Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
00:00 // Why Are Sleep & Music So Connected?
03:18 // Ancient Myths Linking Music and Sleep
05:30 // How Composers Create Dreamlike Music
07:05 // Debussy's Secret to Dreamy Sound
10:36 // The Hidden Power of Lullabies
15:14 // What Lullabies Reveal About Culture
17:08 // Does Music Exist While We Sleep?
22:08 // Famous Songs Inspired by Dreams
28:30 // Can We Recover Music From Dreams?
29:45 // Turning Sleep Into Music with Science
35:45 // Sleep, Creativity & Mental Health
40:05 // Music as a Tool for Healing
44:00 // Why Music Gives Us Hope
48:48 // Final Thoughts
Watch the Q&A session here: youtu.be/iccnkoAfEpQ
Sleep 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 2026
Milton 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: gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/music-sleep
Gresham 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: gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today
Website: gresham.ac.uk
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Support Us: gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today
00:00 // Why Are Sleep & Music So Connected?
03:18 // Ancient Myths Linking Music and Sleep
05:30 // How Composers Create Dreamlike Music
07:05 // Debussy's Secret to Dreamy Sound
10:36 // The Hidden Power of Lullabies
15:14 // What Lullabies Reveal About Culture
17:08 // Does Music Exist While We Sleep?
22:08 // Famous Songs Inspired by Dreams
28:30 // Can We Recover Music From Dreams?
29:45 // Turning Sleep Into Music with Science
35:45 // Sleep, Creativity & Mental Health
40:05 // Music as a Tool for Healing
44:00 // Why Music Gives Us Hope
48:48 // Final Thoughts
Watch the Q&A session here: youtu.be/iccnkoAfEpQ
Sleep 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 2026
Milton 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: gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/music-sleep
Gresham 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: gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today
Website: gresham.ac.uk
X: https://x.com/GreshamCollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/greshamcollege.bsky.social
TikTok: tiktok.com/@greshamcollege
Support Us: gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today
