Discover how music transforms everyday life – health, happiness, and beyond!
Enhance Life with Music explores practical ways music improves our health, happiness, and wholeness – whether or not you consider yourself a musician. From science & health to sports & entertainment, education & community, and business, discover how music shapes everyday life – and how you can harness its power to enhance your own.
Enhance Life with Music is hosted, created, and produced by Mindy Peterson, a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music. The podcast has downloads in over 130 countries and is in Listen Score’s top 5% of global podcasts (like Nielsen ratings for podcasts). View a complete episode list in our Archives.
Mindy and the podcast have been featured in publications and platforms including Beyond the To-Do List podcast, Podcast Magazine, The Business Side of Music podcast, St. Cloud State University, and the Minnesota Music Teachers Association (MMTA) State Convention.
What others are saying:
“With Enhance Life with Music, Mindy is spreading the word of music’s impact on our brain function and health, whether we consider ourselves musicians or not.”
– Dr. Nina Kraus, Professor of Communication Sciences, Neurobiology, and Otolaryngology at Northwestern University
“John Coltrane once said, ‘One positive thought produces millions of positive vibrations.’ Mindy Peterson’s Enhance Life With Music is producing billions of positive vibrations for music, life, and humanity.”
– Dr. Clint Randles, Associate Professor of Music Education at the University of South Florida, and author of, To Create: Imagining the Good Life through Music.
“Mindy Peterson of Enhance Life with Music has created an exceptional podcast providing the most up-to-date research and material relating to all aspects of music. If you’re looking for the latest in music and brain research, children’s music, music in sports, music in our schools, the connection between music and color and so much more—Mindy has you covered! A ‘must’ podcast for those recognizing the power of music in their lives.”
– Sharlene Habermeyer, author of Good Music, Brighter Children
“Wow! I’ve been a guest on a lot of podcasts, but you are in the top 1% in terms of people who know their stuff and know how to interview guests in an engaging, knowledgeable way. Great experience. Thank you!!”
– Dr. Julia Mossbridge, cognitive neuroscientist
Ep. 228: Your Daily Dose of Art – The Science of Living Longer and Better; with Daisy Fancourt, PhD
What if one of the most powerful tools for your health has been hiding in plain sight? In this episode, I talk with world-renowned scientist Dr. Daisy Fancourt about the astonishing research behind her new book, “Art Cure.” From neonatal intensive care units to dementia wards, from immune function to longevity, the evidence is stunning:…
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Micro 53: The Power of Music in Political Discourse
What happens when a song becomes political? From Minneapolis to Northern Ireland to South Africa, music has long been a powerful political force. In this episode, we talk about protest songs, cultural influence, and why music continues to shape political discourse across borders.
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Ep. 227: Turning the Tables – My Role as Guest and Building Brain Capital with Music
What if music isn’t just entertainment, but a pathway to health, resilience, creativity, and human flourishing? In this conversation, the tables were turned on me and I was the one being asked the questions! We discussed my parents’ brilliant rule that introduced me to music; how music has played a role in various facets of…
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Micro 52: The Music We Remember – John Williams and the Stories That Stay With Us
Why does movie music stay with us long after the credits roll? Inspired by the documentary on John Williams, this episode looks at how film music doesn’t just enhance stories – it moves us, honors memory, and deepens the human experience.
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Ep. 226: Music, the Brain, and Epilepsy – A New Frontier in Treatment; with Phillip Pearl, MD
Epilepsy affects millions, but few people know about the fascinating relationship between music and epilepsy, and that research is looking at how music may help reduce seizure activity in some individuals. Dr. Phillip Pearl, Harvard neurologist and professional jazz musician, shares how sound is being studied as a tool in epilepsy care (and many other…
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Micro 51: Expressing Yourself Through Music Without MAKING Music
Don’t consider yourself a musician – or even creative? Hear a fresh perspective on how to express yourself with music without playing a note. Inspired by The End of Your Life Book Club, this episode reflects on how music enhances our lives – even when we’re not the ones creating it.
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Ep. 225: I Heard There Was A Secret Chord – Dr. Daniel Levitin on the Science Behind Music as Medicine (re-run)
In this episode, we’re joined by the renowned Dr. Daniel Levitin, neuroscientist, musician, and bestselling author. We dive into his brand-new book, I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine. Dr. Levitin reveals why he wrote the book, how he chose the title, his definition of music, and this new book’s relationship to…
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Micro 50: Silent Night, Shared Light – The Christmas Truce and Music’s Power to Unite (re-run)
One hundred ten years ago this Christmas Eve, music sparked an unexpected moment of peace on a war-torn battlefield. Hear how a simple carol transformed a battlefield and ushered in peace, connection, and joy. Music has a profound ability to unite, heal, and foster humanity even in the darkest times. May this powerful story of…
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Ep. 224: Turning Hospital Rooms into Human Spaces with Music – Inside Musicians On Call; with Katy Epley
What happens when live music enters a hospital room? Sterile spaces soften, fear gives way to connection, and everyone present – patients, loved ones, caregivers, and even the musicians themselves – is changed. Musicians On Call COO Katy Epley shares how a single song at the bedside can humanize healthcare and create life-changing moments of…
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Micro 49: Carol of the Bells – The Story Behind the Song
Did you know “Carol of the Bells” wasn’t originally a Christmas song? Journey with us from its roots as the Ukrainian New Year’s song “Shchedryk,” to its global transformation, and discover how music can be a vehicle for culture, resilience, and hope – even across borders and through times of struggle.
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