Resonances: Where Music, Health & Identity Meet.

Patricia Caicedo
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Music Commentary
  • Updated Bimonthly

Resonances is a podcast about how music shapes identity, cultural memory, cognition, and well-being. Hosted by soprano, musicologist, and physician Patricia Caicedo, it explores the healing power of music and the rich traditions of Latin American, Spanish, and Catalan art song. Formerly the Latin American and Iberian Art Song Podcast. Episodes are in English, with songs and poetry in Spanish, Portuguese, or Catalan—inviting listeners into a rich, multilingual sound world.

  1. What Would Gaudí Sound Like?

    May 30

    What Would Gaudí Sound Like?

    What would Gaudí sound like? In this episode of Resonances: Where Music, Health, and Identity Meet, Patricia Caicedo speaks with Catalan composer Olivia Pérez-Collellmir about Seven Dreams of Gaudí, a monumental new symphonic choral work created to commemorate the centennial of the death of Antoni Gaudí. Premiering on June 10, 2026, at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, the work brings together more than 200 musicians, including the Orfeó Català, soprano Núria Rial, and the Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of renowned conductor Marin Alsop. With a libretto by acclaimed Catalan poet Anna Gual, Seven Dreams of Gaudí explores seven dimensions of Gaudí's inner world: Nature, The Workshop, Duality, Grief, The Uprising, Prayer, and The Basilica. In this conversation, Patricia and Olivia discuss the challenge of translating architecture into music, Gaudí's enduring influence on Barcelona and the world, the relationship between nature, spirituality, and artistic creation, and the role of imagination in both architecture and composition. Olivia also shares insights into the creative process behind the work, her collaboration with Anna Gual, and the significance of presenting the premiere during a year in which Barcelona celebrates both the Gaudí centennial and its designation as a World Capital of Architecture. The episode explores how Gaudí's vision continues to inspire artists across disciplines and asks a fascinating question: If architecture can shape the way we see the world, can music help us hear it differently? About the Guest Olivia Pérez-Collellmir is a Catalan composer, pianist, and educator based in Boston, where she serves on the faculty of Berklee College of Music. Her work spans orchestral, chamber, vocal, and interdisciplinary projects, often drawing inspiration from literature, visual arts, history, and cultural identity. Topics Discussed Antoni Gaudí and his artistic legacyThe centennial of Gaudí's deathSeven Dreams of GaudíArchitecture and musicCreativity and imaginationNature as artistic inspirationSpirituality in artContemporary classical compositionCatalan culture and identityBarcelona as World Capital of ArchitectureThe relationship between place, memory, and artistic creation

    1h 12m
  2. When the Brain Finds the Beat: Music, Movement, and Parkinson’s

    May 6

    When the Brain Finds the Beat: Music, Movement, and Parkinson’s

    What happens when rhythm enters the body before thought? In this episode of Resonances, Patricia Caicedo explores how music, rhythm, movement, and the brain are connected, drawing from her book We Are What We Listen To: The Impact of Music on Individual and Social Health. From rhythmic entrainment and dance to neuroplasticity, embodied cognition, pleasure, memory, and Parkinson’s disease, this episode shows how music is not only something we hear, but something the body processes, responds to, and carries. Rhythm organizes movement, activates attention, shapes emotional experience, and reveals the deep relationship between music, health, and identity. This episode also connects with the 2026 Barcelona Festival of Song, a research-based festival dedicated to Latin American and Iberian art song. This year, the festival presents seven concerts in Barcelona, with four supporting Parkinson’s research and care through IDIBAPS at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and the Associació Catalana per al Parkinson. Listen, move, share the episode, and join us in Barcelona: barcelonafestivalofsong.com.

    21 min
  3. The Musical Brain: How Music Shapes Identity

    Mar 18

    The Musical Brain: How Music Shapes Identity

    What if your brain is shaped not only by what you think, but by what you listen to? In this episode of Resonances, Patricia Caicedo—singer, musicologist, and physician—explores how music is processed in the brain and how it actively shapes neural structure, emotional patterns, and identity over time. Drawing from neuroscience, clinical observation, and musical practice, this episode examines how listening engages distributed brain networks, how rhythm activates motor systems, why musical memory remains accessible in neurodegenerative conditions, and how performance integrates sensory, motor, and cognitive processes in real time. Through clear examples—including the complex neural activity involved in a pianist’s performance—this episode presents music not as a passive experience, but as a form of neuroplastic training that supports cognitive resilience. Music is not simply something we hear. It is something that organizes how we feel, remember, and become.

    18 min
  4. The Sound of Resilience - Catalan Art Song

    Feb 27

    The Sound of Resilience - Catalan Art Song

    What if one of Europe’s most luminous and resilient art song traditions has been waiting for your voice? In this episode, you’ll discover the history, sound, and expressive power of Catalan art song — and hear Patricia Caicedo herself singing musical excerpts from this extraordinary repertoire. In Resonances: Where Music, Health, and Identity Meet, soprano and physician Patricia Caicedo shares her personal journey into the Catalan language and repertoire. You’ll learn about the medieval roots and cultural resilience of Catalan, explore the distinctive sound world of Central Catalan — including its rich vowel system and characteristic schwa — and understand why diction transforms interpretation. Patricia also introduces her book Catalan Diction for Singers: A Practical Guide, a practical resource featuring historical context, IPA guidance, comparisons with English vowel systems, song transcriptions, and references to the University of Barcelona’s “Sons Catalans” audio archive. The episode includes musical excerpts of Patricia performing Catalan art songs, as well as the inspiring story of Grammy-nominated tenor Isai Muñoz, who discovered this repertoire at the Barcelona Festival of Song and brought it to the international stage. 🎧 Listen, subscribe to Resonances, and visit patriciacaicedo.com to explore concerts, resources, and the Resonances newsletter.

