This capstone marks a cornerstone for my education as it perfectly illustrates my passion. It is where music ceases being something I make and make happen and something I analyze and develop around. What was once an organic experience is no longer something I do and feel, but something that exists with things like circuitry and programming. Sound is no longer something I use for expression, something I use for expression with physical and measurable qualities that can develop and analyze the nervous system.

This is my inaugural exposure in the interdiscipline of music and neuroscience, where notes, beats, and tempo are not only musical elements but also forces of biology. With this project, I am learning to analyze not just with my ears but with tools, models, and approaches as well. This has forced me to take time, to iterate, and to be comfortable with the insurmountable unknowns within this field.

As a foundation of my research passion and the start of my degrees converging, I believe this capstone is less a conclusion than an opening. It establishes a foundation for future work that seeks to understand how sound moves through the brain and, eventually, how it might support recovery, communication, and care.