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What can the dynamics of music teach us about navigating today’s complex world? The Power of Music Thinking podcast dives deep into this potent analogy. Host Christof Zürn, founder of MusicThinking.com, explores how concepts like listening, tuning, rhythm, and improvisation translate into powerful tools for business, creativity, and leadership. Through engaging interviews with global thought leaders, designers, entrepreneurs, and artists, discover practical ways to improve collaboration, spark innovation, and lead teams more effectively. Learn how to listen differently, find your team’s rhythm, and embrace improvisation in the face of uncertainty. And there are special episodes around a theme or experiment. For anyone fascinated by the intersection of creativity, strategy, and human dynamics – subscribe to The Power of Music Thinking.
Episodes

Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Sound Strategies and how things go together with Michael Spencer
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
- Why can elements from music be applied for the benefit of communities or companies?
- How do you effectively use music and music thinking as a tool?
- What does Beethoven's 9th and Japanese woodwork have in common?
We are in the in-between space, between music and business, education and performance, listening and understanding, and London and Tokyo.
So, today we talk with Michael Spencer. Michael is the founder of Sound Strategies Ltd, TEDx speaker, Visiting Professor at Ueno Gakuen University (Tokyo), and the Communication Director of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.
He was Head of education at the Royal Opera House in London and, as a member of the London Symphony Orchestra, worked with Leonard Bernstein, Deep Purple and on the Star Wars soundtracks with composer John Williams.
Michael gives us a deep dive into why music functions and shares the elements and learnings he used, for example, in the townships in South Africa and his work with companies like Unilever, BASF, IHG (Intercontinental Hotels Group), Daikin, and Fujitsu.
So, we talk about making better connections and how musical systems, timing, and structure help us to understand how things go together. And that music comes from the fact that it is some co-created system for creating relationships.
There is a lot to learn today - not only about music, but also about business and society - so let’s get into it.
Show Notes
- Sound Business Tokyo:
https://www.soundstrategiestokyo.com/ - Sound Business London:
https://www.sound-strategies.co.uk/about - Japanese woodwork:
https://japanobjects.com/features/japanese-joinery - Beethoven 9th Symphony - with 10000 Japanese Choir
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wzXZRd087I - Michael Spencer at TEDxWWF:
https://vimeo.com/61710533?share=copy
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The Power of Music Thinking is brought to you by CREATIVE COMPANION specialised in facilitating leaders, teams and organisations in customer experience, change and innovation.
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