SOPRANO.

RENEE FLEMING HAS A NEW PROJECT, BUT IT'S NOT A NEW OPERA.

IT IS A BOOK CALLED MUSIC AND MIND A COLLECTION OF ESSAYS.

EXPLORING THE EXTRAORDINARY HEALING POWER OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS AND WHAT MODERN SCIENCE IS UNCOVERING ABOUT THAT CONNECTION AND DIVINITY RECENTLY SAT DOWN WITH THE OPERATIC SUPERSTAR WHO MADE HER LYRIC OPERA DEBUT BACK IN 1993, AND WHO SERVED FOR MANY YEARS AS ITS FIRST-EVER CREATIVE CONSULTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK AND BEGAN BY ASKING FLEMING ABOUT ITS ORIGINS AT A DINNER WITH 3 SUPREME COURT JUSTICES AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.

>> WELL, THIS WASN'T JUST ANY DINNER BECAUSE IT WAS THE DAY AFTER MARRIAGE EQUALITY WAS DECIDED.

AND SO THE 3 JUSTICES WERE NOT AS CHUMMY AS THEY NORMALLY ARE.

AND DOCTOR FRANCIS COLLINS WHO WAS THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH FOR 12 YEARS UNTIL VERY RECENTLY BROUGHT HIS GUITAR AS I'VE SINCE LEARNED, HE ALWAYS DOES.

AND WE STARTED SINGING TOGETHER.

WE KIND OF STAGE TO SING ALONG.

THERE'S A LITTLE BAND THERE AS WELL.

SINGING JUST SONGS THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS LAND IS YOUR LAND.

YOU KNOW, SHENANDOAH AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

AND BUT WE ENDED WITH THE TIMES THEY ARE CHANGING, WHICH WASN'T PARTICULARLY APPS THAT EVENING AND EVERYBODY RELAX WONDERFUL TIME.

AND I SAID TO TALK TO COLLEGE, HE SAID, I'M JUST STARTING AT THE KENNEDY CENTER AS AN ADVISER.

I FIND THE WORK THAT SCIENTISTS ARE DOING NOW IN TERMS OF RESEARCHING MUSIC.

AMAZING.

WHY ARE THEY DOING IT?

IT'S ASKING THE RIGHT PERSON.

AND HE SAID WE HAVE A BRAIN INITIATIVE AND WE WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE BRAIN IN MUSIC.

HE'S ACTUALLY EVERY KNOWN MAPPED AREA OF THE BRAIN.

A VERY COMPLEX KIND OF SERIES OF PROCESSES THAT HUMAN BEINGS HAVE TO DO TO ENGAGE WAS MUSIC TO PLAY TO LISTEN TO END AND IT'S SOMETHING WE TAKE FOR GRANTED BECAUSE IT'S THE AIR WE BREATHE.

EVERYWHERE.

SO HE SAID THAT'S WHY WE'RE STUDYING IT BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE BREAK.

>> NOW, I KNOW YOU ARE NOT SCIENTISTS PER SE, BUT YOU DID AT THIS BOOK.

ARE THERE IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT IN EVERY MAPPED REGION OF THE BRAIN OR IS MUSIC UNIQUE.

>> IT'S PRETTY THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT'S QUITE THAT THAT'S QUITE THAT KIND OF PART OF OUR DNA.

I MEAN, CERTAINLY VISUAL ART IS OUR EXPERIENCES THEY PERTAIN TO NATURE ARE REALLY HEALTHY FOR US.

WE KNOW THAT WE KNOW A LOT OF THIS.

WE MUSICIANS OBVIOUSLY REALLY KNOW WHAT BUT SCIENCE IS BEGINNING TO KNOW IT IN A WAY THAT WILL IMPACT PEOPLE'S LIVES, IMPACT OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

AND I THINK BEGIN TO SOLVE EVEN MORE ISSUES THAT WE'RE HAVING.

IT SEEMS.

>> SO OBVIOUS THAT MUSIC HAS POWER.

IT HAS, YOU KNOW, THE POWER TO PROVIDE SOLACE ENERGIZE BRING PEOPLE JOY.

WHAT THEREFORE NEEDS TO BE STUDY OR WHAT IS THERE TO LEARN FROM STUDYING MUSIC.

>> SO WE'RE WORKING, FOR INSTANCE, WITH ALZHEIMER'S PATIENTS AND DEMENTIA PATIENTS FOR WHOM MUSIC MEMORIES THE LAST TO GO.

SO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND ELDER CARE FACILITIES HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN.

THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T KNOW ANY OF THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM.

CAN'T REMEMBER MUCH OF ANYTHING.

AND YET IF YOU START SINGING A SONG, THEY KNOW ALL THE LYRICS PERFECTLY.

SO I SAW THIS MYSELF WITH MY HUSBAND'S AND IT'S MAGICAL CHILDREN.

CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, CHILDREN BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY FROM LEARNING TO PLAY A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT WE'RE ALSO FINDING EVEN NEWBORNS.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

IN FACT, IN UTERO, THEY'RE LISTENING.

THEY HEAR THEY REMEMBER MUSIC THAT THEY'VE HEARD.

IT'S SO THAT THE STUDIES ARE NOW ABLE TO SHOW US THAT THESE THINGS ARE A REALLY INTERESTING AND ALSO POTENTIALLY HELPFUL.

MOVEMENT DISORDERS, MS STROKE.

ALL OF ALL OF THESE PATIENTS CAN BENEFIT TREMENDOUSLY FROM MUSIC BECAUSE SUDDENLY IF THEY COULDN'T WALK OR OR THEY'RE SHUFFLING ARE FREE.

SULLY FREEZING.

IF YOU PUT ON RHYTHMIC END WITH SOMETHING, THEY'LL SUDDENLY MOVE GRACEFULLY.

SO IT'S THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS IN WHICH MUSIC BECAUSE IT'S IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BRAIN CAN HELP US BYPASS THE PROBLEM.

AREAS AND INSPIRE US TO BE ABLE TO DO THINGS WE OTHERWISE CAN'T DO ANOTHER OF ABER.

ONE A LOT OF CAN TO NATION THERAPY SO THAT BRAIN OR STROKE OR YEAH, THOSE ARE THE MAIN THINGS.

BUT IF YOU'VE OF PATIENTS CAN'T SPEAK A LOT OF CAN TO NATION THERAPY IN ONE SESSION CAN GIVE YOU THE POWER TO COMMUNICATE AGAIN AGAIN BECAUSE YOU'RE BYPASSING THE SPEECH AREA AND GOING TO THE SINGING AREA.

SO THIS IN FAVOR ONE OF MINE AND SUDDENLY YOU CAN COMMUNICATE BECAUSE THE WORDS YOU CAN SING THE WORDS, BUT YOU CAN SPEAK THEM TEST AN AD.

>> STEVEN, AN OPERA HALLS.

BUT NOW POSSIBLY WELL YEAR RECORDINGS ARE IN.

IN HOSPITAL.

WELL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

I MEAN, I I REALLY THINK ALL OF THESE THERAPIES SHOULD BE IN BED IN OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ACROSS THE BOARDS.

WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT?

AND THERE'S CLEARLY A LOT TO STILL LEARN ABOUT WHY MUSIC IS SO POWERFUL, CREATE THESE PATHWAYS.

BUT SCIENTISTS, ITS SCIENCE KNOWS THIS ALREADY, WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES WITH HAVING INSURANCE COVER THESE SORTS THERAPIES OR MAKING SURE THAT IT IS MORE COMMON.

YOU'RE ASKING EXACTLY THE RIGHT QUESTION BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S STILL A LOT TO LEARN.

WHAT'S THE RIGHT DOSAGE?

>> WHAT HOW TO CHOOSE WHAT MUSIC WORKS FOR EVERYONE, COURSE, FOR INSURANCE, ET CETERA, THAT THIS HAS TO BE FULLY VALIDATED.

THE FACT THAT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH IS NOW FUNDING.

THE RESEARCH IS A MASSIVE GAME CHANGER.

>> IS THAT PART OF YOUR OBJECTIVES THIS BOOK IS MAKING MORE COMMON MORE WELL-KNOWN.

