RealTalk MS, Episode 417: "Music and the Body" with Emmy Award-Winning Composer Jeff Beal

Host: Jon Strum
Guest: Jeff Beal (Composer, MS Advocate)
Release Date: August 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the intersection of music, health, and living with multiple sclerosis (MS) through the lens of Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal. Jon Strum and Jeff discuss Jeff’s musical journey, his experiences since his MS diagnosis in 2007, and the profound role music continues to play in his well-being. The conversation also previews a unique, free community concert event in Santa Monica, highlighting how art and science meet to serve the MS community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Latest Advances in MS Research

(00:17 – 09:57)

• Redefining MS Progression:
  • Current research is moving away from classifying MS as a disease of rigid subtypes (relapsing-remitting, secondary progressive, etc.) and towards seeing it as a continuum [(01:17)].
  • An AI-driven model developed by scientists at Oxford and Freiburg universities proposes four dynamic “state dimensions”: physical disability, brain damage, clinical relapses, and silent inflammatory activity.
  • "This model describes MS as a continuous disease process with clearly definable transition probabilities between these four states." (02:24, Jon Strum)
• Genetic Markers and Personalized Therapy:
  • New findings suggest a specific version of the HLA A gene can predict which MS patients will benefit from the drug glatiramer acetate, marking progress toward personalized MS treatments.
  • "This is a big step. It’s the first time scientists have been able to identify a genetic marker that accurately predicts an individual's response to an MS treatment." (07:49, Jon Strum)
• Gut Microbiome Research:
  • Twin studies from the Max Planck Institute identify differences in gut bacteria that may influence MS susceptibility, providing new targets for potential preventive interventions.
  • Listeners are invited to join ongoing microbiome studies [(04:49)].

2. The Relationship Between Music and Health

(09:57 – 10:45)

• Jon transitions to how music is shown to help manage MS symptoms, including stress, mood, and motor skills.
• It's the prelude to the main interview: "Music can set a mood, communicate an emotion, and even tell a story. In a moment, Emmy Award-winning composer Jeff Beal will tell his own story about how his music and his MS have influenced him." (09:19, Jon Strum)

Main Interview: Jeff Beal on Art, Illness, and Resilience

1. Early Musical Awakening and Core Influences

(10:45 – 13:03)

• Jeff’s passion for music started in childhood, encouraged by access to a piano and participation in school music programs.
• Two life-changing experiences: discovering jazz improvisation in middle school, and playing Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in the Oakland Youth Symphony:
  • "Improvising is like spontaneous composition. And all of a sudden it was like this world opened up to me... I found there was something inside me that wanted to express itself." (11:16, Jeff Beal)
  • "I want to write music and I want to tell stories and I want to write for orchestra. That was kind of the genesis of a lot of things that followed." (11:59, Jeff Beal)

2. Breaking Into a Competitive Field

(13:03 – 15:18)

• Jeff attributes his success both to relentless practice and nurturing his individuality as a composer:
  • "Everybody has a voice. Every composer has a voice. But what you need to do is you have to discover what that is and nurture it. It’s like a plant. You water it." (13:39, Jeff Beal)
• Jeff's "big break" was composing for the film Pollock:
  • "I definitely feel like I have the career I had because I did that movie..." (14:53, Jeff Beal)

3. How Jeff Experiences Music as a Listener

(15:18 – 16:54)

• Despite composing being his profession, Jeff finds live music most restorative and meaningful:
  • "When I’m composing... it’s a very much a flow state. It’s very engaging and it’s also, in some strange way, meditative. But... my favorite way to hear music is in a live concert." (15:35, Jeff Beal)
• Moving to New York City revitalized this passion with easier access to world-class live performances.

