About

Anthony Brandt is a composer recognized for his interdisciplinary collaborations. He is the recipient of the 2025 Chamber Music America Interdisciplinary Collaboration of the Year Award for his work titled "Meeting of Minds," which involved collaboration with Musiqa, NobleMotion Dance, multimedia artist Badie Khaleghian, and the University of Houston IUCRC BRAIN Center. His work exemplifies a focus on integrating music with other artistic and scientific disciplines, highlighting his role in innovative, cross-disciplinary projects.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Psychology
• Cognitive psychology
• Political Science
• Social psychology
• Artificial Intelligence
• History
• Law
• Literature
• Communication
• Art
• Mathematics education
• Epistemology
• Cognitive science
• Neuroscience

Selected publications

• Impact of Prescribed and Self-Selected Music Interventions on Stress, Sleep, Heart Rate Variability, and Brain Connectivity in Surgeons Using 7-Tesla Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Wearable Actigraphy: Multimodal Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial

  JMIR Formative Research · 2026-03-18

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Stress, sleep deprivation, and burnout are significant safety risks for acute care surgeons, negatively impacting performance, well-being, and clinical outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to measure neurophysiological effects of prescribed music (PM) and self-selected music (SSM) on surgeon stress, burnout, and neurophysiological responses using a multimodal protocol that integrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), wearable biosensor monitoring, and psychological self-assessments. METHODS: Full-time attending surgeons at a quaternary care hospital were invited to participate in a 3-armed trial (1:1:1 block allocation). Intervention groups were instructed to listen to 30 minutes (minimum 15 minutes) of either PM or SSM daily at bedtime for 6 weeks, reflecting real-world conditions. PM comprised original compositions based on elements promoting perceived relaxation from a prior study. The control arm avoided music in the 30 minutes before bed. Allocation was concealed from the recruiting investigator; the fMRI technicians, the statistician, and lead investigators were blinded until analyses were completed. Functional connectivity patterns were measured using fMRI at baseline and 6 weeks while participants listened to simulated intensive care unit noise, PM, and SSM. Secondary outcomes included continuous actigraphy for sleep quality and self-reported anxiety, sleep quality, and burnout using validated scales (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Maslach Burnout Inventory). RESULTS: A total of 22 surgeons were assessed; demands of fMRI and data collection schedule led 3 to decline and 2 (allocated to PM) not to finish baseline measures; 6 PM, 5 SSM, and 6 controls received allocated intervention; 2 PM participants were withdrawn for nonadherence and missing follow-up data and 1 control missed follow-up collection due to scheduling (final analysis set after missing data: PM: n=4, SSM: n=5, control: n=5). One control participant experienced transient vertigo in fMRI. Trends in fMRI data indicated that both intervention groups experienced less negative emotional arousal and anxiety, with physical tension reduced in the PM group. The PM group exhibited reduced stress response in the frontal lobes when exposed to intensive care unit alarms, suggesting diminished attentional response to the high-stress auditory environment, compared to control. However, lack of statistical significance and baseline variability entail cautious interpretation. Observations of sleep quality were mixed, and no statistically significant differences in stress surveys were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Both music interventions trended toward positive changes in neurophysiological responses, suggesting potential benefits in reducing surgeon stress. However, due to the small sample, mixed or nonsignificant results, and the exploratory nature of this study, findings should be considered preliminary. Further research with larger, diverse cohorts is required to confirm trends, refine both the intervention approach and recruitment strategies, and determine whether objective compositional elements or personally selected music drive the mechanisms of potential positive effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05980429; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05980429.

  PublisherDOI

• An Artistic BCI–GenAI System Enabling Real-Time Co-creation in Balinese Performance

  Communications in computer and information science · 2026-01-01

  book-chapter
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of Prescribed and Self-Selected Music Interventions on Stress, Sleep, Heart Rate Variability, and Brain Connectivity in Surgeons Using 7-Tesla Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Wearable Actigraphy: Multimodal Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

