This is the time of year when people do more singing than any other, whether it be Christmas carols or more universal songs of peace. Singing with others naturally brings you into closer alignment, if only because of the natural synchronization of our breathing.

As two or more of us breathe together, we become rhythmically entrained. This makes it easier for others to entrain to the “group breath.” It is one of the most powerful and ancient psycho-spiritual technologies known to man ... and woman.

On this level, it doesn't even matter if you sing in tune, or if you know all the words. Many of us got turned off to singing as youngsters. Perhaps you, too, were “wounded” by a grade school music teacher who told you to “Move your lips without making a sound.”

Singing in the Rain … or the Shower

Now might be a good time to begin “warming up” for those social singing encounters. Many people, however, feel embarrassed or shy when singing around others. So let me recommend that you take advantage of alone time, in your car, walking in a gentle rain outdoors ... and of course, in the shower. These environments provide a natural white noise ambience that encourages you to open up.

Not only that: the hard reflective surfaces of the bathroom tile amplifies the volume of your voice. This provides positive feedback, which encourages you to sing more ... which in turn results in more ease in producing tones. You don't need words. You can warm up and just hang out with the pure vowel sounds. This is called “toning,” and is one of the subgenres of the overall field of sound healing.

Elongated vowel tones have been used for thousands of years in religious ceremonies around the world. That's why Gregorian chant sounds, and works, as it does. It's why Deva Premal, Krishna Das, Lama Surya Das and others are the most visible proponents of the age-old chant and mantra tradition from India and Tibet. In fact, there was a recent article in Time magazine highlighting the current chant trend, fueled by the popularity of yoga around the country.

Chants didn't come about by chance. The sacred seed syllables are based on science and many years of observation and experience. But you can begin simply with the vowels. It's good to be on good terms with all the vowels: a,e,i,o,u. And as we say in the business, “if you haven't had a good vowel movement lately, this is the time to begin!”

Notes on Finding and Creating Sound Environments that Encourage You to Sing

One of my earliest “ah-ha!” moments in music making occurred the first time I experienced my voice in a room that had a natural reverberation and echo chamber. My voice sounded much warmer and fuller than usual. I began doing some vowel toning, and was amazed at how easily the sound emerged from my body. It was effortless!

I went to a different location; my voice sounded regular. I went back to the “good sound room,” and I was in the zone again. Instantly. Ever since then, I'm always on the lookout for great-sounding spaces. When I find one, I immediately began chanting or toning (unless there are a lot of other people present).

Here are some of my favorite examples. Disclaimer: I have found that only a small percentage of each category actually have the “magic.” You'll need to test each one for yourself:

Bathrooms and shower stalls
Concrete stairwells in big hotels
Stone cathedrals
The Taj Mahal
The Great Pyramid (but not the others)
Enclosed concrete parking garages
Public bathrooms in auditoriums or big concert halls
And of course, concert halls and auditoriums themselves

The problem is getting access to these public performance halls when no one else is around. One of my fondest memories is walking out on stage in my high school auditorium, in the dark. I began to tone quietly, and felt like I was in a giant cathedral. I began playing my trumpet, and had what I later learned was a deja-vu experience, catalyzed by the echo and reverb in the dark.

Just as I was about to go deeper, the janitor turned on the lights and ordered me to leave.

If you get real motivated by the difference you can hear and feel when you sing in an acoustically-supportive environment, you may actually want to invest in a microphone, small amp and reverb unit so that you could self-medicate with full-dimensional sound any time you want. Until then, there's always the bathroom and shower.

Healing Hip-Hop, Rhythm and Rhyming

Research has documented that we are hardwired to respond to rhythms. Part of the attraction to and popularity of rap and hip-hop is based on this fact.

I'd like to suggest that you consider speaking your written affirmations over a variety of different rhythms, and notice how that works for you. As an example, listen to how Dr. Madeleine Singer works with the spaces in the beat on several songs on Coping Skills for Caregivers. If you don't have a copy handy, there's a free sample on my website. Interestingly, she chose one of the tracks from my album Cruise Control, and it works fabulously.

Working with a more ambient, non-rhythmical musical background can also be an effective complement to the words. In my opinion, the key is to find music that holds the energetic space and keeps you in the zone, without getting so distracting that it takes your focus away from the words.

For extra credit, consider recording your voice speaking over the music. Even using a small tape recorder can prove surprisingly effective and beneficial. I'd love to hear your experiences when you check into any of these suggestions. In future installments, I'll give you some other pointers if you'd like to experiment with your own homegrown subliminal recordings.

Until next time, stay tuned!

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Steven Halpern is an internationally-acclaimed recording artist and sound healer. His most recent releases are Crystal Bowl Healing, and Ocean Suite. To hear samples, and for more information on his recordings, visit www.stevenhalpern.com, or call 800/909-0707 for a free catalog.

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