The Neural Tango in Community | Martha Summa-Chadwick | TEDxAnchorage
NOTE FROM TED: While some may find this helpful as a complementary approach, please do not look to this talk for medical advice. This talk only represents the speaker's personal approach to and understanding of music and the brain. As the speaker states, claims around color-coded music notation and autism warrant further scientific investigation. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdfMartha Summa-Chadwick, DMA, will discuss Notes2Blocks, a JAVA-based program that uses color-coded charts to make music accessible for individuals with motor, cognitive, and social challenges. The program aids in therapeutic settings for conditions like autism, dementia, and stroke recovery, and the talk will include a live demo showcasing its features. Martha Summa-Chadwick, DMA, has attained a national reputation as an educator, presenter, performer, and advocate for the cause of music in therapy. She has performed as piano and harpsichord soloist with orchestras across the country. To help educate audiences in an overview of biomedical music protocols, she has established a series of both chamber and solo concerts. For the past two decades, Dr. Summa-Chadwick has explored various ways to apply music for therapeutic as well as aesthetic ends. She is the Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Music Therapy Gateway in Communications, Inc. (mtgic.org), the author of Trevor the Noteable G.O.A.T. (trevorthenoteablegoat.com – in press), and a frequent guest speaker at national and regional conferences discussing the use of biomedical music techniques for challenged children. She is investigating how music protocols can be automated into software applications to assist persons with motor, speech, or cognition challenges. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
More from TED
- 8:42The Invisible Curriculum of Family Life | Mei Lin Ng | TEDxFargoIn this deeply personal and thought-provoking talk, entrepreneur and mom Mei-Lin Ng explores the invisible systems shaping children at home—and how they teach independence, identity, and belonging. Drawing on her experiences as a daycare teacher, founder, and mother, she reveals how reimagining family routines as intentional systems can not only empower kids but also transform how we lead at work and at home. Part parenting insight, part leadership philosophy, this talk invites us to see the home as the first—and most important—classroom. Mei Lin Ng is a startup veteran (and a mom!) with a broad set of operational experience, multiple successful product launches, and two exits under her belt. Before working in tech and product manufacturing, Mei Lin worked in a daycare, where she learned invaluable insights about early childhood development. This experience sparked her interest in creating technology that makes life easier for parents and teaches children lifelong skills. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 12:58El precio de ser yo | Emmanuel Sentíes | TEDxUJED¿Cuál es el precio de ser tú mismo? Emmanuel Sentíes nos invita a reflexionar sobre el verdadero costo de la autenticidad: ese que no se mide en dinero, sino en decisiones, comparaciones y valentía.A través de anécdotas personales y una mirada honesta, comparte cómo aprender a transformar el miedo, asumir la responsabilidad emocional y vivir sin arrepentimientos puede cambiarlo todo.Una charla poderosa que nos recuerda que ser auténtico puede doler, pero también es la mejor inversión que podemos hacer. Emprendedor social y creador de comunidades con propósito, Emmanuel ha hecho de la inspiración su motor de vida. Aunque muchos lo reconocen como influencer motivacional, él se define como un sembrador de cambio: alguien que busca tocar corazones y mentes para generar impacto positivo en un mundo que a veces se muestra indiferente.A lo largo de sus proyectos ha impulsado iniciativas que combinan creatividad, empatía y propósito, convencido de que el contenido puede transformar realidades cuando nace desde la autenticidad. Conferencista, entrevistador y creador digital con millones de seguidores, dedica sus plataformas a temas como amor, autoestima, salud emocional y física, educación, motivación, deporte y moda. Su principio es siempre el mismo: construir y jamás destruir. Su mensaje resuena con fuerza y esperanza: “¡Somos más los buenos y todos merecemos una buena vida!”. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 13:01How curiosity wrote your favorite songs | Beth Raebeck Hall | TEDxOldHickoryWhat if the difference between a hit song and a forgotten idea isn’t talent - it’s curiosity? In “Curiosity Wrote the Song,” Grammy-nominated songwriter and creative strategist Beth Raebeck Hall reveals how relentless curiosity fuels lasting creative breakthroughs. Through iconic examples from country, rock, and Broadway, she shows that curiosity - not perfection - is the real power behind innovation. This talk invites us to see curiosity as creativity’s secret superpower - and the key to rewriting not just our work, but our lives. Hall argues that what drives extraordinary creators isn’t confidence, luck, or even genius - it’s the willingness to keep digging when everyone else calls it done. Curiosity Wrote the Song challenges the myth of effortless inspiration, reframing “failure” as fuel and “rejection” as raw material. With humor and hard-won insight from five decades in the creative trenches, Hall invites audiences to reimagine curiosity not as a childlike trait - but as a professional superpower that can rewrite not only songs, but entire lives. Beth is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, award-winning writer, and visionary business coach with over three decades at the intersection of music, media, and entrepreneurship. She’s the founder of The Quantum Creator, MusicRow411, and Crazy Rae Music, and has advised over 110 music tech startups, countless creatives, and mission-driven founders. Beth co-created and branded Tin Pan South, now the world’s largest songwriting festival. A sought-after strategist and mentor, she fuses creativity with business insight to spark clarity, empowerment, and transformation. Whether coaching mid-career professionals or consulting for cutting-edge ventures, Beth helps others reignite their purpose, build with integrity, and lead with vision. Her work is rooted in real-world experience—and a deep belief in what’s possible when you align with your true creative self. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 10:52Give yourself permission to play | Adam Tanaka | TEDxOldHickoryWhat if the key to thriving as an adult is rediscovering something we were all born knowing how to do: Play? In this TEDxOldHickory talk, Adam Tanaka explores why play is more than just a childhood pastime. Drawing on research, real-world examples, and personal stories, he shows how play can reset the mind, spark creativity, and deepen human connection. From climbing trees to drumming for five minutes a day, Adam illustrates how intentional, meaningful play can interrupt the pressure of productivity and open the door to curiosity, collaboration, and purpose. His talk challenges the idea that play is wasted time and instead invites us to consider what might happen if we gave ourselves permission to play. Adam Tanaka is a multi-venture founder, mental wellness strategist, and advocate for playful leadership. With over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, he’s built and sold companies, advised high-performing founders, and now leads Cavehouse Supply, a brand that empowers kids with confidence and creativity while supporting families. Through his speaking and advisory work at Mind Your Business Labs, Adam helps leaders design systems that keep them out of survival mode and stay in control. His mission bridges the gap between who we were and who we’re becoming by helping adults reconnect with their inner child and helping kids build resilience and a strong sense of self. A creative and recovered hustler, Adam’s work is rooted in personal reflection, bold optimism, and the belief that play isn’t childish - it’s critical. When he’s not speaking, writing, or building, you’ll find him hiking in the mountains with his partner Kelsey and German Shepherd Otto, chasing quiet moments of joy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 17:41Del espejo a la pantalla: cómo el video transforma tu comunicación | Mara Antonieta | TEDxUJEDEn “Del espejo a la pantalla: cómo el video puede transformar tu comunicación”, Mara Antonieta nos muestra cómo la incomodidad que sentimos al vernos y escucharnos en video es, en realidad, una oportunidad para crecer. La cámara de tu smartphone se convierte en un espejo evolucionado y un maestro paciente que revela lo bueno, lo mejorable y lo transformador de nuestra comunicación. A través de la práctica y la curiosidad, podemos aprender a dominar nuestra voz, lenguaje corporal y narrativa, desarrollando confianza y presencia auténtica.Esta charla nos inspira a enfrentar la incomodidad, aprovechar la tecnología a nuestro favor y descubrir un camino poderoso hacia el autoconocimiento y la conexión con los demás.Atrévete a mirar, escuchar y transformar tu manera de comunicar: el video puede ser tu mejor aliado. Comunicadora, creadora de contenido y consultora en comunicación y branding, Mara Antonieta ha dedicado más de 15 años a explorar y compartir el poder de las palabras para transformar realidades. Desde su podcast Ese Es El Tema, crea conversaciones que despiertan la curiosidad, invitan a cuestionar lo establecido y nos muestran que siempre existe otra forma de mirar la vida. Con su metodología Comunicación Personal Poderosa, ayuda a personas y marcas a encontrar su voz auténtica y a transmitir mensajes que dejen huella. Lic. en Mercadotecnia por el Tecnológico de Monterrey, con especialidad en Coaching Ontológico y maestría en Comunicación No Verbal (en curso), ha sido profesora universitaria, conferencista y coach, integrando marketing, storytelling y desarrollo personal para inspirar cambios profundos. Mara Antonieta cree que “el buen comunicador no nace, se hace” y que, cuando aprendemos a comunicarnos con autenticidad, abrimos la puerta a imaginar —y construir— otras posibilidades This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
- 19:00Nu-mi e frică să-mi fie frică | Paula Herlo | TEDxAristide Demetriade StreetPaula Herlo is the voice of courage for an entire nation. For over 25 years, she’s brought Romania’s toughest stories to light through “România, Te Iubesc!” - giving a voice to those unheard and offering hope where it seemed impossible. Her dedication to truth and impact has inspired millions every Sunday - and even earned Romania its first Emmy Award for News in 2008 with the powerful campaign “Do You Know What Your Child Is Doing Now?” But Paula’s courage doesn’t stop at storytelling.Through campaigns like “There’s Life in Our Blood” and “I Want Parents Too”, she helped change lives — from creating the National Registry of Unrelated Donors to reforming the Adoption Law.Her mission continues: exposing the struggles of a broken healthcare system in “Stay Healthy, Romania!” and giving a voice to lonely elderly people in “Do You Know What Your Parents Are Doing Now?” Paula Herlo isn’t just reporting stories, she’s changing them. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx








