A man and woman singing Christmas carols.

Why Holiday Music Makes Us Happy With Steve Keller

 The sounds of the season are all around us, but have you thought about why holiday music makes us happy? This week, Paula Felps sits down with Studio Resonate's Sonic Strategy Director Steve Keller to find out how holiday music is tied to nostalgia and what happens in our brains when we listen to it. In this episode, you'll learn: Why even melancholy holiday music can make us feel happier. What role dopamine plays in the memories involving music. How to use holiday music to boost your mood throughout this busy season. Links and Resources Twitter: @audioalchemist LinkedIn: @stevekeller1 Website: www.studioresonate.com And be sure to check out the Happy Holiday Playlist by Live Happy on Spotify! Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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Group shot of Doggyland characters

Discover Snoop Dogg’s Doggyland with Claude Brooks

 When you hear Snoop Dogg’s name, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t social emotional learning. But with his latest venture, Doggyland, Snoop has teamed up with producer Claude Brooks and recording artist October London to create a very special learning project. On this episode, Claude sits down with host Paula Felps to explain how Doggyland was created, what they want to accomplish with their songs and how they’re using music to change the way children view themselves — and the world around them. Let’s take a listen. In this episode, you'll learn: How they use music as a learning tool. Why music and rhyme is a great way for children to learn acceptance of themselves and others. How they are working to make sure this message is available to everyone. Links and Resources Sociotap: https://sociatap.com/doggyland_kids/ Website: doggyland.net Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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Using Music to Battle Breast Cancer With Cathy & Marcy

 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that made it the perfect time to sit down with Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, best known as the Grammy-winning duo Cathy & Marcy. They have been entertaining audiences for more than 40 years, and when Marcy received a breast cancer diagnosis, they faced it the same way they have faced all of life’s challenges — side by side, with music and humor. The result is the comedic musical All Wigged Out, which has been made into a film and details Marcy’s journey with breast cancer. They sat down with host Paula Felps to talk about how they transformed this health challenge into a musical story of hope and healing to share with the world. In this episode, you'll learn: How they used music to process Marcy’s diagnosis. Why celebrating even small milestones was important to their journey. How they turned the experience into a humorous healing story. Links and Resources Facebook: @cathyandmarcy Twitter: @CathyandMarcy Instagram: @singtoyourbaby YouTube: CommunityMusic Spotify: Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer Support breast cancer awareness with the Live Happy Breast Cancer Smiling Moptop Pen. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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A father teaching his son how to play guitar

Sound It Out With Dr. Regina Miranda

 The right song lyrics can express exactly what you’re feeling, and they can even help kids open up about what’s happening in their lives. With the Sound It Out campaign, parents and caregivers can support emotional wellness in young people by using songs and lyrics to help kids express their feelings. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Regina Miranda, a professor of psychology at Hunter College and one of the advisors for the program, to learn more about it. In this episode, you'll learn: What the campaign offers and how it came about. How music supports emotional wellness. How to use the Conversation Starter Pack to talk with kids about their feelings. Links and Resources Instagram: @sounditouttogether Twitter: @soundit_out Facebook: @sounditouttogether Buy the On a Positive Note notebook. Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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A doctor writing a prescription for music

Music as Medicine With Steve Keller

 Music has such a powerful healing ability that some researchers are even looking at “sonic pharmacology” — using music as a tool to improve patients’ health. Steve Keller is one of the world’s leading experts on sonic strategy. As a researcher, he has explored how music and sound affect everything from our physical well-being to our emotional state to our relationships and overall perception of happiness. In this episode, he looks at the many surprising ways music can be used as a healing tool — and explains why, one day, your doctor might give you a musical prescription. In this episode, you'll learn: How the medical community is using sound to enhance healing. Some of the surprising ways noise affects our health — and how music can help. The unexpected ways music can change your eating habits and promote a healthier lifestyle. Links and Resources Twitter: @audioalchemist LinkedIn: @stevekeller1 Join Steve’s campaign to take a stand for sonic diversity: www.standforsonicdiversity.com Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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A family of people playing instruments

Using Music to Understand Emotions With Nadine Levitt

 Music education typically focuses on teaching students who want to be musicians or music teachers, but this week’s guest sees it as a vehicle for teaching an entire spectrum of social emotional learning skills. Nadine Levitt is a mother, former opera singer and the founder of WURRLYedu, which uses music to teach children about things like empathy, collaboration, impulse control and so much more. In this episode, she explains how music can help change the way young learners look at the world and broaden their understanding of complex emotions. In this episode, you'll learn: How her career as a performer led Nadine to create Wurrlyedu. How music can help children learn critical life skills. Why using music for social emotional learning is particularly important in our current environment. Links and Resources Facebook: @WURRLYedu Instagram: @wurrlyedu Twitter: @WURRLYedu Follow along with this episode’s transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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A group of people singing together

Singing Through the Pandemic With The Marsh Family

 Music is a great tool for bringing people together, and during the days of lockdown, the Marsh Family from the UK began sharing song parodies to express what they were going through. As it turns out they were exactly what the world needed, and their viral videos now have received more than 30 million views. They were dubbed the “Von Trapped Family” by the New York Times, and in this episode of On a Positive Note, parents Ben and Danielle Marsh talk about how their family’s humorous approach to the pandemic helped them keep their own sanity while turning their family into a global sensation. In this episode, you'll learn: What inspired them to start doing parodies. How humor has helped them tackle tough topics. How singing together has brought them closer as a family. Links and Resources Twitter: @MarshSongs Facebook: @MarshFamilySongs Instagram: @marshfamilysongs TikTok: @marshfamilysongs YouTube: Marsh Family - YouTube Learn about their new Biological Clock project. Follow along with this episode’s transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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A woman listening to their playlist

Using Music to Boost Your Mental Health With Jennifer Buchanan

 Music is one of the most powerful — and accessible — tools we have for improving our mental health.  On this episode of On a Positive Note, host Paula Felps is joined by acclaimed music therapist Jennifer Buchanan, author of Wellness, Wellplayed: The Power of a Playlist, to talk about the many ways music can be used as a tool for healing and growth. In this episode, you'll learn: Why music and mental health go hand in hand. How to make a purposeful playlist. What an “anchor song” is and how it can help change your mental state. Links and Resources LinkedIn:@jenniferbuchananic Facebook:@jenniferbuchananMTA Instagram:@jenniferbuchanan.MTA Twitter: @musictherapy Website: jenniferbuchanan.ca Learn how to make a Purposeful Playlist: https://www.jenniferbuchanan.ca/3-steps-to-creating-a-purposeful-playlist-for-2022/ Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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A woman playing a piano

Awakening Our Inner Dreamer with Sylvia

 Every one of us has a dreamer inside, but as we grow up, we often forget to listen to them. On this inaugural episode of On a Positive Note, host Paula Felps sits down with songwriter and recording artist Sylvia, who’s best known for her mega hit “Nobody.” Now, Sylvia has released the concept album Nature Child – A Dreamer’s Journey, which is earning rave reviews and has put her back on the Billboard music charts. Listen to find out how this album was 30 years in the making and why it’s time to awaken the dreamer in all of us. In this episode, you'll learn: How her early concert audiences inspired this album. Why the pandemic became the perfect time to explore these songs. Why it’s so important to rediscover our inner dreamer. Links and Resources Website: https://sylviamusic.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sylviacountrymusic Instagram: @syhutton Twitter: @syhutton YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClAFx4xY02nDrG7jDQkvm_A Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4o1FNWnEJVQFtgdTPf7BJq Follow along with this episode's transcript by clicking here. Don't miss an episode! Live Happy Now is available at the following places:           
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