The hearing brain is vast, engaging how we think, feel, move and integrate our senses. Of Sound Mind examines the partnership of sound and brain, showing that the processing of sound drives many of the brain’s core functions and leaves a fundamental imprint on who we are as human beings. Kraus explores the power of music for hearing every sound as well as the destructive power of noise on cognitive and mental health. She describes why musicians—defined here as anyone who makes music regularly—have measurably better sound minds. The sounds of our lives shape our brains, for better and for worse, and help us build the sonic world we live in.
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Of Sound MindFeatured
OF SOUND MIND
Book Reviews
Book Review: Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World
Bangalore Speech and Hearing Trust Journal of Hearing Language and Speech, July-Dec, 2022.
New Book Explains How What We Hear Shapes Who We Are
Northwestern Sound Arts and Industries, January 14, 2022.
ENDORSEMENTS
Watercolor Backgrounds by Katie Shelly, @interkatie on Instagram and Twitter.
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Podcasts and Interviews
Hearing Matters Podcast: Dr. Nina Kraus on the Connection Between Sound and Mind
Hearing Matters Podcast, Aug 29, 2024.
Nina Kraus: Of Sound Mind
The Voice of the Good Athlete, The Good Athlete Podcast, September 17, 2023.
Sound connects us: the betweenness of sonic experience
Music & Peacebuilding Podcast, November, 2023.
The Magic of the Sound Mind: Bridging Neuroscience and Speech Therapy with Nina Kraus
Speech Therapy PD.com Podcast, August 12, 2024.
Concussions don’t necessarily affect ears — but they can affect the ability to hear
All Things Considered NPR, November 3, 2021.
Concussions: How A Mild Brain Injury Can Alter Our Perception Of Sound
NPR ShortWave, December 13, 2021.
Episode 130 – Better Hearing for Better Learning. Roundtable Discussion: Improving Auditory Assessment in Schools
This Week in Hearing Podcast, April, 2023.
Exploring the sound mind and marketing
Audio Content Lab, Sounds like Marketing Podcast, April, 2023.
Hit Pause and Listen: The Powerful Science of Sound
HER podcast with Dr. Pamela Peeke – RadioMD, April 6, 2022.
How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World
Hearing Loss Association of America- NYC Chapter, October 18, 2022.
How Our Brains Create Meaning From The Sounds Around Us
NPR: All Things Considered, September 27, 2021.
Meet neuroscientist Nina Kraus on how our brain constructs a meaningful sonic world
32 Peces Podcast, May 2, 2024.
What that jazz beat tells us about hearing and the brain
Scientific American, Science Quickly Podcast, July 14, 2023.
DELVING IN: Nina Kraus on the Neuroscience of Auditory Learning
Las Cruces Community Radio KTAL 101.5 FM, October 23, 2022.
How are the sounds of my life shaping my brain, and what does music have to do with it?
Enhance Life Podcast, September 28, 2021.
Sound connects us: the betweenness of sonic experience
Music & Peacebuilding Podcast, November, 2023.
Advancing the Science of Arts, Health, and Well-being through Neuroarts
Johns Hopkins University, February, 2024.
Episode 130 – Better Hearing for Better Learning. Roundtable Discussion: Improving Auditory Assessment in Schools
This Week in Hearing Podcast, April, 2023.
Exploring the sound mind and marketing
Audio Content Lab, Sounds like Marketing Podcast, April, 2023.
Of Sound Mind: How our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World
Commonwealth Club of California, October 7, 2021.
Print and Online
Guest essay: Leaf blowers – a small part of a larger movement Evanston should lead
Evanston Round Table, May 17, 2023.
A new look at Brain Research Part Two- Additional information about the impact of music on reading fluency/prosody
doctorsam7, December 11, 2021.
Advancing the Science of Arts, Health, and Well-being through Neuroarts
Johns Hopkins University, February, 2024.
Even “low-level” noise is unhealthy: A neuroscientist explains how sound and health are connected
Salon, October 17, 2021.
Hormones, harmonics help explain sex differences in sound processing
Northwestern Now, November 24, 2021.
How music primes the brain for learning
National Federation of State High School Associations, April 12, 2024.
Is the sky really blue? It depends on what language you speak
Science News for Students, March 17, 2022.
Now Hear This: Workplace Noise Isn’t Just Annoying, It’s Downright Dangerous
Kiplinger, January 2, 2022.
Op-Ed: Keep it down: Why returning to pre-pandemic noise levels can be harmful for plants and animals
LA Times, October 12, 2021.
