The Neuroscience of a One-Track Mind: A Lecture-Concert
$20-$30
Chantel Prat, neuroscientist
Erin Jorgensen, 5-octave concert marimba
Have you ever wondered what happens in our brains when we focus? Does the brain change when it is actively concentrating on something? How do we do two things at the same time? How does our brain govern all the stuff that happens constantly in our body, even while our our attention is elsewhere? SO MANY QUESTIONS!
Please join us for all the answers as the Live Music Project celebrates its 5th birthday with a scintillating lecture from UW neuroscientist Chantel Prat, a centuries-spanning solo marimba performance by Erin Jorgensen, a ticket giveaway, and the most adorable cupcake toast this side of the Cascades.
In "The Neural Rhythms of Attention," Chantel will show us how the brain uses neural rhythms and spontaneous neuron activity to keep a train of thought right on track.
Then, as we ponder the mechanics of concentration, Erin will play a set of music on acoustic and amplified marimba exploring different types of focus: from J.S. Bach (the ultimate focus challenge!) to original music with vocals (playing + singing = a special type of focusing) to improvisation, with a few small surprises along the way. Erin's main instrument, the 5-octave concert marimba, has uniquely beautiful and trance-inducing vibrations and overtones.
We hope you'll join us for an all-ages celebration of 5 amazing years and many more to come.
Here's a rough schedule of events for the evening:
6:30 PM – Doors
7:00 PM – Talk: The Neural Rhythms of Attention (Chantel Prat)
8:00 PM – Performance: Erin Jorgensen on the 5-octave marimba
9:00 PM – Prizes, cupcake toast, & Composition Caper (surprise!)
(Please note: A ticket gets you in the door, but tickets do not guarantee seating at a table. For sold-out shows, standing room may be the only available space. Please come early to ensure you get a table. Also note: the Royal Room has a great menu. If you plan to eat dinner at the show, we recommend making a dinner reservation to guarantee a table. Please make your dinner reservation by emailing reservations@theroyalroomseattle.com. )
About our guests:
CHANTEL PRAT
Chantel Prat is faculty in the UW Department of Psychology and at the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, with appointments in the Neuroscience graduate program, at the Institute for Neuroengineering, at the Center for Sensorimotor Neural Engineering, and in the Department of Linguistics. Dr. Prat’s research investigates the nature of biological constraints on information processing, with an emphasis on the neural correlates of individual differences in complex cognitive abilities such as language. Her goal is to better understand the mind-brain relationship at the level of the individual. To do so, her current research employs the combination of functional neuroimaging, electroencephalography, transcranial magnetic and direct current stimulation, neurofeedback training, and behavioral paradigms. She has used the foundations of this research to investigate new technologies for decoding and encoding meaningful information into human brains, as applied in brain-to-brain interfacing paradigms – like telepathic Tetris. (ilabs.washington.edu/institute-faculty/bio/i-labs-chantel-prat-phd)
ERIN JORGENSEN
Erin Jorgensen is a Seattle-based marimbist and musician. Her love of the unique and beautiful properties of the marimba has led to a diverse artistic life with performances in art spaces, concert halls, rock clubs, and unexpected performance spaces all over the city, as well as a US tour opening for indie band Built to Spill as part of an electric marimba/guitar duo. Her musical style and interest ranges from Bach to electronica to movie soundtracks to pop covers. In addition to performing, she has produced new-music concerts in Seattle including a sold-out show of Arvo Pärt at On the Boards and the recent Cheating, Lying, Stealing featuring new music by American composers at Washington Hall with cellist Rose Bellini. (erinjorgensen.net)
Thank you to our event sponsor, Henry Bischofberger Violins, LLC, and to Cupcake Royale for the cupcakes. Thank you also to the following organizations for providing door prizes: Early Music Seattle, Byrd Ensemble, Seattle Symphony, Seattle Pro Musica, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Music of Remembrance, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, Emerald City Music, Orchestra Seattle | Seattle Chamber Singers, Byron Schenkman & Friends, SYSO, Gallery Concerts, Town Hall Seattle, Meany Center for the Performing Arts, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, and Philharmonia Northwest. We deeply appreciate your support.
Proceeds will benefit the Live Music Project, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to increasing access to the arts. Tickets are $20 before April 21, then $30. Available online, or at the door night of show.
About Live Music Project
The Live Music Project is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing arts access and arts community in Seattle and around the world.
We believe that a lack of resources should not be a barrier to audience. We believe that access to the arts begins with access to information about the arts.
Our purpose is to connect people with the means to access and experience live classical music in a way that strengthens community, celebrates listener agency, and amplifies local arts resources.
https://www.livemusicproject.org