What goes on inside the brain of a world class singer?

Renée Fleming partnered with the Kennedy Center and National Institutes of Health (NIH) to find out what goes on inside the brain of a world class singer. In 2017, the Kennedy Center, the National Institutes of Health, and renowned soprano and Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor at Large Renée Fleming launched a new partnership designed to explore the connections between music, health, and wellness. The collaboration, spearheaded by Fleming, builds upon the performances that the National Symphony Orchestra has given at the NIH Clinical Center over the past several years, broadening the scope and bringing together the diverse artistic resources of the Kennedy Center with the scientific, clinical, and research expertise of the NIH. Says Renée Fleming: “A tremendous wealth of knowledge exists between the nation’s largest performing arts center and our largest health research institute. I hoped we could share and amplify the exciting work being done where science and music intersect, by bringing these two great institutions together for this initiative. There are ramifications here for a host of health topics: childhood development, autism, pain management, Alzheimer’s, PTSD—the list goes on and on, because music’s impact on the brain can be so powerful.”