Social Impact Authors: Why & How Larry Sherman of Oregon Health & Science University Is Helping To Change Our World
Leadership is the act of trusting, guiding, and supporting people to achieve the goals of a group or organization. Sometimes that guidance means re-positioning people to other areas or projects that utilize their strengths, and sometimes that means telling people that they are not a good fit for the group. By trusting people you feel are capable, you can avoid micro-managing which can be poisonous to a team. By supporting people who may have specific personal challenges, but who still have valuable skills, you make the team environment more inclusive and more effective. Support can also involve recognition for work well done.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Larry S. Sherman
Dr. Larry S. Sherman is a Professor of Neuroscience at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) and is President of the Oregon and Southwest Washington Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience. He has over 100 publications related to brain development and neurodegenerative diseases, has recently written a book entitled Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music, which he wrote with Portland musician and music professor Dennis Plies (published by Columbia University Press), and gives hugely popular talks and performances (including playing the piano) around the globe on topics that include music and the brain, the neuroscience of pleasure and love, the neuroscience of racism, and other topics. Dr. Sherman has been presented with numerous awards including recognition as one of the most innovative people in the State of Oregon by The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and Portland Monthly Magazine, the Mary Omberg Award for outstanding support of science education in Oregon and Southwest Washington, and an outstanding researcher award by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2020.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I grew up mostly in La Jolla, California where I loved spending time at the beach, riding my bike, and playing keyboards (both at home and in bands). My parents took me to concerts (classical, and jazz) and to musicals, so I was always exposed to music. My first exposure to neuroscience happened when I was riding my bike around the campus of the University of California, San Diego, in the mid-1970s and wandered into a neuroscience lab, where I saw the head of the lab holding a human brain in his hands. He invited me in to see it and took me on a tour of the human brain. This experience turned into an after-school volunteer job, science fair projects, and scholarships for college.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
When I was in 7th grade, I read John Hersey’s Hiroshima. The stories of the people in the book really made me think not only of the horrors of nuclear war, but of war in general. It also made me think about how things that we are exposed to in our lives, be it radiation, environmental toxins, or anything else, can impact our health both immediately and later in life. I joined the student branch of Physicians for Social Responsibility because of that book, and subsequently participated in anti-nuclear proliferation and anti-war protests and events. The book also shaped many of my interests in trying to understand how medical science can help ease human suffering.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
After graduate school, I did post-doctoral training in Karlsruhe, Germany. I spoke very little German but was eager to learn. One of my colleagues, Armin, invited me and my then significant other (now wife), Diane to dinner with his significant other, whose name is Sylvia. We had a great time. The next day, thinking I would try and fit in by speaking German to Armin and others at lunch, I asked “Wie ist Sylvia?” (“How is Sylvia?”). Armin looked up at me, smiled, laughed, and answered “Klasse! Warum fragst du?” (“First Class! Why do you ask?”). Everyone at the table laughed, with one person nearly spitting out his drink. Apparently, I should have asked “Wie gehts Sylvia?” (“How is Sylvia doing”). What I asked basically translates into “How is Sylvia as a lover?”. I learned that one should never try to directly translate expressions from one language to another, something that came in handy later when I had to actually give lectures in German.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
When I started giving my talks about music and the brain, I was surprised how many people did not already understand the value of music. At the time, many schools were cutting their music and art programs to save money. So, one hope that my co-author, Dennis Plies, and I have for this book is that it will demonstrate the incredible importance of music, art, and other creative endeavors to human brain development and brain aging, and that it will make people think twice about removing music and art programs from our schools. The book also discusses the characteristics of successful teachers, successful students, and the importance of a good relationship between teachers and students when learning music (or any subject). Thus, another goal for the book is that it will provide some insight into the best ways people teach and learn to achieve their goals. Finally, as a neuroscientist, I hope that the book will help people understand the value of science in our everyday lives. I have become increasingly concerned about how science and scientists are attacked and how the scientific process is mis-represented. One message that we provide in this book is how science is a process that over time reveals truths about nature, and that ideas about how nature works emerge as more and more information becomes available. When it comes to how our brains engage with music, we have learned a lot in the past several years but also have a long way to go!