  2025-09-26

  articleOpen access

  <sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Stress, sleep deprivation, and burnout are significant safety risks for acute care surgeons, negatively impacting performance, well-being, and clinical outcomes. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to measure neurophysiological effects of prescribed music (PM) and self-selected music (SSM) on surgeon stress, burnout, and neurophysiological responses using a multimodal protocol that integrated functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), wearable biosensor monitoring, and psychological self-assessments. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> Full-time attending surgeons at a quaternary care hospital were invited to participate in a 3-armed trial (1:1:1 block allocation). Intervention groups were instructed to listen to 30 minutes (minimum 15 minutes) of either PM or SSM daily at bedtime for 6 weeks, reflecting real-world conditions. PM comprised original compositions based on elements promoting perceived relaxation from a prior study. The control arm avoided music in the 30 minutes before bed. Allocation was concealed from the recruiting investigator; the fMRI technicians, the statistician, and lead investigators were blinded until analyses were completed. Functional connectivity patterns were measured using fMRI at baseline and 6 weeks while participants listened to simulated intensive care unit noise, PM, and SSM. Secondary outcomes included continuous actigraphy for sleep quality and self-reported anxiety, sleep quality, and burnout using validated scales (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Maslach Burnout Inventory). </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> A total of 22 surgeons were assessed; demands of fMRI and data collection schedule led 3 to decline and 2 (allocated to PM) not to finish baseline measures; 6 PM, 5 SSM, and 6 controls received allocated intervention; 2 PM participants were withdrawn for nonadherence and missing follow-up data and 1 control missed follow-up collection due to scheduling (final analysis set after missing data: PM: n=4, SSM: n=5, control: n=5). One control participant experienced transient vertigo in fMRI. Trends in fMRI data indicated that both intervention groups experienced less negative emotional arousal and anxiety, with physical tension reduced in the PM group. The PM group exhibited reduced stress response in the frontal lobes when exposed to intensive care unit alarms, suggesting diminished attentional response to the high-stress auditory environment, compared to control. However, lack of statistical significance and baseline variability entail cautious interpretation. Observations of sleep quality were mixed, and no statistically significant differences in stress surveys were observed. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Both music interventions trended toward positive changes in neurophysiological responses, suggesting potential benefits in reducing surgeon stress. However, due to the small sample, mixed or nonsignificant results, and the exploratory nature of this study, findings should be considered preliminary. Further research with larger, diverse cohorts is required to confirm trends, refine both the intervention approach and recruitment strategies, and determine whether objective compositional elements or personally selected music drive the mechanisms of potential positive effects. </sec> <sec> <title>CLINICALTRIAL</title> ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05980429; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05980429 </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• Music-induced cognitive change and whole-brain network flexibility: a pilot study

  Frontiers in Neuroscience · 2025-06-05 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Introduction: Cognitive impairment that exceeds age-related cognitive decline is a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. As the older adult population is notably increasing every year, significant efforts are being made to preserve cognitive function in older adulthood. Non-pharmaceutical approaches such as music interventions have noticeable benefits for cognition. Music engagement utilizes multiple brain regions dually involved in higher cognitive functions. Yet the neurobiology of music-induced cognitive change remains understudied. Complex human behavior and cognition likely depend on continuous communication across brain regions rather than localized activity in one region. Given that music creativity engages a wide range of mental processes, whole-brain network indices quantifying the brain's tendency to create functional communities (modularity) and then dynamically reorganize these communities (flexibility) may be relevant for assessing music-related cognitive change. Using a semi-randomized clinical trial design (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04137913), we examined whether (1) music creativity altered whole-brain network indices (modularity, flexibility) and (2) whether music-related effects on cognition depended on whole-brain network indices. Methods: = 27) and completed resting-state fMRI scans and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment at baseline and follow-up (post-intervention). Results: The music creativity intervention did not alter network flexibility or modularity over time. However, the relationship between group assignment and change in global cognitive function depended on baseline flexibility: music creativity improved global cognition more than the control condition, only among individuals who had higher than average network flexibility. Discussion: Findings suggest that having a dynamic brain network, which has previously been linked to better executive functioning performance, may be necessary for music-related benefits on cognition. This pilot study is innovative as it is among the first to identify possible neural mechanisms underlying why music creativity interventions confer a more significant cognitive benefit for some older adults than others.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• AI as muse: How humans can leverage large language model AI for transdisciplinary creative thinking and research

  Elsevier eBooks · 2025-11-21

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Bridging life satisfaction data and neurobiological measures would elucidate human well-being

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2025-04-23 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  In 2011, the United Nations' (UN's) General Assembly unanimously approved a resolution that, for the first time, put happiness on the global agenda.The resolution recognized the pursuit of happiness as a human universal right and urged that a country's prosperity should not be measured only in economic terms, but also in terms of the contentment and well-being of its people.Consequently, there is a growing interest in systematic investigation of happiness.Since 2012, the UN has been publishing annual reports ranking the countries of the world in terms of happiness.The UN's World Happiness Report is based primarily on a three-year rolling average of responses to a single question on the Gallup World Poll: Respondents are instructed to imagine a ladder spanning from 0 to 10, with 0 representing their worst possible life and 10 their best.They are then asked to rate their current life on what has been termed the Cantril Ladder ( 1 ).Each year, Gallup surveys fresh cohorts of respondents ages 15 years and older in over 150 countries ( 2 ).Finland and other Nordic countries have consistently been at the top of the "happiness" rankings ( 2 , 4 ).The latest report, released in March, finds that within-country gaps in life satisfaction are increasing, even as worldwide rankings remain constant ( 4 ).Several justifications have been offered for relying so heavily on the Gallup questionnaires.Their large sample sizes de-emphasize individual differences, exposing national trends.Crucially, results strongly correlate with key socioeconomic indicators.The UN's inaugural report noted that nearly all of the interregional differences can be explained by per capita income, healthy life expectancy, having friends

