The MUSE Initiative at the Center for Healthy Minds (CHM), in partnership with the UW–Madison Division of the Arts and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, held its inaugural event in April, welcoming interdisciplinary artist Viviane Silvera for “The Memory of Care: Art, Music, and the Neuroscience of Human Connection.”

Held at the Center for Healthy Minds on April 21, the event brought together MUSE Director Dr. Dalal Abu Amneh, CHM Founder and Director Dr. Richie Davidson, Viviane Silvera, and the musical quintet Driftless Reeds for an intimate evening of conversation, reflection and live music.

Silvera, the Division of the Arts’ Spring Interdisciplinary Artist-in-Residence, shared her work exploring memory, care, and the ways artistic practice can help us revisit, reshape, and heal personal and collective narratives.

The evening extended beyond dialogue into shared experience. Participants were invited into moments of collective vocalization, simple vocal practices, and gentle movement, led by Dr. Abu Amneh and Guy Thorne from the UW–Madison Division of the Arts, creating a lived sense of connection and attunement within the space.

Through dialogue, music, and embodied practice, the event opened a thoughtful space to explore how memory, emotional wellbeing, and human connection are shaped at the intersection of art, neuroscience, and contemplative inquiry.

“This event beautifully reflected the spirit of MUSE: bringing the arts, science, and community together to ask how creative and contemplative practices can deepen human connection, support healing, and help us better understand the evolving self,” said Abu Amneh.

The event also marked a moment of growth for MUSE, as Sofia Noguera was welcomed as Research Program Coordinator on her first day, expanding the initiative’s team and capacity.

MUSE — Multidisciplinary Understanding of Self-Evolution — launched in 2025 as a research and community initiative at CHM. As it continues to grow, MUSE is building toward an ambitious future at the intersection of arts, neuroscience, and collective wellbeing; developing new research, community programs, and interdisciplinary collaborations that explore how shared creative experiences can transform individuals and communities alike.

Learn more by visiting the MUSE Initiative webpage.

Photography: All photos by Peter M. Kleppin.

Featured photo: From left: MUSE Initiative Director Dr. Dalal Abu Amneh, artist Viviane Silvera and CHM Founder and Director Dr. Richie Davidson.