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The Roundtable

WAMC On the Road: Communities in Conversation, 'Does Music Matter?'

By Aaron Shellow-Lavine
Published April 17, 2026 at 11:00 AM EDT
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Caffe Lena Music Panel

On March 22, WAMC On the Road presented a special conversation at historic Caffè Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York. A panel of experts attempted to answer the question “Does music matter?” (spoiler: Yes, it does.) by exploring topics surrounding music as a path to healing, empathy and health.

Lead by WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Aaron Shellow-Lavine, the participants were Caffè Lena Executive Director Sarah Craig, Associate Professor in the Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program at Skidmore College Dr. Dominique Vuvan, and folk-musician and educator Dan Berggren.

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