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Milestones in the development of music and language

  Oxford University Press eBooks · 2025-03-20

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract The human brain continues to mature throughout childhood, making our species particularly susceptible to experience. Given the diversity of music and language around the globe, how these are acquired during childhood is revealing about the feedback loop between our biological predispositions and exposure. Evidence suggests that children begin as generalists and become specialists, with music and language deeply entangled in infancy and modularity emerging over time. In addition, development proceeds along parallel tracks, with comparable cognitive milestones. Although there is a tendency to celebrate our precociousness, it may be that we should really extol the slow and protected aspects of development: our unfledged entry into the world affords us the extended time necessary to internalize these products of culture. The present chapter begins by exploring the variety of music and languages around the world. It then tracks developmental milestones from birth throughout childhood, examines linked developmental disorders, and closes with a discussion of open questions and future directions.

  PublisherDOI

• Amplifying the Anomaly: How Humans Choose Unproven Options and Large Language Models Avoid Them

  Creativity Research Journal · 2024-06-17 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Both large language models (LLMs) and the human brain develop internal models of reality to make accurate predictions. Both typically prefer choices with the strongest track records. However, when faced with a creative challenge, LLMs remain committed to high-probability options while humans can opt for unproven ones. This paper delves into one way of making unlikely events plausible—"amplifying the anomaly." The concept involves extrapolating viable consequences from an unlikely proposition. Rather than being treated as oddball events or "one-offs," the anomaly permeates the creative work. Notably, novelty and appropriateness can be in tension with each other, with high utility coming at the cost of low novelty. Amplifying the anomaly aligns these competing demands. It enhances originality: the rarer a proposition and the more thoroughly it is worked out, the more unique and surprising the result. At the same time, the effectiveness and value of the unproven option also rises: thorough elaboration in the creative product establishes its fitness. Musical examples by Beethoven, Schubert, and contemporary composer Sky Macklay, along with creative products from other domains, illustrate this principle. Classic LLMs have several limitations that make it difficult to amplify the anomaly: they are steered toward norm-driven outcomes, make short-term decisions, and are not designed to self-evaluate. As a result, they have difficulty of developing unusual propositions in a non-obvious way without human guidance. Alternatives approaches, including adversarial networks and team AI, are briefly examined. Implications for the future of computational and human creativity are discussed.

  PublisherDOI

• Neural Dynamics of Creative Movements During the Rehearsal and Performance of “LiveWire"

  Scientific Data · 2024-11-09 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  This report contains a description of physiological and motion data, recorded simultaneously and in synchrony using the hyperscanning method from two professional dancers using wireless mobile brain-body imaging (MoBI) technology during rehearsals and public performances of "LiveWire" - a new composition comprised of five choreographed music and dance sections inspired by neuroscience principles. Brain and ocular activity were measured using 28-channel scalp electroencephalography (EEG), and 4-channel electrooculography (EOG), respectively; and head motion was recorded using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) placed on the forehead of each dancer. Video recordings were obtained for each session to allow for tagging of physiological and motion signals and for behavioral analysis. Data recordings were collected from 10 sessions over a 4-month period, in which the dancers rehearsed or performed (in front of an audience) choreographed expressive movements. A detailed explanation of the experimental set-up, the steps carried out for data collection, and an explanation on the usage are provided in this report.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Calls of the wild: Exploring the evolutionary roots of consonance and dissonance

  Physics of Life Reviews · 2023-09-13 · 1 citations

  review1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Christof Karmonik

  Houston Methodist

  19 shared

• Melia E. Bonomo

  Rice University

  9 shared

• Jessica Frazier

  University of Oxford

  8 shared

• J. Anderson

  5 shared

• Christopher P. Fagundes

  University of Houston

  5 shared

• Karl Blench

  3 shared

• Elliott Silverman

  Methodist Hospital

  3 shared

• Jefferson Frazier

  Houston Methodist

  3 shared

Awards & honors

• Three-time MacDowell fellow
• Fellow at Copland House
• Fellow at the Tanglewood Institute
• Fellow at Wellesley Composers Conference
• Fellow at the Djerassi Resident Artists Colony