The Whole Music Experience

I still feel disappointed that no book publishers are publishing self-help books on music. They're no longer publishing books that tout music awareness either.  So I started a Go Fund Me campaign (the link is at the bottom) to continue my music research. And create a new avenue of getting this music consciousness information out to the world during a crucial shift on the planet. In the meantime, here is an excerpt from my book Whole Music (Soul Food for the Mind Body Spirit). I'll also be giving lectures and teaching workshops on music consciousness. If you feel that this work is important, even a five dollar donation helps. Raising Music Consciousness with Soul Music American soul music raised the social consciousness of African-Americans from giving African slaves a musical outlet in the early days, to liberation, and work songs after emancipation, to fueling the Civil Rights Movement, and then later, empowering people of color along with the “black is...

found on Wikipedia When I first started researching the healing power of music I thought that only certain genres radiated healing vibrations. I thought this even though evidence came in the form of new age music that left me feeling cold, and rock or pop music that lifted my spirits or raised my energy level so that I could accomplish a task. Yet, there was another ingredient that came along that intrigued me--intent. It's similar to the person who acts like a saint out in the community but hasn't dealt with their shadows. They wear the right labels, do the right deeds, and hand out hugs like candy to children. But you some times have to wonder about the real intent behind their deeds--is it to collect more kudos, earn recognition with some community honor or award, or are they giving from their heart? Let's think about how this relates to music because musical genres really are arbitrary--and I tell you this after interviewing hundreds of musical artists and revie...

Wikipedia Soulful lions Often we feel empty and we look to food to satisfy our craving or we escape into another type of addiction. Sometimes we feel disconnected from the life around us or we lose our connection to our Divine Source, whatever name you want to call it.  During those times, I recommend indulging in soul music, a term that came about in the 1960s or 1970s that categorized songs of African-American musicians. Roots for soul music vary going all the way back to the Mandinka and other ancient African kingdoms or most recently to the African-American Church or "Black Church" while finding inspiration from African-American spirituals, blues, jazz, and gospel (not be confused with spirituals).  Some of the favorite artists to come from the genre include Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Earth Wind and Fire, the Commodors, Bill Withers... The songs reached deep into our souls allowing us to feel an array of emoti...

Gregory Porter Be Good Motema Ever so often a musician blazes their way into my life--Gregory Porter is one such musician.  Last year I reviewed his sizzling debut Water .  Like other journalists, I leaped onto the Marvin Gaye comparison bandwagon. Oh, yes, there’s much to compare between the two musicians such as powerful voices that move mountains, a storytelling gift, and delightful music arrangements.  On the sophomore CD, Be Good ,Gregory roots himself deep with the African-American culture of NYC and currently resides in Brooklyn.  Listen to the rousing third track, On My Way To Harlem in Porter gives homage to Duke Ellington, Marvin Gaye and the author Langston Hughes. He croons, more or less, roars, “You can’t keep me away from where I was born.  I was baptized by my daddy’s horn.” Porter sings from a vibrant palette and his songs range from the tender, yet ironic title track in which he waxes metaphors about lions and cages, to the sw...

Soul Music, Comfort Music and Junk Music When I was hanging out at my local food co-op recently I made the comment that Putumayo compilations are music’s equivalent of “comfort food.” I listen to those compilations when I need comfort, warmth or need to lift myself out of a funk. So I started thinking about soul music and junk music too. I’m not talking Stevie Wonder or Earth Wind and Fire when I say “soul music,” but of course, you could include those artists if you choose. Soul music massages the spirit. You could include actual music from various sacred traditions, but even The Beatles fit into soul music, depending on the song. George Harrison wrote a lot of “soul music” and so did Paul McCartney after all, sometimes a popular love song opens the heart chakra allowing a sacred feeling to entrench itself. Comfort music almost defies description. It can hail from a variety of traditions, countries and it’s not set to any specific rhythm or tempo. Depending on the circums...