Autumn 2026 Book Tour Announced
Sunday, October 18 at 5:00 PM in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Join us and discover a week of engaging conversations, inspiring authors, and stories that celebrate the richness and diversity of Jewish life, history, and culture. Whether you’re an avid reader or simply curious to learn something new, there’s something for everyone. Make the most of the festival with your choice of individual tickets, discounted ticket book bundles, or a Festival Pass for the complete experience.
https:www.jccottawa.com/bookfest/
Date: Sunday, 10/18/2026 at 5:00 PM
Place: Soloway JCC
21 Nadolny Sachs Private, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1R9 Canada
Thursday, October 22 at 11 AM in Falmouth , MA
On October 22 at 11 AM Samuel Markind, MD will be at the FJC to discuss his book, Music Between Your Ears: How Musical Engagement Powers the Human Mind. The book explores the intriguing relationship between music and brain function, illuminating the pivotal roles that music plays in human survival and procreation.
Please RSVP to office@falmouthjewish.org by October 19.
https://falmouthjewish.shulcloud.com/event/jewish-book-club-music-between-your-ears.html
Date: Thursday, 10/22/2026 at 11:-00 AM
Place: Falmouth Jewish Congregation
7 Hatchville Rd, East Falmouth, MA 02536-4007
Sunday, November 22 at 10:30 AM in Worcester, MA
Co-Sponsored by TES Lifelong Learning
Why does music influence how we feel so deeply―and what are the scientific mechanisms behind this phenomenon? In Music Between Your Ears, Dr. Samuel Markind explores the intriguing relationship between music and brain function. Using evolutionary theory, he illuminates the pivotal role that music plays in human survival and procreation. From communication and caregiving to social bonding and partner selection, music has molded the human species and continues to shape our lives in remarkable ways.
Date: Sunday, 11/22/2026 at 10:30 AM
Place: Temple Emanuel Sinai
661 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609
Tuesday, December 1 in Virginia Beach
Come early for a conversation with Virginia Symphony Orchestra, featuring live music! $10 for JCC members, $18 for potential members. Includes lunch. Pre-registration required by November 18.
Information and registration: https://federation.jewishva.org/community-calendar/Samuel-Markind
Date: Tuesday, 12/1/2026 at 12:00 noon
Place: Reba and Sam Sandler Campus
5000 Corporate Woods Dr., Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Thursday, December 17 at 7:00 PM via Zoom Virtual Presentation
Via Zoom. Register HERE.
Jewish Literary Voices: A Federation Series in collaboration with The Jewish Book Council
Why does music so deeply influence how we feel, and what is the science behind this phenomenon? In Music Between Your Ears, Samuel Markind, MD explores the intriguing relationship between music and brain function. Using evolutionary theory, he illuminates the pivotal roles that music plays in human survival and procreation. Music’s impact on raising children, finding love, and building community has molded the human species and continues to shape our lives in remarkable ways. This book combines research, stories, and drawings to present compelling evidence for music’s life-enhancing potential.
Purchase the book HERE and a portion of the proceeds will be donated back to a local independent bookstore in the Berkshires.
Date: Thursday, 12/17/2026 at 7:00 PM
Place: via Zoom—registration required
March 2026
New England Regional Conference of the American Music Therapy Association
I had the pleasure of speaking at last week’s New England Regional conference of the American Music Therapy Association in Portsmouth, NH. I wish to thank the conference organizers for offering me this opportunity.
We often find ourselves insulated in our professional silos. So, it was a mind-widening experience to engage in conversations with people in a field that’s both related to yet distant from neurology. The presentations I attended over the course of the day were outstanding, ranging from music therapy in palliative care to using improvisation as a clinical tool plus a keynote talk on building community with music. Moreover, the conference attendees I met were young and dynamic, portending a bright future for the field.
I spoke about one of my favorite subjects, entrainment. Entrainment refers to our ability to match our body movements with a musical rhythm. This is a very special skill that humans possess. With music, multiple people can move together in concert, coordinating their movements to the same external rhythmic source.
Entrainment yields two strikingly powerful evolutionary benefits. One, it is productive: people acting synchronously can accomplish a greater amount of work than the same number of individuals working separately. Two, it is pro-social: moving in rhythm with one another leads to greater trust and generosity among people. As one expert commented, “Making music together is simultaneously building a community together, which is considered by many to be the most adaptive and the most evolutionarily significant aspect of musical experience worldwide.”
Past Events
Saturday, February 28, 2026 in Woodbury, CT
Guests joined Sam in the Gallery Space at Woodbury Public Library for a talk on why music touches us so deeply. Through vivid examples, Dr. Markind highlighted the brain’s instinctive capacity for music: from newborns’ natural affinity for rhythm and melody to the effect that music has on brain development throughout life. Music also helps people learn at any age and in any condition, so it can improve speech, movement, and memory in both healthy individuals and those suffering from illness or injury.
Date: Sat, 2/28/2026 from 2:00 to 3:00 PM
Place: Woodbury Public Library
269 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT 06798
Monday, Dec. 8 at 7PM at Byrd’s Books in Bethel, CT
Author talk and book signing
This author event of Music Between Your Ears: How Musical Engagement Powers the Human Brain by Samuel Markind was held on Monday December 8, 2025.
Date: Mon, 12/8/2025 at 7:00 PM
Place: Byrd’s Books
178 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801-2530
Book Launch—Tuesday, October 28 at 7PM in Bethel, CT
Launch of Music Between Your Ears
Yesterday, 10/28, was my book’s publication date. It marked a milestone for me: I am truly now a published author. Thirty people gathered at a cozy local independent book store to celebrate this momentous occasion with me … and to learn about the book. I described my personal journey to becoming an author, read a short section of the book, engaged everyone musically with a group sing-along, and answered people’s questions. And then I experienced how it feels to be an author signing the book he created and nurtured. It’s thrilling!
Thank you to everyone who helped me realize this achievement. Special thanks to Alice Hutchinson at Byrd’s Books in Bethel, CT, for warmly welcoming me and Music Between Your Ears into her store and for being so supportive of my book launch. Please visit Byrd’s Books if you’re in the area.
Date: Tue, 10/28/2025 at 7:00 PM
Place: Byrd’s Books
178 Greenwood Ave., Bethel, CT 06801-2530
Dr. Markind spoke at the 2025 Creativity & Madness conference in Santa Fe. Presented by the American Institute of Medical Education, this meeting ran from July 31-August 3, 2025.