Sleep & Dreams: Music, Neuroscience & Stories of Slumber

Sleep is an essential part of the human experience. When sleep is compromised, the body and mind suffer. When it flows, we feel refreshed and clear. Sleep even builds new neural pathways. With sleep comes a rich landscape of dreams that enlighten, frighten, and delve into the bizarre, all swirling in our subconscious. Sleep and dreams come alive in music, art, and storytelling—from lullabies to visual masterpieces to personal accounts of epiphanies. 

Join us on Tuesday, October 18, 2022, from 6–7:30 p.m. PT for “Sleep & Dreams: Music, Neuroscience & Stories of Slumber.” This dynamic live event (in-person and online) is part of a series hosted by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the UCSF Memory and Aging Center, and the Global Brain Health Institute, with honored guests The Nocturnists. Through live music and visual art, scientific stories and studies, and original compositions, the event promises to awaken stimulating ideas about sleep and dreams.

Audience members will:  

• Embark on a multi-sensory experience through music, neuroscience, and stories across the phases of sleep and dreams
• Understand what happens when sleep is challenged, impacts on brain health, and how to improve sleep cycles
• Explore what our community would look like if we spoke about dreams collectively and the potential for insights and social inclusion

Program

View a a copy of the program.

Emcee: Emily Silverman, Creator & Host, The Nocturnists; Assistant Professor of Medicine, UCSF; 2020 Hellman Artist-in-Residence, UCSF MAC 

Stories from Science

• Liza Ashbrook, Associate Professor of Neurology, UCSF
• Lea Grinberg, Professor of Neurology, UCSF
• Kamalini Ranasinghe, Assistant Professor of Neurology, UCSF

Stories from Music & Art

• Taurin Barrera, Executive Director, Technology and Applied Composition; Studio Director, SFCM
• Nikolaus Hohmann, Chair, Humanities and Sciences, SFCM 
• SFCM music ensembles
• Luis Martinez, Neurologist, Visual Artist, Global Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at GBHI

Stories from Medicine

• Emily Silverman, Creator & Host, The Nocturnists; Assistant Professor of Medicine, UCSF
• Oak Sonfist, 2022-2023 Education and Advocacy Fellow, American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

With David Stull, President, SFCM & Bruce Miller, Professor of Neurology; Director, UCSF Memory and Aging Center; Co-Director, GBHI

Additional surprise elements to be announced.

COVID Protocols 

All in-person participants should be prepared to present proof of vaccination and identification. Masking will be required in the building and during the program. Read more guidance from SFCM.