    18 min
  5. Was Music the First Medicine?

    Jan 9

    Was Music the First Medicine?

    Why has sound been used as a tool for healing across cultures and throughout history? And what does modern neuroscience reveal about this ancient practice? In this first episode of Resonances, physician, singer, and researcher Patricia Caicedo explores the deep and enduring relationship between music and medicine—from prenatal life and shamanic ritual to Pythagoras, Renaissance physicians, and contemporary neuroscience. Drawing on history, biology, and clinical research, this episode examines how sound interacts with the nervous system, regulates emotion, modulates pain and stress, and shapes our experience of health. What ancient cultures understood intuitively, science is now beginning to explain. This episode invites you to listen differently—and to reconsider the role of music not as metaphor, but as a biological and cultural force in human health. 🎧 In this episode: Sound, the body, and early healing practicesRhythm, vibration, and nervous system regulationMusic as medicine across historyWhat neuroscience tells us todayWelcome to Resonances—where music, health, and identity meet.

    18 min
  6. How One Summer in Barcelona Transformed Lives Through Song

    07/29/2025

    How One Summer in Barcelona Transformed Lives Through Song

    What if one summer could change the way you see music—and yourself—forever?In this episode of Resonances, Patricia Caicedo reunites with participants of the 2025 Barcelona Festival of Song—including Eden Rosenbaum, Cassandra Brittany Leisher, Ana Socaci, Jaiden Wettstein, Katelyn Breen, Campbelle Stencel, Sofia Jaquez, Crystal Buck, Stella Roden, Amethyst Shanks, David Dies, and Robert Rocco—as they reflect on their artistic journeys, discoveries, and the deep bonds formed through eleven transformative days of making music together.

    1h 26m
  7. Echoes of Lorca from Barcelona: The Making of El Diván del Tamarit

    06/07/2025

    Echoes of Lorca from Barcelona: The Making of El Diván del Tamarit

    What happens when Federico García Lorca’s most sensual poems collide with a historic piano in the heart of Barcelona? In this behind-the-scenes episode, soprano-musicologist Patricia Caicedo welcomes composer David Dies and tenor James Kryshak to reveal the fiery birth of El Diván del Tamarit—a brand-new song cycle premiering July 4, 2025 at the Biblioteca de Catalunya on Enric Granados’ own piano. 🔍 Listen in to discover: • How Dies turns Lorca’s “white fire” and surreal images into razor-edged harmonies and soaring vocal lines. • Why Kryshak calls the poems “painfully urgent” for today—and how he sculpts every Spanish syllable for maximum impact. • Caicedo’s mission to prove the United States is already a Spanish-speaking nation and to spotlight Iberian-Latin American art song at the Barcelona Festival of Song (July 3–12, 2025). • The teamwork—pianist Joel Papinoja, live poem recitations, and more—that transforms raw verse into living performance. If you love poetry, vocal drama, or the electric moment when art is born, join us—on site or online—as Lorca’s echoes reverberate through 21st-century Barcelona. Like what you hear? Subscribe, share, and be part of the premiere.

    40 min
  8. Discovering Jaime León: A Musical Legacy That Transcends Borders

    05/16/2025

    Discovering Jaime León: A Musical Legacy That Transcends Borders

    What if I told you that one of Latin America's greatest composers of art song was born in a house that once belonged to a president... and died on the very day that would later be declared a global celebration of his legacy? This is the story of Jaime León—a composer whose music connects continents, memories, and generations. In this special episode of Resonances, we honor the life and music of Colombian composer, conductor, and pianist Jaime León, on the occasion of the International Day of Latin American and Iberian Art Song—celebrated every May 11. Join me, Patricia Caicedo, as I reflect on my personal relationship with Jaime León, his transnational identity, and the lasting impact of his art songs on the repertoire and on my own journey as a performer and scholar. You'll hear two beautiful selections from the album Más Que Nunca, which I recorded with pianist Nikos Stavlas and which features León’s complete songs for voice and piano. 🎧 Listen to the album on Spotify: Más Que Nunca – Patricia Caicedo & Nikos Stavlas 🌐 Explore Jaime León’s life and work: jaimeleon.net 📬 Subscribe to the Resonances newsletter: Get inspiration, free resources, and updates on new episodes and events. Subscribe here By listening, you're expanding your musical horizons, supporting underrepresented voices, and helping build a more inclusive, vibrant, and just musical world.

    17 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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About

Resonances is a podcast about how music shapes identity, cultural memory, cognition, and well-being. Hosted by soprano, musicologist, and physician Patricia Caicedo, it explores the healing power of music and the rich traditions of Latin American, Spanish, and Catalan art song. Formerly the Latin American and Iberian Art Song Podcast. Episodes are in English, with songs and poetry in Spanish, Portuguese, or Catalan—inviting listeners into a rich, multilingual sound world.

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