Music & Science

When I began my first year of PhD in Music Psychology at Durham University last year, I felt unsure about applying to such an esteemed conference as the 18th International Conference of Music Perception and Cognition so early in my study program. With the encouragement of my supervisors, I gave it a try…and my abstract was accepted!

This is one of the most distinguished conferences in the field of Music Perception and Cognition, and the theme this year was Echoes and Ecologies: New Landscapes for Music Perception and Cognition. The line up included incredible talks across a wide range of disciplines and research areas, including Neuroscience, Memory, Cognition, Musicology, Evolution, and so on. The high-profile nature of this conference made me nervous about the preparation of my presentation, but I was equally excited to undertake this challenge, as it meant that I could travel to the vibrant city of São Paulo, Brazil, and meet amazing researchers from across the globe.

Preparations…
And so, I began to prepare for the conference and the travel. This included watching countless videos about the best restaurants in São Paulo, alongside travel tips for this megacity (apparently, it is the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere!). I also read about the other presenters at the conference and their current research projects. And of course, I worked on creating my presentation!

Arrival
After my extended research about this great city, I decided to arrive a few days before the conference. This decision paid off, as the vibrancy of the city was palpable from the moment I landed. I walked around and discovered many new things that sustained me throughout the conference – first, formigas at Ama.zo Cozinha Peruana (highly recommend), then a great variety of tropical fruit from the markets.

ICMPC 18
When ICMPC 18 began, of course, I was initially worried about what it would be like for me. Nevertheless, the events, talks and lunches quickly formed a rhythm that I now wish could be part of regular life. I was staying in the Higienópolis neighbourhood, and I soon came to know the people at Kez Padaria, the local bagel shop that I frequented for breakfast. Each day of the conference involved talks and poster presentations, with plenty of stimulating (and delicious!) coffee breaks. Every lunch featured conversations with fellow presenters about future collaborations over feijoada, churrasco, or incredible ramen in the Liberdade Japanese neighbourhood.

In the evenings, workshops, concerts, and dance classes were organized to enrich the experience. On the first night, Sala São Paulo hosted a chamber orchestra that played Haydn as part of the 55th Campos do Jordão Winter Festival. This was a lovely opportunity to get to know everyone at a beautiful venue with lots of cake. On another evening, Professor Liliana Araújo led a workshop about musicians’ cognitive health, highlighting essential skills and habits that we ought to implement in our everyday lives (yes, including exercise).

A highlight of the conference was a presentation that examined South Asian rhythms and melodies, Percussion Patterns, Rhyming Poetry, and the Expectation of Recurring Timbres: Case Studies from South Asia by Dr Eshantha Peiris. After this talk, I went for coffee with the presenter and a few other conference members to talk more in depth about our individual research topics. Being able to connect with fellow researchers was one of the things that I enjoyed most, as it enabled me to learn from wonderful researchers, alongside making friends from all over the world.

The Presentation
ICMPC 18 went on for three exciting days until we got to the fourth day, when my presentation was scheduled for (ICMPC 18 was five days). While I thought that I would be nervous all the way up to my presentation, the exciting talks and meeting all the interesting people distracted me from my worries. My presentation was about how concrete and abstract music cues influence autobiographical memories. Despite my nerves, I really enjoyed the experience, and I am very thankful to the many familiar faces that attended. The fact that my presentation was on the fourth day had another silver lining: I could talk to fellow presenters about my research, and it was so encouraging to see many new friends in the audience. I think supporting new-found friends like this is what conferences are all about!

The other side – dance night and island visit
On the last night of the conference, when my presentation was finally over, we had the opportunity to attend a very exciting evening of Samba de Gafieira. This is a traditional Brazilian dance form that emphasises human connection. We took part in a dance class, and watched professionals do a better job of it afterwards, bringing to an end a delightful five days.

Perhaps the best thing about the conference was making life-long friends. I met a fellow researcher from Germany on the first day of the conference and by the fifth day we decided to book a spontaneous girls trip to Ilhabela – one of the most gorgeous islands in Brazil.

As you can see, it is very beautiful – more so in person, and I fear that my attempts to describe it would do it an injustice.

So, if you are just beginning your first PhD or are about to complete your fourth, do not miss the opportunity to attend a conference in person: the least that could happen is that you get to experience a new culture – at most, you might fall in love with it.

Bonus tip
If you travel to São Paulo, Sushi Bar Hamatyo is an absolute must visit. It is a small tucked away family ran Japanese restaurant offering the best sushi I have ever had!