Eric Barnhill on Cognition, Movement, and Music
Radio Interview: Wednesday, 17 April 2013

I interviewed Eric Barnhill on "Cognition, Movement, and Music" on Philosophy in Action Radio on Wednesday, 17 April 2013. You can listen to or download the podcast below.
How does cognition connect to physical movement, tone, and rhythm? Can moving to music help the development of cognitive skills and capacities, particularly in children?
Eric Barnhill is a Juilliard-trained concert pianist and the creator of Cognitive Eurhythmics music movement therapy. He is pursuing a Ph.D in medical physics at the University of Edinburgh, where he studies brain-muscle interaction using magnetic resonance physics.
Tags: Children, Education, Epistemology, Mind, Mind-Body Connection, Music, Parenting
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- Duration: 1:02:34
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Subjects Discussed 
- Eric's background as a classical pianist
- Starting with movement therapy: the "Feldenkrais Method"
- Moving to the Dalcroze Eurhythmics
- Discoveries about music and movement
- Teaching children about music and movement
- On learning and music
- Activities at home and in the classroom
- Adults using these techniques
- Training horses and communicating with others
- Teaching developmentally disabled kids
- The problem with behavioral therapy
- Teaching well-off versus poor kids
- Noisy environments
- Eric's plans in graduate school and beyond
Links 
- Eric Barnhill's Web Site: Cognitive Eurhythmics
- TEDx: Empowering Through Rhythm by Eric Barnhill
- Roads Taken and Not Taken: Eric Barnhill '95
- Feldenkrais Method
- Neural Connectivity, Music, and Movement: A Response to Pat Amos by Eric Barnhill
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About Philosophy in Action Radio
I'm Dr. Diana Hsieh. I'm a philosopher specializing the application of rational principles to the challenges of real life. I received my Ph.D in philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. My dissertation defended moral responsibility and moral judgment against the doubts raised by Thomas Nagel's "problem of moral luck."
My radio show, Philosophy in Action Radio, broadcasts live over the internet on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. On Sunday mornings, I answer four meaty questions applying rational principles to the challenges of real life in a live hour-long show. Greg Perkins of Objectivist Answers co-hosts the show. On Wednesday evenings, I interview an expert guest about a topic of practical importance.
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