WAMC On the Road: Communities in Conversation, “Does Music Matter?”

WAMC On the Road: Communities in Conversation, "Does Music Matter?"

Join WAMC On the Road for a special conversation recorded live at historic Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs. Our panel of experts will attempt to answer the question “Does music matter?” (spoiler: Yes, it does.) by exploring topics surrounding music as a path to healing, empathy and health.

Leading the discussion will be WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Aaron Shellow-Lavine. Joining Aaron on the dais will be Caffe Lena Executive Director Sarah Craig, Dr. Dominique Vuvan, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program at Skidmore College and folk-musician and educator Dan Berggren.

Music as a path to healing, empathy and health posits a robust dialogue about what role does music play in making us better people? How does music connect and grow our communities? Does live music have a future? We’ll engage these questions and more with open minds from our panel of experts, as well as thoughts and queries from our live audience . Does music matter?

Admission is free with registration through Caffe Lena.

WAMC On the Road brings WAMC Northeast Public Radio’s microphones out of the soundproof booth and into the beating hearts of the communities we serve. This exciting endeavor meets listeners beyond the airwaves, capturing the energy and authenticity of live, on-location events throughout WAMC’s seven state listening region, from Plattsburgh to Pittsfield to Poughkeepsie.

Aaron Shellow-Lavine Bio - Aaron is WAMC's Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief, covering politics and community news in and around the region including Saratoga Springs, Lake George, and Gloversville. He graduated from Skidmore College in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in American Studies with a minor in Black Studies. He lives in Saratoga Springs and when he's not reporting, he's taking his dog on long walks and chatting with neighbors.

Sarah Craig Bio - Sarah carries forward Lena Spencer’s dedication to community service through music, creating friendships, careers and harmonious connection. She has contributed articles to national music publications, freely offers herself as a mentor to emerging artists and presenters, and shares her experience as a panelist at conferences in the US and Canada. She earned her BA in Psychology and Women’s Studies from the University of Vermont. She lives in rural Shushan, NY where she gardens, runs, reads avidly about ecology, theology, psychology and social justice, and serves on the Board of the Cambridge Food Co-Op.

Dr. Dominique Vuvan - Dominique received her Ph.D. in Psychology with a certificate from the Program in Neuroscience from the University of Toronto in 2012. She was a postdoctoral fellow at theInternational Laboratory of Brain, Music, and Sound Research (BRAMS) from 2012 to 2016. Currently, she is Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program at Skidmore College. Professor Vuvan is the director of the Skidmore Music and Cognition Laboratory (MaCLab), which focuses on the neurocognition of music with particular interests in expectancy processing, language-music interaction, and individual differences. [CV]

Dan Berggren - A tradition-based songsmith, Dan Berggren writes with honesty, humor and a strong sense of place. His songs explore the many dimensions of home, hard-working folks, taking care of our planet and each other. While his roots are firmly in the Adirondacks where he was raised, Dan's music has branched out across many borders. The award-winning educator and musician has entertained audiences from Kentucky to Michigan, Belgium to Bulgaria, and Zimbabwe to Transylvania.



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