IT'S IT'S IT'S THE BREATH OF THE FIELD BECAUSE I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW MORE.

SO I'M I'M LIKE THE CHIEF CHEERLEADER AND THE ADVOCATE IN A WAY.

SO BECAUSE I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT IT.

AND I'M NOT A SCIENTIST, BUT I I DO.

>> WANT TO USE MY PLATFORM AS A PERFORMER TO SHARE THIS INFORMATION.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED STAGE FRIGHT, WHICH IS THING.

PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASTOUNDED BY YOUR RENEE STAGE FRIGHT.

WHAT IF ANYTHING, HAVE YOU LEARNED THROUGH THIS ABOUT OVERCOMING THOSE SYMPTOMATIC SO.

>> SO THE SEMANTIC PAIN WAS WHAT KIND OF DROVE ME TO THIS.

AND THE SOMATIC PAIN WAS KIND OF A DISTRACTION FROM THE STAGE.

FRIGHT AND PERFORMANCE PRESSURE.

>> SO THAT'S WHAT GOT ME INTERESTED IN THE MIND.

BODY CONNECTION.

TRAUMA IS NOW HEAVILY RESEARCHED AND THEY'RE FINDING BENEFITS WITH THEATER AND WITH INITIATIVES AND ARTS ART IN GENERAL.

SO ONE THING I'M DOING THIS YEAR, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IS THAT FROM JANUARY FIRST, I SAID I'M GOING TO MAKE TIME IN MY DAY EVERY DAY TO DO THE THINGS I LOVE THAT.

BRING ME HAPPINESS AND THEN HELP ME RELAX.

WAS THAT FOR YOU AS I TEND TO WORK.

SO THAT'S WALKING OUTSIDE ITS THEATER, ITS MUSEUMS EVERYWHERE I TORE IT'S, OF COURSE, GOING TO MUSICAL CONCERTS.

SO WHETHER THE SYMPHONY OR THE OPERA OR MUSIC THEATER AND I CAN TELL YOU HOW GOOD THIS IS FOR ME IN A YEAR WHEN I WOULD PROBABLY BE ON MY NEWS FEED ALL DAY AND PENA NEWS FEEDS ALL DAY.

I JUST SAID I'M NOT DOING IT THIS YEAR.

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE ASSOCIATIONS THAT PARTICULARLY THOSE STRUGGLING WITH DEMENTIA HAVE WITH MUSIC AND >> I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD SHARE WHAT IF ANY PARTICULAR SONGS OR MAYBE PERFORMANCES OF OAK MEMORIES PIVOT POINTS IN YOUR LIFE.

FOR ME, IT'S MAJOR PERFORMANCES.

I MEAN, THE SUPER BOWL, IT DOESN'T GET BIGGER THAN THAT, WHICH IS HIS >> I YOU SEE TERRIFYING.

110 MILLION PEOPLE.

>> AND BLACK HAWK HELICOPTERS FLYING OVER UP.

BUT CERTAINLY THAT AND EVERY TIME YOU HEAR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, IT TAKES YOU BACK THERE.

YES, ABSOLUTELY.

THE MEMORIES INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

WE GO RIGHT THERE AND IT HAPPENS WITH SMELLS.

IT HAPPENS WITH TASTE.

ALL OF OUR SENSES ARE WORKING ALL THE TIME.

YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY TO KEEP US SAFE AND TO KEEP US ALSO CONNECTED TO OUR TRIBES.

THE MAIN POINT OF RESEARCH HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN MUSIC, BUT IT'S IT'S EXPANDING QUICKLY.

VISUAL ARTISTS NOW, PART OF THAT DANCE IS PART OF IT.

>> ALL OF THE ARTS YOU ARE INVESTED ARE FOR IT IN MIND AND MUSIC CONNECTION.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FUNDING THAT LIST.

THANK YOU.

>> AND RENEE FLEMING CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN HER TIES TO CHICAGO AS AN ADVISER AT THE LYRICS RYAN OPERA CENTER, WHICH HELPS TRAIN THE NEXT GENERATION OF OPERATIC PERFORMERS.