The RESONANCE Project (TRP) uses live music to set the stage for successful conflict resolution in settings ranging from mediations to international negotiations.
The cutting edge of neuroscience is studying how brains align with each other, and what stimuli provoke a response of increased altruism. The research shows that live music can stimulate brainwave synchronization of two or more people, facilitating the creation of mutually beneficial solutions. TRP uses this potential to your advantage — not in a devious attempt at mind control, but in a way that opens the door of possibilities.
We provide small ensembles of exceptional musicians who perform carefully curated musical selections midway through negotiations or conferences, as the negotiators listen. The effect of this simple catalyst can change the course of a meeting, as each listener’s brain aligns its wave patterns with those of others in the space, enabling a heightened desire to compromise.
TRP has a growing body of empirical evidence that this works. Just one example:
In several dialogue settings of Israelis and Palestinians living in California, we interjected live music (flute and piano, cello and piano) and asked for feedback.
The beneficial effects of the music on each person’s sense of calm, of connection, of heightened imagination, and of compassion were profound, immediate, and far more heartfelt than we could have hoped for.
Some went so far as to say that it changed their lives.
Read more stories about the impact of music on conflict resolution.