This episode is like a warm hug! In this episode, we interviewed pianist and music psychotherapist Renate Tsuyako Rohlfing. We were left with so many new insights into the power and potential of music; it inspired us to reflect on our history as musicians and preconceived notions and left us optimistic and excited about the future of music for the performer and receiver. 

Renate Bio:

As a pianist and music psychotherapist, Renate Tsuyako Rohlfing is passionate about integrating music and public health. She is focused on researching the impact of music on grief, anxiety, and memory, and works with people across the autism spectrum. A co-founder of Sounds That Carry, Renate develops projects for organizations that use musical and creative resources to solve challenges, process grief, enhance connections, and empower marginalized communities.  A decorated concert pianist, she continues to perform internationally at festivals including Musikfest Bremen, Lucerne Festival, Davos Festival, and many others.

Ms. Rohlfing writes for Psychology Today about the therapeutic benefits of musical expression on her blog, Music on My Mind, and has presented at numerous institutions including Harvard University and McLean Hospital Health and Tech Lab, and at conferences such as Berklee’s Music and Health Institute Exchange Series and Chamber Music America. 

She is an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music and teaches classes on music, health, and psychology while practicing as a therapist at the Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy at New York University. She loves animals, is a proud native of Honolulu, Hawaii, and is a graduate of The Juilliard School and New York University.

SHOW NOTES

Music Therapy at NYU

Berklee College of Music

Elena Ferrante - The Lying Life of Adults