Sound advice to enhance employee health and office productivity
Santa Maria Times, December 10, 2021.
The skills worth learning for better brain health-from chess to the cha cha cha
The Telegraph, August 4, 2023.
Athletes develop quieter brains and reduce peripheral sounds, research shows
Globo g1, June 1, 2022.
How Playing Music & Being Bilingual Can Help You Hear Better For Decades
BabyBoomers, September 27, 2021.
Featured Articles
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Hearing Matters Podcast: Dr. Nina Kraus on the Connection Between Sound and Mind
Hearing Matters Podcast, Aug 29, 2024 -
The Magic of the Sound Mind: Bridging Neuroscience and Speech Therapy with Nina Kraus
Speech Therapy PD.com Podcast, August 12, 2024 -
de sono mente (secunda pars)
Aeternum, June 11, 2024 -
Love Letter to Sound with Nina Kraus
The Power of Music Thinking Podcast, June 23, 2024 -
Meet neuroscientist Nina Kraus on how our brain constructs a meaningful sonic world
32 Peces Podcast, May 2, 2024 -
de sono mente (prima pars)
Aeternum, May 11, 2024 -
A neuroscientist taught me how to heal tinnitus
Treble Health Podcast, April 20, 2024 -
Too much noise can harm far more than our ears
Science News Explores, April 25, 2024 -
Can a sound bath wash away your worries?
The New York Times, April 24, 2024 -
Advancing the Science of Arts, Health, and Well-being through Neuroarts
Johns Hopkins University, February, 2024 -
Understanding effects of noise
Longitude.Site Sound Bytes Podcast, February, 2024 -
Sound connects us: the betweenness of sonic experience
Music & Peacebuilding Podcast, November, 2023 -
Nina Kraus: Of Sound Mind
The Voice of the Good Athlete, The Good Athlete Podcast, September 17, 2023 -
How rhythm shapes our lives
BBC, May 26, 2023 -
Guest essay: Leaf blowers – a small part of a larger movement Evanston should lead
Evanston Round Table, May 17, 2023 -
The Power of Sound
Chasing Life with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Podcast, December 13, 2022 -
Nina Kraus Receives 2022 Alumnae Award
Northwestern Now, November 3, 2022 -
Of Sound Mind: Sound and Betweenness
McGilchrist Channel, November 7, 2022 -
Babbage: Mind Matters
The Economist, November 16, 2021 -
Concussions and the inability to understand speech and other sounds
KCBS Radio, November 7, 2021 -
Concussions don’t necessarily affect ears — but they can affect the ability to hear
All Things Considered NPR, November 3, 2021 -
Episode 86: Nina Kraus
Behind the Bits Podcast, Oct 26, 2021 -
What noise is doing to our brains
CBC Radio, October 22, 2021 -
How do we make sense of the sounds around us?
NPR Short Wave, October 18, 2021 -
Even “low-level” noise is unhealthy: A neuroscientist explains how sound and health are connected
Salon, October 17, 2021 -
Op-Ed: Keep it down: Why returning to pre-pandemic noise levels can be harmful for plants and animals
LA Times, October 12, 2021 -
How Our Brains Create Meaning From The Sounds Around Us
NPR: All Things Considered, September 27, 2021 -
Hearing Too Much in a Noisy World
Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2021 -
Celebrating Dr. Nina Kraus
Canadian Audiologist, 2021 -
The hearing brain
Chicago Tribune, March 14, 2021 -
The Quiet Brain of the Athlete
The New York Times, December 18, 2019 -
Athletes have healthier brains that can actually hear better, study says
CNN, December 9, 2019 -
New Concussion Testing Uses Hearing to Reveal Brain Trauma
WTTW Health, September 24, 2018 -
Tuning in to our Amazing Auditory System
Monitor on Psychology, July/August, 2018 -
‘Yanny’ Or ‘Laurel’? Why People Hear Different Things In That Viral Clip
NPR, May 16, 2018 -
Why an NFL lineman walked away at age 27 to pursue medical school
ESPN, May 12, 2018 -
Neuroscientist Professor Nina Kraus: “All kinds of music is good for the brain”
AAAS conference, May 1, 2018 -
New diagnostic tool revealed at CommFest concussion seminar
North by Northwestern, April 22, 2018 -
Sound Health: Music Gets You Moving and More
NIH News in Health, January 2018 -
When Your Eyes Move, So Do Your Eardrums
The Atlantic, January 2018 -
Kraus takes stage with opera great Renée Fleming to discuss ‘why music moves us’
Northwestern Now, June 14, 2017 -
URI Thewlis Lecture addresses aging, creativity and neuroscience
Providence Business News, April 10, 2017 -
How Sound Can Be an Ally or an Enemy of a Healthy Brain
Scientific American, February 23, 2017 -
Innovative test uses sound to detect concussions
WGN News, December 23, 2016 -
Brain scan hints at first simple test for concussion
Nature, December 22, 2016 -
A hearing test may be able to identify a concussion
The Washington Post, December 22, 2016 -
What Types of Sound Experiences Enable Children to Learn Best?
