How does one with a degree in neuroscience get a Grammy nomination? Listen to Kymberlee tell her story (audio)

FM #1495 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1495 in the series. 

Kymberlee O’Brien

This session shares my conversation with Kymberlee O’Brien, MEd, PhD on Monday, August 11, 2025. Kymberlee may be recognizable from her presentations on brains, or her drum circles, both activities at the Franklin Senior Center grant funded by the Franklin Cultural Council. She has also performed as a jazz singer locally including most recently at the Franklin Farmers Market.

With such a varied background, I felt that we would have a good and wide ranging conversation, and I think you’ll agree we did.

Did you also know that she is a Grammy nominated composer?

Listen in to our conversation (approx. 38 minutes)

Audio link ->   https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1495-kimberlee-obrien-08-11-25/

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William James Faculty page -> https://www.williamjames.edu/about/profiles/faculty/kymberlee-obrien.html 

Neuralight Consulting -> https://www.neuralightconsulting.com/ 

Music link -> https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/kymberlee-obrien/

PR -> https://www.artistpr.com/press-release/grammy-recognized-artist-kymberlee-obrien-blends-jazz-latin-and-pop-in-new-anthem-of-resilience/ 

Her Grammy nominated single -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKSGrDgK8Fo 

Items mentioned during our discussion

• Alive Inside -> https://www.aliveinside.us/#land

• Greater Good at UC Berkeley ->  https://www.aliveinside.us/#land

• TEDx at William James -> https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/60382

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial. 

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach out. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/  or www.franklin.news 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

NY Times: "For Some Patients, the ‘Inner Voice’ May Soon Be Audible"

"For decades, neuroengineers have dreamed of helping people who have been cut off from the world of language.

A disease like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or A.L.S., weakens the muscles in the airway. A stroke can kill neurons that normally relay commands for speaking. Perhaps, by implanting electrodes, scientists could instead record the brain’s electric activity and translate that into spoken words.

NY Times: "For Some Patients, the ‘Inner Voice’ May Soon Be Audible"

Now a team of researchers has made an important advance toward that goal. Previously they succeeded in decoding the signals produced when people tried to speak. In the new study, published on Thursday in the journal Cell, their computer often made correct guesses when the subjects simply imagined saying words.

Christian Herff, a neuroscientist at Maastricht University in the Netherlands who was not involved in the research, said the result went beyond the merely technological and shed light on the mystery of language. “It’s a fantastic advance,” Dr. Herff said."

Shared from -> https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/science/brain-neuroscience-computers-speech.html?smid=url-share

What's happening in Franklin, MA: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 ???

Library & Senior Center events

Wednesday, June 11

9:00am Parmenter 5th Chorus Concert/Celebration (Gerald M. Parmenter Elementary School)

1:00pm Writer's Group (Franklin Senior Center)

2:00pm Franklin Middle School Summer Reading Kickoff Book Fair (An Unlikely Story)

3:00pm Love your brain - Healthy Brain Initiative (Franklin Senior Center)

For additional details on Library & Senior Center events ->   

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar.aspx?CID=37,24&showPastEvents=false

**  Town Meetings today   **

Charles River Pollution Control Meeting

Wednesday, June 11 Time: 3:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06112025-1778

Historical Commission Meeting

Wednesday, June 11 Time: 6:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06112025-1782

Finance Committee Meeting

Wednesday, June 11 Time:  7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06112025-1781

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What's happening today in Franklin? 

Find the full Community event calendar  https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

If you have an event to add to the calendar, you can use the form to submit it for publication:  https://bit.ly/Submit2Calendar

The Town meeting calendar is found  https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
The School district calendar is found  https://franklinpublicschooldistrictma.sites.thrillshare.com/o/fpsd/page/school-calendar

Free Healthy Brain event today at the Senior Center from 3 to 5 PM

Free Healthy Brain event today
at the Senior Center from 3 to 5 PM

FREE Event!

