Lyric Opera 2018-2019 Issue 11 Ariodante

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O onstage, and because she chose a beautiful song, its lyrics induced real emotions that the brain was processing. Surprisingly however, many parts of Fleming's brain moved into another gear when she simply imagined herself singing. e research- ers believe that because there were no outside cues (for example, instruments, sheet music, or the sound of Fleming’s own voice) that her brain could rely on to process the musical signals it was getting, imagining singing took more effort than actually singing or speaking song lyrics. Even in complete silence, music still shapes how our brain operate . “We think of brain activity just as the mechanics of what you do,” explained Dr. Jangraw, “but it’s the mechanics of what you think even more.” Tracing the pathways that music takes through the brain has allowed researchers to also come up with new therapies for diseases or accidents. For example, “when someone loses the ability to speak because of a stroke, sometimes they can use the music pathway in the brain to learn to sing important phrases instead,” said Dr. Jangraw. After seeing the results of her brain scan, Fleming marveled at the seemingly limitless possibilities music can have on our psyches. “ ere are musical elements we will eventually understand that have more power over us,” she said later in a video prepared by the Kennedy Center, “whether it’s melody, certain harmonies, or harmonic tension. Why do we cry during certain music? Why does certain music lift us up and make us feel joy or inspire us to action?” Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, who has helped Fleming spearhead the Music and the Mind pro- gram, explained in the same video that “we’re starting to learn ways in which music can influence all kinds of other aspects of someone’s brain function, and especially how we can use that information to use music therapeutically.” It’s music’s place in therapy that has many patients and doctors exploring music’s role in the healing process. OPERA America recently explored the subject of how music – and opera specifically – can help people battling with memory diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. ey highlighted an innovative program called “Memory Mornings,” run by LA Opera in collaboration with other nonprofits. e program uses professional pianists and singers working with Alzheimer’s patients, using music to open up parts of their minds that have been shut off by age or ailment. Heather Cooper Ortner, the president and CEO of Alzheimer’s Greater Los Angeles, explained to OPERA America, “When people move through the levels of Alzheimer’s, they lose the ability to express and manage their emotions. Singing allows them to connect with those emotions, and with deep, powerful memories , often taking them back to their childhood.” (continued on page 19) 14 | March 2 - 17, 2019