in Hawaii with additional expertise in mathematics, music, and digital media instruction.  We speak about collaboration in the classroom, how t...

In this episode, you can listen to a conversation with Helene Seiyu Codjo and the sound of the shakuhachi. Helene is a shakuhachi performer, composer and teacher.   "In the single tone of the shakuhachi, the whole of nature can be heard whispering its secrets." Dean Seicho Del Bene   We talk about the first memorable concert she heard as a child (there is one recital on Spotify with Miguel Ángel E...

Special edition: Today, we reflect on the changes in the music industry and how we listen to music, from live concerts to streaming - via vinyl, CD, and download.  And we think about the impact of our choices, the impact on the environment and what medium and behaviour fits best to your listening experience.  Further, we visit Green Vinyl Records in the south of the Netherlands at their factory; w...

Today we are in München, Germany, talking to Björn Eichstädt, Managing Partner & Co-Owner of Storymaker and publisher of the digital magazine “J-BIG – Japan Business in Germany”. He studied Neurobiology and was active in experimental music in the 1990s and 2000s.  Björn takes us on a trip to Japan. From J-Horror Films, Japanese Spirits, Film music, audio innovations, sound aficionados and the Soun...

Today we are in New Albany, Ohio. We speak with Paula White, a globally recognized sales leader, leadership coach and author of the book Side B: Remix Your Leadership Style. We talk about how music can (re)charge the way you are leading and how leaders can work on their behavioural traits based on music principles. Paula shares with us the ten archetypal instruments that are based on a scientific...

Today we switch roles: Christof asked his daughter Xenia to ask him anything about the new book: The Power of Music Thinking. Because Xenia was already a collaborator on the Jam Cards, a pre-reader of the new book and worked with her dad for many years, she can ask questions no one else could or would. They talked about leadership, followership, Service Design, the difference between metaphors and...

Today we speak with Marc Shillum, Designer, Creative Mind and trained musician. Marc was the founding Chief Experience Officer of Matternet, a pioneering transportation startup awarded World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. In his role, he connected the dots between Customer Needs, Hardware Design, Software Design, User Experience, Visual Design, Business Strategy and Brand Building. Marc has wr...

In this short episode, we look back on some conversations from last year, share tips and short exercises like a 1-minute ritual before a brainstorm and the listening walk.  Show notes •Podcast playlist on Spotify •The Power of Music Thinking Book, pre-order •Latest Episode    More info The Power of Music Thinking is brought to you by CREATIVE COMPANION Learn more about the Book that will be publis...

How do you bring humanity to work? How do you connect with your team on different levels?   Today, we are in New York, and we talk with Jim Kalbach. Jim is a noted author, speaker, musician, and instructor in design, customer experience, and strategy. He is currently Chief Evangelist at MURAL, the digital online whiteboard designed for remote collaboration and visual problem-solving. Jim studied m...

How do you design for inclusivity? How do you get the right people on the team? What would a studio look like for a service designer?    Today on the show we have Gerry Scullion. Gerry is the founder of This is HCD, the global human-centred design podcast and international design community of change-makers, and he is founder and CEO of This is Doing.com  In a ‘previous life’, he was a musician and...

Why do people tip up to six times more than they already have paid? How do people deal with adversity? What do Jazz and Business have in common? Today we are in Canada talking to Adrian Cho, ex-IBM consultant, book author, wildlife photographer, artistic director of the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra, bass player and creative director of syncspace.  We talk about how a damaged muscle brought Adrian to the...

How can you tell a story through food and music? Are all chefs drummers? Should prominent leaders start a band together? In this episode, Creative Companion meets the Creative Chef. We have a lively conversation with Jasper Udink ten Cate, artist, designer, futurist, keynote speaker, book author and drummer. He worked worldwide on exhibitions like London Design Week, Dubai Design, Metropolitan Mus...

What are the similarities between the technology and the record industry? And what is situational leadership? In this episode, we connect with Padraic McMahon, Customer Success Manager at Hubspot, a software company that helps businesses grow. Padraic has worked in Management positions at Google and LinkedIn. Before that, he was the guitar player of The Thrills that had some major hits from 2003 o...

Can we be successful in more than one field? What about the multiple me’s we have developed in different areas?  Today we are in Finland, my guest is  Ilkka Mäkitalo - musician, teacher, CEO, Co-Founder of Howspace and Conductor of Jyvaskyla Big Band.  We chat about instruments,  jazz and how to inspire young talents to compose for a big band. And we talk about organisational memory, organisationa...

Did you know that music can help you to rewire your brain? This episode is about the working of music on the brain and behaviour. My guest today is Artur Jaschke - neuromusicologist and professor for music-based therapies and interventions at the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Enschede and he also works at the neonatal intensive care at a hospital in Groningen, the Netherlands. We talk about how...

This episode is about listening - deep listening. My guest today is Sharon Stewart -  creator of sound works, musician, poet, researcher, piano teacher and deep listener.  We learn about the Center for Deep Listening at Rensselaer and the retreats that were held by composer Pauline Oliveros and the many ways to listen, for example like listening in dreams, embodied listening and that deep listenin...

This episode is about Innovation patterns and improvisation in organisations. Today, my guest is Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Stark - teacher and researcher specialised in organisational and community psychology and visiting fellow at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.  With natural sounds, like birds and wind in the background, we talk about how to co-create the sound of a company based on the processes...

We talk with Nifemi Aluko - Founder and CEO of kpakpakpa and author of the book Press Play, Music as a catalyst for change. Nifemi is a traveller between California and Nigeria and - as he calls - a Youtube inspired bedroom producer. We talk about his journey from a chemical engineer to an advisor for companies that want to enter the African market. We learn about the size and the diversity of Afr...

Today in the programme we have Steve Keller from Oakland California and we learn more about sound art, sound science and sound business. Steve has a great title: Audio alchemist and Sonic Strategy Director, Studio Resonate at SXM Media. We talk about audio-only and audio first strategies in what he calls ‘the platinum age of audio’, how COVID has changed our listening habits, the rise of clubhouse...

Today on the show we are in Boston and in Cyprus, we talk with Michael Hendrix, Partner and Global Design Director at IDEO and with Panos Panay, Vice President for Strategy & Innovation at Berklee College of Music. Michael and Panos talk about their experience as entrepreneurs, leaders, and executives and the interviews they did with musicians like Björk, Justin Timberlake and many others.  We spe...

The Power of Music Thinking is brought to you by CREATIVE COMPANION Today on the show we have  Roy Scheerder - co-founder of the dutch cooperative Faebric. In this episode we speak about Roy’s journey from hospitality to the lean and mean asset machine of the airline business and how to start as an entrepreneur with a cooperative.  We talk about the blockchain philosophy, the concept of tokens and...

In this very first episode of the brand new podcast The Power of Music Thinking, your host Christof Zürn will tell you about the background of this podcast. Who he is, why he started a podcast and what you can expect every two weeks. Christof is a seasoned professional in accompanying individuals, teams and organisations to make the step from iteration to innovation and transformation. To find pat...

The Power of Music Thinking with Christof Zürn takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most exciting people AND Musicians. Professionals that in some or another way use music, musical principles, instruments and techniques to work meaningful together. Or in short, the podcast for People with a musical heart and a wicked job.