Take Five: Highlights from Five Years of the Music Thinking Podcast

Take Five 5 years of podcasting

We are celebrating a major milestone! Exactly five years ago, on the 19th of May, The Power of Music Thinking podcast was launched.

To mark the occasion, host Christof Zürn revisits the archives to share hidden gems, profound insights, and incredible sonic journeys from the past five years. Based on neurobiologist Nina Kraus’s insight that “we can ultimately hear only what we already know,” this special episode is designed to expand what you know by connecting the worlds of music, leadership, and space.

What We Cover in This Episode:

  • The 4 Big Themes for Modern Leaders: We dive into 20 essential leadership questions broken down into four key areas:
    1. Leadership Style & Organisational Structure (featuring the conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra)
    2. Innovation, Agility & Strategy (tackling AI with Dr. Maya Ackerman)
    3. Culture, Communication & Empathy (practising active listening with Steve Keller)
    4. The Leader as an Individual: Development & Wellbeing (“mind DJing” with Jeena Earthiva)
  • Sonic Travels & Spaces: We step outside organizational strategy to explore how sound shapes our physical world. Discover the “spatiosonics” of the Sagrada Familia with Emma-Kate Matthews, look inside instruments with Charles Brooks, cross cultural boundaries in Japan, and experience field recordings from Germany to Venice.

Listen to Take Five – Highlights from 5 years of podcasting

You can also listen to it on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Featured Guest Snippets:

  • Harvey Seifter on leadership without a conductor.
  • Dr. Maya Ackerman on navigating generative AI.
  • Steve Keller on the power of strategic silence.
  • Jeena Earthiva on shifting your mindset under pressure.

Resources & Links:

  • The Complete 20 Questions Guide: Read the comprehensive guide with all the links and show notes from this archive deep-dive at musicthinking.com.
  • Try the Music Thinking Search: Scroll down to the footer on any page of the website and type in a keyword like Japan, AI, Architecture, Orchestration, or Deep Listening to get a curated mix of episodes, articles, and downloads.
  • Join the Community: Want to ask questions and discuss these 20 leadership themes with other music thinkers? Subscribe for free to the Music Thinking Substack.

Thank you for five incredible years of listening, and remember to listen to the spaces in between!

#leadership #musicthinking #personal #development #organisational #change