Sonic UX research with Caitlyn Trevor - The Power of Music Thinking
From The Power of Music Thinking by Christof Zürn
October 13, 2025 · 51 min · Episode 64
About this episode
Caitlyn Trevor discusses the intersection of sound design, music cognition, and user experience.
Could smart sound design actually make calling a hospital a less stressful experience? And what if the sound of a cello could be scientifically mapped to our emotions? These are just some of the questions we’ll be exploring today with our guest, Caitlyn Trevor. Caitlyn holds a PhD in Music Theory, a Master’s in Cello Performance, and is an award-winning film score composer. As a researcher and UX professional, her work sits at that fascinating intersection of performance, science, and user experience. In our chat, we trace Caitlyn’s journey from discovering the Lord of the Rings soundtrack to conducting neuroscience research in Switzerland. We’ll get into the specifics of how playing music acts as a full-body exercise for the brain, and why she’s applying that knowledge to improve everyday sonic experiences. We also discuss her fantastic LinkedIn series, "Sound Effects," which shows how sound can drive behaviour change. For example, one post reveals how adding a simple warning sound to an e-scooter can cut the number of times it goes unnoticed by pedestrians from a staggering 97% down to just 3%. It's a wonderful conversation packed with insight. Show notes Connect with Caitlyn…
People in this episode
Host: Christof Zürn
Guest: Caitlyn Trevor
Topics covered
- sound design
- user experience
- music cognition
- behavior change
- neuroscience
- emotional response
Keywords
- sound design
- music cognition
- user experience
- Caitlyn Trevor
- behavior change
- neuroscience
- emotional response
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: LinkedIn, Sonic UX
Books & works: Lord of the Rings soundtrack
Places: Switzerland
More episodes of The Power of Music Thinking
- Take Five: Highlights from Five Years of the Music Thinking Podcast · May 18, 2026 · 18 min
- Resonant Bodies with Emma Kate Matthews · April 13, 2026 · 1h 15m
- Soil Ecoacoustics - Listening to the Underground with Alex F Taylor · March 23, 2026 · 54 min
- Beethoven and AI Agents with Matthias Röder · February 22, 2026 · 1h 2m
- Walking with a Shakuhachi Priest - music thinking in action · January 13, 2026 · 34 min
- Audio investigation for human rights with Fabio Cervi · December 8, 2025 · 1h 2m
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Power of Music Thinking podcast page.