Follow your favourite podcasts, listen offline and in the car with CarPlay and Android Auto, and always pick up where you left off. Free to try.
00:00 // Why Are Sleep and Music So Connected?Uploaded 21-08-2603:18 // Ancient Myths Linking Music and Sleep05:30 // How Composers Create Dreamlike Music07:05 // Debussy's Secret to Dreamy Sound10:36 // The Hidden Power of Lullabies15:14 // What Lullabies Reveal About Culture17:08 // Does Music Exist While We Sleep?22:08 // Famous Songs Inspired by Dreams28:30 // Can We Recover Music From Dreams?29:45 // Turning Sleep Into Music with Science35:45 // Sleep, Creativity and Mental Health40:05 // Music as a Tool for Healing44:00 // Why Music Gives Us Hope48:48 // Final ThoughtsWatch the Q and A session here: https://youtu.be/iccnkoAfEpQSleep and music share a strange, elusive magic—both shape our lives profoundly yet slip beyond words. Lullabies soothe us into slumber, nocturnes and reveries evoke the twilight world between wakefulness and dreams. Some melodies even emerge from sleep itself—McCartney’s "Let It Be" and Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata came to their composers in dreams. Yet sleep has its own music: the phasing rhythms of wake and rest, the cadences of falling asleep, the waveforms of EEG data—an unheard music to which we may awaken.This lecture was recorded by Professor Milton Mermikides on the 19th of June 2026Milton Mermikides is a composer, guitarist, technologist, academic and educator in a wide range of musical styles and has collaborated with artists and scientists as diverse as Evelyn Glennie, Tim Minchin, Pat Martino, Peter Zinovieff, John Williams and Brian Eno. Son of a CERN nuclear physicist, he was raised with an enthusiasm for both the arts and sciences, an eclecticism which has been maintained throughout his teaching, research and creative career. He is a graduate of the London School of Economics (BSc), Berklee College of Music (BMus) and the University of Surrey (PhD). He has lectured, exhibited and given keynote presentations at organisations like the Royal Academy of Music, TEDx, Royal Musical Association, British Library, Smithsonian Institute and The Science Museum and his work has been featured extensively in the press. His music, research and graphic art are published and featured by Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Deutsche Grammophon, Sony and more, and he has won awards, scholarships and commendations for writing, teaching, research and his charity work. Milton is Professor of Music at the University of Surrey, Professor of Guitar at the Royal College of Music, Deputy Director of the International Guitar Research Centre, an Ableton Certified Trainer, and lives in London with his wife, the guitarist Bridget Mermikides and their daughter Chloe. He is also a Vice-Chair of Governors at Addison Primary School, a state school which foregrounds music education, offering free instrumental lessons for all on Pupil Premium. The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/music-sleepGresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham College's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website: https://gresham.ac.ukX: https://x.com/GreshamCollegeFacebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollegeInstagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollegeBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greshamcollegeSupport Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
