The Practice--Intent, intent, intent...

photo by Patricia Herlevi

I watched Jonathan Goldman’s 2004 DVD Healing Sounds (Program 1)--Sacred Mysteries last night.  In this DVD, Jonathan mentions that frequency + intention = healing.  I have come across several articles and books on the frequency aspect of this equation, but not enough research on intention.  It is not a coincidence that in ancient Egypt and other ancient civilizations that musicians and sound healers went through rigorous training and were initiated into their musical roles.  These musicians learned about the power of sound, frequency, and intent, along with the power of words.  Yet, how many educators these days know anything about this power? As a writer and as a musician, my teachers did not teach me about this hidden power in music, at least not the ones, outside of the new age arena.

I plan on founding a music cooperative in the Bellingham, Washington area where these aspects of sound and music will be taught to music students by experts in the field.  This cooperative would also provide a space for musical culture exchange of folkloric traditions and the exploration of purposeful music.  This is way off since I have yet to come up with other founders and the resources to build this cooperative. However, in the interim, I provide a space on this blog for these musical and sound discussions.  This is a blog where musicians, music therapists and sound healers can build a community that fosters the awakening of music consciousness, thus the short description for this blog, “Global Music Consciousness.”

I feel frustrated on some days when spiritual gurus don’t include intention, frequency as in sounds/music in their modalities.  If as Jonathan Goldman says in his educational DVD, that everything in the Universe is made up of sound vibrations and frequencies, then why aren’t humans paying more attention to the responsible use of sound on the planet? That’s like trying to have life on the planet without a drop of water, and yet, only a minority has any musical awareness, including some of your brand name healers.  Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Andrew Weil, and a few others mention music and sound as an important component to our well-being.  The law-of-attraction folks need to manifest more harmonious sounds instead of the cash register bells of commerce ringing, and the power tools building their mcmansions buzzing away.  How can we love the earth and desecrate her at the same time? That sounds dissonant to my ears.

In his DVD, Goldman mentions to important research experiences.  First, researchers produced an ocean sounds recording with energetic intentions built into the recording.  A recorder was placed near the ocean with a group of people sending love, light and peace to the recorder.  Then this same routine is repeated but now the group sent out hateful messages.  Both of these recordings, which would just sound like ocean waves were played to clients who were muscle tested while listening to the ocean sounds.  The muscles proved strong with the love and light recording, and weak with the hateful recording.  Same sounds, but different intent.

An interesting study, Goldman also mentions listening to two recordings of the same piece of classical music.  He felt relaxed listening to the recording conducted by a more flowing conductor and agitated when listening to the same music with an agitated perfectionist conductor.  How many of you listen to classical music hoping to get healing from it? What if the version of a Beethoven sonata is performed by a pianist in a crappy mood? Will this recording leave you thinking that Beethoven’s music doesn’t relax you?

Goldman like a growing number of musicians (Samite, Mary Youngblood, R. Carlos Nakai, Will Clipman, Nawang Khechog, and the late Marjorie DeMuynck), pray or set intentions before recording their music.  You can feel it too when you listen to what these musicians channel from the Divine.  From what I’ve read about Mozart, this composer was deeply spiritual and what would happen if we could travel back through time and listen to this music conducted by Mozart and not an academic who has zero spiritual beliefs? It’s a testament to Mozart’s music that it’s healing no matter who performs or conducts it.  I have never heard a Mozart recording I haven’t found healing.

So as musicians, and even sound healers, we must humble ourselves and wipe away any lingering arrogance before recording music for others.  Certainly, no musicians should go into a studio with the intent of making money.  The money will come but from the love that they give out in the studio, not from forcing the next hit song to happen.  Back when I composed and performed music, my intent might have not always been healthy (I had discarnates attached to me), but I felt music pouring through me from another place or power.  If only I had training in sound frequencies and intent during those days.  Now, I’m backpedaling hoping to bring other musicians to awareness.  Music has its entertaining side, but that’s only a small piece of the pie.  Ancient music educated and entrained; healed and destroyed. The real secret out there isn’t about manifesting through positive thinking, the real secret is that when harnessed one way or the other, the power of sound is used daily to create and destroy.  Music and sound combined with intent can brainwash the masses for good or ill.  Hitler knew this and so did other out-of-balance leaders.  Advertisers use music and sound to manipulate the populace into purchasing their clients’ products--think of all those catchy jingles.  So music awareness is crucial to our well-being.

The secret is out too.  Pick up books and DVDs by Jonathan Goldman, Joshua Leeds, and other sound healers I have mentioned on this blog. Keep a music diary and pay attention to your sonic environment on a daily basis.  Toss out any music that does not serve your highest and best path.  Find the music that does and listen to it often.  View the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto with the water crystals exposed to words, intent and music.  Add music awareness to your other healing modalities then watch your life transform.

Choose from the list of musicians and sound healers mentioned in the article, plus the CDs that accompany Dr. Emoto's books, Gregorian chants, Anonymous 4, sacred Corsican chants, Native American flute music, Native American Church music, and other indigenous music of the world. Listen to Stevie Wonder, Mozart, Gregory Porter... Here's to your music awakening.