HARMONICS 2026: Music, Medicine & Science

The Music & Health Conference, launched last year, has been expanded and renamed, recognizing the tremendous growth of this emerging field. HARMONICS 2026: The International Conference on Music, Medicine & Science will take place Oct. 28–29, 2026 at the UC Irvine Student Center. HARMONICS reflects the unique interplay of Health, Arts, Research, Medicine, Outcomes, Neuroscience, Innovation, Clinical Science and Sound.

“Last year’s conference was meant to be a small pilot. We put it together in about eight weeks just to see if there was interest,” says Sean Young, PhD, a professor of emergency medicine at UC Irvine. “It sold out in 10 days, and what really stood out was who was trying to get in. There’s a real demand from patients, clinicians, and musicians to come together and understand how music can be used to improve health. HARMONICS is our response to that!”

May 15, 2026, is the deadline for submitting an abstract, which can fall under one of three possible tracks:

• Basic and Translational Approaches: Research examining biological, neurological or clinical effects of music.
• Shaping the Future of Music & Medicine: Technology, data and innovation in music and health.
• Experiential Music in Medicine: Creative, applied and humanistic approaches, including patients’ experiences with music.

Submissions are welcome from interdisciplinary professionals and students, including those working in clinical practice, intervention research, patient-centered applications, neuroscience, digital health, and creative approaches in healthcare settings.

“After the first event, I realized we weren’t just hosting a conference — we were seeing the early formation of a new field,” says Young. “In conversations with clinicians and researchers, people kept asking for a space where music and health could be explored seriously, not just as an idea but as science and clinical practice.”

Young says he also had patients reaching out, asking if music could help with their conditions, including pain management, mental health and stroke rehabilitation. “One patient said they’d been trying music playlists for sleep and anxiety and wanted to know if there was science behind Spotify playlists that say they can help with sleep or relaxation,” says Young. He adds that yes, there is research showing the positive impact of music on sleep, including work with his collaborators on how jazz can reduce anxiety.

Early bird registration is open through May 15, 2026, for this interdisciplinary conference bringing together clinicians, researchers, musicians, technologists, educators and therapists. Music therapists attending can receive Continuing Music Therapy Education (CMTE) credits for their participation.

Learn more about the conference and register today!