NPR / KQED, Nov 28, 2016 -
We’re all hearing differently, and here’s the proof
NPR (WNYC), December 1, 2015 -
Sound advice: High school music training sharpens language skills
NIH Director's Blog, July 28, 2015 -
The benefits of band class
Science, July 21, 2015 -
Kids who struggle with reading: Predicting issues – and intervening – early
The Globe and Mail, July 19, 2015 -
Train your brain for better hearing
New Scientist, July 15, 2015 -
Todd Rundgren and Music Education
PBS News Hour, April 28, 2015 -
Everyone Can Gain From Making Music
Scientific American Mind, March-April 2015 -
Music lights up the brain for longtime musician with Alzheimer’s
Chicago Tribune, March 6 2015 -
Music and your brain – the science of change
NPR (KPCC, Los Angeles), January 25, 2015 -
This Is How Music Can Change Your Brain
TIME, December 16, 2014 -
Video Interview with Nina Kraus on Music and the Brain
Scientific American, December 15, 2014 -
Music has a lasting effect on musicians: an interview with Dr. Nina Kraus
Opus, League of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association Newsletter, November 2014 -
A Musical Fix for American Schools
The Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2014 -
Music helps impoverished children perform better in school
Voice of America, October 8, 2014 -
Does your baby have rhythm?
Science, September 23, 2014 -
Your Brain Has Got Rhythm Even If You Don’t
Cognitive Neuroscience Society, September 12, 2014 -
Music training aids speech processing
Nature, September 9, 2014 -
Musical training ‘can improve language and reading’
BBC News, August 8, 2014 -
Music Lessons Combat Poverty’s Effect on the Brain
Scientific American, May 1, 2014 -
Your Aging Brain Will Be in Better Shape If You’ve Taken Music Lessons
PBS News Hour, March 8, 2014 -
Making sure young brains get the benefits of music training
National Geographic, January 3, 2014 -
Musical Training Has Positive, Long-Term Effects on Brain Function
National Science Foundation, December 3, 2013 -
How Growing Up in Poverty May Affect a Child’s Developing Brain
Smithsonian Magazine, November 25, 2013 -
Long-Term Benefits of Music Lessons
New York Times, November 11, 2013 -
Early Music Lessons Reduce Hearing Loss
Science, November 8, 2013 -
Drumroll, Please: How Band Camp Pays Off Later in Life
TIME, November 6, 2013 -
Childhood Music Lessons May Offer Lifelong Benefits
US News & World Report, November 5, 2013 -
Childhood music lessons ‘leave lasting brain boost’
BBC News, November 5, 2013 -
Instruments of mass delight
The Economist, October 13, 2013 -
Using Music to Close the Academic Gap
The Atlantic, October 9, 2013 -
Got rhythm? How music can make kids stronger readers
Newsweek, September 20, 2013 -
Moving to the Beat Could Improve Your Reading Skills
VOA, September 17, 2013 -
Do Music Lessons Make You Smarter?
Scientific American, March 1, 2013 -
Researchers find a biological marker for dyslexia in kids
Time Magazine, February 20, 2013 -
Say What? Better Hearing Takes Practice
Science Magazine, February 13, 2013 -
Can You Hear Me Now? Training the Brain to Hear Better
TIME, February 12, 2013 -
Happy New Year: Pick Up a New Skill
The New Yorker, January 1, 2013 -
Music Classes in Childhood May Lead to Changes in the Brain
Voice of America, October 5, 2012 -
Music lessons in childhood may lead to changes in the brain that persist years after the lessons stop
NPR Music, September 14, 2012 -
Learning young to play a musical instrument can have a lifetime of benefits
The International Herald Tribune, September 13, 2012 -
Early Music Lessons Have Longtime Benefits
New York Times, September 11, 2012 -
For children, the music lasts
LA Times, August 24, 2012 -
Even A Few Years Of Music Training Benefits The Brain
Scientific American, August 23, 2012 -
Childhood music classes ‘help adult hearing’
BBC News, August 22, 2012 -
Childhood music lessons improve hearing in adults
The Telegraph, August 22, 2012 -
Bilingual Effects in the Brain
National Institutes of Health, May 7, 2012 -
Attention: Why Speaking Two Languages Is Better Than One
The Wall Street Journal, May 7, 2012 -
Playing an instrument helps tune the brain
Chicago Tribune, March 28, 2012 -
How to build a better learner
Scientfic American, August 2011 -
Music: The New Fountain of Youth
NBC Chicago, August 17, 2011 -
They’re playing our song
The Telegraph, August 7, 2011 -
Playing An Instrument May Help Preserve Hearing
Shots: NPR's Health Blog, May 16, 2011 -
Musical Training Maintains Hearing Later in Life
Voice of America (VOA), May 13, 2011 -
Music Lessons as Child May Keep Aging Minds Sharp
NPR (WQXR, New York), May 13, 2011 -
To Tug Hearts, Music First Must Tickle the Neurons
New York Times, April 18, 2011 -
Hearing the Music, Honing the Mind
Scientific American, November 1, 2010 -
Phys Ed: Does Music Make You Exercise Harder?
