Musical daydreams

By Mindy Todd ,

Amy Vince

Published June 30, 2026 at 9:42 AM EDT

Musical daydreams are the vivid and spontaneous images, stories, and memories we lapse into while listening to music. (Phil Madeira playing music at Nashville's Blackbird Studio in 2021.)

We talk with music cognition researcher and director of the Music Cognition Lab at Princeton University Dr. Elizabeth Margulis about the phenomenon of musical daydreams: the vivid and spontaneous images, stories and memories we lapse into while listening to music. Using neuroscience, psychology and ethnography Margulis maintains these brain wanderings are important to our individual and collective wellbeing. Her new book is Transported: The Everyday Magic of Musical Daydreams.

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Mindy Todd

Mindy Todd is the host and producer of <i>The Point</i> on WCAI which examines critical issues for Cape Cod and the Islands. She brings more than 40 years of experience in radio and television to WCAI.

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Amy Vince

Amy has worked at WCAI since 2001. After 11 years in the WCAI development department, she shifted gears and became producer for The Point with Mindy Todd. She enjoys the challenges of producing a daily public affairs program and the opportunity to research and learn about the wide variety of topics covered by the program. Before coming to WCAI, Amy spent nearly a decade sailing offshore as a mate on sailing school oceanographic research vessels. She lives in Falmouth with her husband and son.

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