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
One of the unique things about our book is that we sent out a survey to around 100 musical people (musicians, composers, music teachers, and music lovers) and asked them multiple questions about their experiences with different aspects of music. I was surprised that among these responses, and some of the studies we reviewed, the number of people who indicated that music relieved both physical and emotional pain. One story in particular was shared by a respondent who had a very difficult breakup with his partner. He was having tremendous pain and depression that was affecting his daily routine. One night, some friends convinced him to go out to hear an eight-piece African jazz group. He said that the music infected him. He suddenly felt joy and stood up and danced with a rush of happiness that was a powerful respite from his pain. We heard similar stories about how music could help with pain and depression, and I find each of them to be powerful examples of the importance of music to human well-being.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
After giving my talk about music and the brain over 200 times in six different countries, I realized that people from many different backgrounds were interested in this subject. A close friend with experience in the publishing world told me several times that I should write a book about the talk. But I didn’t think the world needed another book that focused strictly on the neuroscience of music. The “aha moment” came when I met my co-author, Dennis Plies. Dennis and I talked at length numerous times regarding ideas about music learning, teaching, performance, composition, and improvisation. As a professional musician and music professor, he had a very different set of experiences around music compared to me. Over the course of many conversations, I realized that we kept talking about music in different but highly complementary ways. I suggested that we write this book together, combining ideas about neuroscience, music pedagogy, and the experience of musical learning and performance together in one text. Thankfully, Dennis agreed and we managed to produce something really unique and, I believe, really helpful to anyone interested in learning, teaching, and creating music.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
After giving one of my talks, I was approached by a woman who had been a very accomplished violinist. She played with a local symphony orchestra and was in high demand throughout the region. Following a car accident, she experienced traumatic brain injury, and her physician told her that she would never play violin again, at least not professionally. She became very depressed. She and her partner, apparently, attended an early version of one of my talks and afterwards, her partner suggested that she try to play again. Maybe not the Brahms violin concerto, but perhaps something different. After a few years, she found that she could play — and liked to play! — bluegrass. She is now playing with a bluegrass group. She reported that she is now happy, and thanked me for inspiring her to try to play again.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
As I mentioned above, we need to stop making music and art the first thing that we cut in school budgets. School boards need to understand the value of music and art to brain development and well-being. There is also strong evidence that music therapy can help people with a variety of conditions ranging from depression and anxiety to the effects of brain damage from a variety of conditions including strokes, dementia, and traumatic brain injury. The medical community and insurance agencies need to see the value of incorporating music therapy with other therapeutic tools for certain neurological conditions, and funding agencies need to better support research into how to optimally use music as medicine. Finally, local, state, and federal governments need to understand the value of providing public support for musicians and artists who enrich the lives of our communities with their talents.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is the act of trusting, guiding, and supporting people to achieve the goals of a group or organization. Sometimes that guidance means re-positioning people to other areas or projects that utilize their strengths, and sometimes that means telling people that they are not a good fit for the group. By trusting people you feel are capable, you can avoid micro-managing which can be poisonous to a team. By supporting people who may have specific personal challenges, but who still have valuable skills, you make the team environment more inclusive and more effective. Support can also involve recognition for work well done.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.
When I first started my laboratory, I had just finished my post-doctoral training. That training was focused on learning new laboratory techniques and developing my own research program. I wish, however, that someone had told me that: (1) I would need to learn how to manage ever-changing budgets from grants whose funds do not account for the changing prices of laboratory supplies and personnel costs; (2) that a substantial amount of my time would require something akin to psychological counseling to help personnel deal with personal problems both in and outside of the lab; and (3) that I would need to learn how to balance my time between grant writing, paper writing, teaching, attending national and international conferences, and participating on various departmental, institutional, national and international committees, all while learning to be a new parent.
When I first started giving my talks on music and the brain and writing the book, I wish that someone had told me: (1) how to manage requests for talks by different types of organizations and to acknowledge the value of my time and talent; and (2) when trying to get the book published, that it is ok to be an advocate for your own work when approaching publishers.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
I have come to appreciate Rita Mae Brown’s quote “Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement.” In the major accomplishments of my life — being a partner to my wife, being a father, running my research lab, developing my public talks, and writing — I have made assumptions without experience that have led to failures, some painful. I chose to learn from those moments of bad judgement and to accept that failure is an awesome teacher.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I have always wanted to meet Elton John. When I was younger, I was fan of his music (and I still am!) and, as a keyboardist, I was always in awe of his piano skills. Later in life, I came to have incredible respect for his perseverance in the face of great adversity, and now his support and efforts for so many causes that affect millions of people around the world, including eradicating HIV/AIDS and supporting work for the Children’s Tumor Foundation, the Race to Erase MS (Multiple Sclerosis), the Starkey Hearing Foundation, and others. I would love to talk to him about music, his life experiences and life lessons, and his thoughts about making a difference in the world.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
The work from my lab is updated on the OHSU website: https://www.ohsu.edu/people/larry-sherman-phd
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Authors: Why & How Larry Sherman of Oregon Health & Science University Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.