I’m in love with Montreal for many reasons; its constant motion within the tranquil confines of a beautiful island, hardcore Canadian socialism with the quiet power of French undercurrents; beautiful exteriors but with no shortage of heart; a cultural landscape that is broad and all-encompassing, and offers intellectual, artistic, and Epicurean satisfaction…
But one big plus for me is all of the research that is going on on the brain and music…on the mind and music…it seems that everywhere I turn there is another organisational juggernaut that’s tackling the big issues I’ve been thinking about.
As I’ve been getting more into contemporary music without straying from my popular indulgences, I find myself more and more drawn to this field, and more and more confident that it is becoming one of the most essential components of a new breed of study that allows for art, humanities, and science to jointly flourish in exploring mysteries of consciousness, emotion, evolutionary hardwiring, and human connection.
Sometimes I’m so disappointed in how the world seems to be crumbling under our human footprints…but when I’m inspired, these things seem soluble.