4. MS Diagnosis and Impact on Artistic Life

(17:02 – 21:09)

• Jeff was diagnosed at mid-career and had to adjust both work habits and mindset to manage fatigue and energy.
  • "Fatigue is real and the energy tank is not as full for anybody... So I sort of learned really quickly how to manage my time better, be efficient." (17:23, Jeff Beal)
  • He found unexpected joy in adaptation: "In a strange way, I think I rediscovered my joy for making music... The fact that I could still do it... made me feel like, okay, this is the weird thing about a journey with chronic illness." (18:16, Jeff Beal)
• Importance of support:
  • "I was very lucky to be married to a wonderful wife, Joan, who’s really been my champion... we were also raising our son when I was diagnosed. He was a young teenager." (18:32, Jeff Beal)

5. Reflecting on the Early Days of MS

(19:21 – 21:05)

• Advice to the newly diagnosed:
  • "Don’t project onto the worst day of symptoms the rest of your life..." (19:41, Jeff Beal)
  • Jeff learned to allow himself rest and self-compassion:
    • "I wished earlier in the journey I had a better way of just giving myself a break, you know, and being a little more graceful towards my own... what this is – not every day isn’t an easy day and you do the best you can." (20:43, Jeff Beal)

6. Common Misconceptions About MS

(21:05 – 23:37)

• MS can be “invisible” to others; fatigue is often misunderstood.
  • "If I would try to share the struggle with fatigue... sometimes you get back, 'Oh yeah, I get tired too'... but that level of fatigue is, you can’t even function. You just gotta lie down." (21:33, 23:22, Jeff Beal)
• Empathy for the unseen realities of chronic illness remains a challenge:
  • "There’s sort of a low-level thing when you’re living with MS that’s hard for somebody to get their handle on." (22:37, Jeff Beal)

The "Music and the Body" Event: Connection, Creativity, and Community

Event Details and Philosophy

(23:37 – 29:40)

• Jeff describes the inspiration for his “Music and the Body” concert event:
  • COVID isolation prompted him to return to the piano and led to a series of Etudes reflecting both artistic curiosity and living with MS.
  • "I really realized for myself, part of the way I told myself a positive narrative was staying active musically is a big part of my health." (25:32, Jeff Beal)
• The program:
  • Jeff will perform 10 Etudes arranged for piano and orchestra – five from each of two albums.
  • Violinist Kelly Hall Tompkins will play Jeff's concerto Body in Motion.
  • The concert debuts Four Score, a symphony honoring conductor Leonard Slatkin’s 80th birthday.
• The event is family-friendly with an “instrument petting zoo,” community panels, and activities designed to connect music, health, and wellness for all ages:
  • "The whole idea... is this connection between the body and music... and how if music can maybe enter, be a part of the rituals that they might put into their lives that would maybe bring them some sort of calm or engagement." (28:38, Jeff Beal)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Jeff Beal, on music choosing him:
  • "It chose me... It’s just a very happy obsession... It’s a vocation. It’s something you don’t retire from." (12:33)
• On navigating MS:
  • "Don’t project onto the worst day of symptoms the rest of your life because often... a flare is a phase..." (19:34)
  • "I wish earlier in the journey I... had just given myself a break, you know, and been a little more graceful..." (20:43)
• Describing MS fatigue:
  • "If you don’t have MS, what do you immediately say?... Maybe you should get more sleep. But that level of fatigue is, you can’t even function." (23:22)
• On music and health:
  • "Staying active musically is a big part of my health." (25:32)
  • "A big part of what will be fun about this day... is just to start to think about their own relationship to their body, their own relationship to their health and how music can maybe enter, be a part of the rituals..." (28:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Latest MS Research & News: 00:17 – 09:57
• Opening reflections on music and health: 09:57 – 10:45
• Jeff Beal interview begins: 10:45
• Musical Awakening and Influences: 11:02 – 13:03
• Creative Breakthroughs and Career Path: 13:03 – 15:18
• Experiencing Music as Listener vs. Composer: 15:18 – 16:54
• Impact of MS on Artistry and Daily Life: 17:02 – 21:05
• Advice and Wisdom for MS Community: 19:21 – 21:05
• Common Misconceptions About MS: 21:05 – 23:37
• ‘Music and the Body’ Event Overview: 23:37 – 29:40

Final Thoughts

This episode is a moving testament to the power of music, resilience, and self-compassion in the face of chronic illness. Jeff Beal shares practical wisdom for those affected by MS while inspiring all listeners to view creativity as an integral part of well-being. The “Music and the Body” event represents a broader vision for using art, connection, and community engagement in the journey with MS.

For more details or to register for the free "Music and the Body" event, see the show notes.