Music and the Brain
Talk & Reception with Yale School of Music Dean José García-León
Join the Yale Club of South Florida for an inspiring afternoon as Dean García-León presents “Music and the Brain,” and shares several musical selections.
Date: Saturday, January 10th, 2026
Time: 4:00-6:00pm
Location: Steinway Gallery (4104 Ponce de Leon Blvd, Coral Gables)
Price: $20 (light refreshments served.)
About The Talk: Dean García-León's talk will feature an overview of the powerful and surprising effects of music on the brain, including its influence on cognitive functions, emotional states, and neurological health. We will explore how various genres and tempos of music activate different neural pathways, impacting areas responsible for memory, emotion, and motor control. Key topics include the "Mozart effect," where music from the classical period enhances spatial-temporal reasoning, as well as more direct examples of how upbeat music can boost mood and productivity. Finally, we’ll discuss the impact of musical training on children's cognitive development and the evolutionary role of music in creating and sustaining community. This presentation underscores the profound benefits of integrating music into daily life for mental and emotional well-being. No prior musical knowledge or experience assumed.
Parking Options:
Street Parking: The easiest option is street parking. Payment can be made through parking apps on your smartphone or at kiosks, where you’ll receive a ticket to display on your windshield.
Merrick Park Mall: Another convenient choice is the Merrick Park Mall, located just a few blocks from the Steinway Gallery. Parking payment is also handled via parking apps. The mall features a large garage, with its entrance off Ponce de Leon Avenue at the roundabout just before US-1.
Additional Parking Garages: Several paid garages are within a 5-minute walk of the Steinway Gallery:
On Aurora Street, between Altara Avenue and San Lorenzo Avenue.
On Laguna Street, between Altara Avenue and San Lorenzo Avenue.
On Laguna Street, between Altara Avenue and SW 4th Street (Bird Avenue).
Dean García-León's Biography: José García-León is the Henry and Lucy Moses Dean of Music at Yale University, a role to which he brings a broad, international perspective and a commitment to more equitably extending the reach of music education. García-León was born in Seville, Spain, where, as an ascendant pianist, he graduated with highest honors from that city’s Conservatorio Superior de Música. He continued his studies in the United States as a scholarship student, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music. His career on stage, launched with a prize-winning performance at the Artist International Competition in New York, has included concerts at such celebrated institutions as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and the St. Petersburg International Music Festival. Endlessly curious and erudite, García-León’s scholarship has explored Spanish folk and classical music, including the influence of popular works on classical traditions, and the beginnings and cultural significance of flamenco music, particularly the distinctions between that style and Argentinian tango. He has given presentations and lecture-recitals in the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America.
García-León has shared his pedagogical expertise in piano lessons, chamber music settings, and the classroom, where he has taught courses across a breadth of topics including piano literature, musicianship, and music history, theory, and analysis. He has also taught a course on the effects music has on the brain. A thoughtful and collaborative leader, García-León’s contributions to the music-education sphere began at Oakland Community College in Michigan, where he established and grew the music program. He subsequently served as associate dean and associate professor of music at the University of New Haven’s College of Arts and Sciences, and as dean of academic affairs and assessment at The Juilliard School, where his work touched on all aspects of the curriculum. During his time at Juilliard, García-León was instrumental in creating and developing new degree programs, forging collaborations with peer institutions, and, in 2021, opening the Tianjin Juilliard School in China. He also developed new initiatives to foster community between students, faculty, and staff alike and reimagined the school’s hiring and recruitment practices, creating opportunities for previously underserved communities. García-León returned to New Haven and began serving as dean of the Yale School of Music in September 2023 with an earnest dedication to the school’s mission of preparing students for service to the profession and to society.
Outside of work, García-León is an avid reader whose interests and tastes run from scholarship to fiction. He participates in endurance sports and values the draw of nature. García-León is married to French lyric soprano and educator Coralie Gallet.