New York Times, August 25, 2010 -
Music of the hemispheres. Playing instruments gives brains a boost
Science News, August 14, 2010 -
Fine tunes may fine tune the brain
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, July 21, 2010 -
Why music is good for you
Nature News, July 20, 2010 -
Why Music is Good For You
Scientific American, July 20, 2010 -
Research Finds Brain Link for Words, Music Ability
New York Times, February 22, 2010
Podcasts and Interviews
The Magic of the Sound Mind: Bridging Neuroscience and Speech Therapy with Nina Kraus
Speech Therapy PD.com Podcast, August 12, 2024.
Meet neuroscientist Nina Kraus on how our brain constructs a meaningful sonic world
32 Peces Podcast, May 2, 2024.
Episode 130 – Better Hearing for Better Learning. Roundtable Discussion: Improving Auditory Assessment in Schools
This Week in Hearing Podcast, April, 2023.
Exploring the sound mind and marketing
Audio Content Lab, Sounds like Marketing Podcast, April, 2023.
Sound connects us: the betweenness of sonic experience
Music & Peacebuilding Podcast, November, 2023.
Nina Kraus: Of Sound Mind
The Voice of the Good Athlete, The Good Athlete Podcast, September 17, 2023.
What that jazz beat tells us about hearing and the brain
Scientific American, Science Quickly Podcast, July 14, 2023.
How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World
Hearing Loss Association of America- NYC Chapter, October 18, 2022.
DELVING IN: Nina Kraus on the Neuroscience of Auditory Learning
Las Cruces Community Radio KTAL 101.5 FM, October 23, 2022.
Hit Pause and Listen: The Powerful Science of Sound
HER podcast with Dr. Pamela Peeke – RadioMD, April 6, 2022.
Concussions: How A Mild Brain Injury Can Alter Our Perception Of Sound
NPR ShortWave, December 13, 2021.
Concussions don’t necessarily affect ears — but they can affect the ability to hear
All Things Considered NPR, November 3, 2021.
Of Sound Mind: How our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World
Commonwealth Club of California, October 7, 2021.
How are the sounds of my life shaping my brain, and what does music have to do with it?
Enhance Life Podcast, September 28, 2021.
How Our Brains Create Meaning From The Sounds Around Us
NPR: All Things Considered, September 27, 2021.
Surrounded by Sound. The Benefits of Music in Learning and Aging
Consults over Coffee, April 13, 2021.
NAMM Foundation Grand Rally for Music Education featuring Dr. Nina Kraus and Renée Fleming
NAMM Foundation, January 22, 2021.
Are musicians better able to pick up subtle emotional cues? with Dr. Nina Kraus
Enhance Life with Music, January 28, 2020.
Playing Sports for Quieter Brains with Nina Kraus, PhD
Feinberg Medicine Breakthroughs, December 19, 2019.
Really? Really. How Our Brains Figure Out What Words Mean Based On How They’re Said
NPR Health News, August 24, 2017 .
Northwestern Study Finds Music Education Changes The Teen Brain
NPR Morning Edition, December 27, 2016.
Creating a culture of literacy: The impact of music education on the brain
NPR (WBEZ, Chicago) Front & Center, June 12, 2012.
Researchers Probe How Music Rewires the Brain
AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Certificate of Merit Awarded to Gabriel Spitzer of WBEZ Chicago, November 9, 2010.
Research Finds Musicians’ Brains Wired for Sound
NPR(WBEZ, Chicago), Eight Forty-Eight March 4, 2009.