Happening tomorrow Wednesday (6/11/25) at the Franklin Senior Center from 3 - 5 pm

Shared from -> https://www.facebook.com/share/p/19zzTxCAeA/

Healthy Brain Event scheduled for June 11, 2025

Good morning,

I wanted to share the details about an upcoming event The Franklin Health Department and Senior Center are having on June 11th.  

Healthy Brain Event scheduled for June 11, 2025

The Franklin Health Department is working on a Healthy Brain Initiative to focus on brain health and the "10 ways to love your brain" to decrease the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. 

There will be many local vendors to represent the 10 healthy habits to improve brain health. There will also be health screenings, giveaways, snacks, an exercise demonstration and dementia risk reduction presentation. 

All ages are welcome; it's never too late or too early to incorporate healthy habits!

Please share the attached flyer to help promote our newest event, thank you for your help!  

Franklin's Healthy Brain Initiative

LOCATION: Franklin Senior Center

WHEN: Wednesday June 11^th, 2025

TIME: 3:00PM – 5:00PM

 

Alisha Sullivan RN, BSN

Public Health Nurse | Health Department

10 Daniel McCahill Street

Franklin, Massachusetts 02038-1352

Download the Flyer as a reminder or to share ->   https://drive.google.com/file/d/14S6QtDdgfamxK4sQ9cEU8E1h-DRfy4np/view?usp=drive_link

The Topic: 006 - Healthy Brain Initiative (audio)

A conversation with Tammy Pozerycki and Franklin (MA) Health Director Cathleen Liberty recorded in February 2025

Audio link -> https://the-topic.captivate.fm/episode/006-healthy-brain-initiative

 

Healthy Brain Initiative

Alzheimer's Association page - https://www.alz.org/

Franklin Senior Center Supportive Day Program -
https://www.franklinma.gov/587/Dementia-Alzheimers

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

For additional information, please visit  the Health Dept page at www.Franklinma.gov   

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at  cliberty@franklinma.gov

The music for the intro and exit is called “Positive and Fun” by Scott Holmes Music and is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License  


Scott Holmes Music => https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes

You can also subscribe and listen to TheTopic audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "TheTopic" 

Board of Health designates agent for Tobacco control & appoints alternate for Metacomet Health (audio)

FM #1372 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1372 the series. 

This session of the radio show shares the Town of Franklin Board of Health Meeting held on Wednesday, February 5, 2024. The meeting agenda listed it being conducted via Google meet. However, the 2 members of the Board (Harris, Mu-Chow) (1 absent - Sweet) and Health Dept members apparently were present together. 

Quick Recap:

• Discussion on designation of Mass Health Office Association (MHOA) as the tobacco control agent for the town. Motion approved by 2-0 vote via roll call

• Discussion on the new MEtacomet Advisory Board oversight board and need to appoint an alternate contact in addition to Director Liberty. Motion made to appoint Kerry McKay as advisory board alternate board member and approved 2-0

• Healthy brains program for 2025. Kick off with a podcast to be scheduled. Increase awareness, provide resources, in advance of the onset of dementia and other brain afflictions. Focus initially at the Senior Center, Housing Authority, & Library. SAFE Coalition is close to getting their ‘mega brain’ display which can be walked through. Simulation dementia experience via hospital. Training possible for wait staff to assist with making that restaurant ordering process a less stressful experience 

• Health agent report, monthly training completed 

• COVID tests still available via the Health nurse at Senior Center, call to arrange pickup. Flu season; 80% of the cases occurred during January (folks actually getting tested, so still likely an undercount)

• Steve chimed in that he had a contact for the brain program will send info to Cathleen. Also the agenda doc link for the meeting was not clickable, it could be copied but wasn’t clickable

Motion to adjourn, second, passes 2-0-1 (1 absent)

The meeting runs about 26 minutes. Let’s listen to the Board of Health meeting Feb 5, 2025. Audio link -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1372-franklin-ma-board-of-health-mtg-02-05-25/

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The Board of Health agenda can be found ->

https://franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_02052025-1543  

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know 

• And if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We’ll share and show you what and how we do what we do

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Board of Health designates agent for Tobacco control & appoints alternate for Metacomet Health  (audio)