Everything Old is New Again

     Or at least some things are. I recently unearthed a clipping of one of my first newspaper interviews, way back in 1975. Long before it was fashionable or cool to do so, I suggested that the situation of unhealthful consequences of sound pollution and airborne assault is analogous to the health dangers of second-hand smoke, another form of airborne assault. Although the damages may not be as obvious, long term studies are finally proving that they add insult to injury.

     So what can you do about it? Several options are easily doable. First, if it’s likely that the noise level will be beyond your limits, don’t go there. For instance, indoor football, baseball or basketball stadiums are well known sites of high decibel noise production.

     Same, too, for discos and many restaurants. (I predicted in my first book, Tuning the Human Instrument, 1977) that restaurant reviews would some day include noise level ratings. I am gratified to see more and more do indeed mention that “noise is on the menu,” so dine accordingly.

     If you find yourself in a situation that starts at a reasonable volume and then gets increasingly louder, leave. If you even think it’s getting louder, it is. However, because of “ear fatigue,” it’s natural to be less aware that the volume is changing.

     Many of you promised to speak up and let the management know why you’re leaving. Many vowed to ask for their money back, rather than just leaving feeling ripped off.

     Just as a journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step, so does our social movement to raise our collective consciousness about sound.

A Note to New Mothers—and Parents of Children of Any Age

     If you take your young ones to a loud restaurant or concert, audiologists report that they are even more vulnerable to damage to their highly sensitive nervous systems. Toys, too, can produce dangerous sound levels. It’s more important than ever to be aware of the audio environment.

Picking Your Favorite Song

     Was it a potato chip ad that challenged viewers, “Betcha can’t eat just one?” Apparently there was some confusion in my invitation to choose your favorite individual songs of mine. I didn’t intend to limit you to only one song. So if you already responded, thank you, and if you’d like to add to your response, please feel free. I am really enjoying your feedback.

     For instance, one individual chose one keynote from Chakra Suite. Since each selection was fairly similar, in tone and performance, perhaps that song was in the right “personal keynote” for that individual. In that case, it was an organic choice, rather than merely a musical preference. Indeed, I’ve often found that to be the case when we work with these factors in workshops.

     Another aspect of the responses was the number of favorite tunes from my original (pre-1985) albums, many of which are no longer available. It’s great to know that you’ve been listening for decades! Thank you for being so tuned in. Some of these songs may see the light of day again, at least in the digital download world. Unfortunately, some of the master tapes were hurt in a fire at the studio vault where they were archived, and there isn’t an effective way to resurrect them.

     But there are some surprises coming later this year, including a very special fortieth anniversary recording of a legendary jazz-rock band that was once heralded as the next Chicago or Blood, Sweat and Tears. If you lived in Buffalo 1968–69, this will be a special treat. Name the band, and you’ll get a free CD.

No Notes, Subliminal Audio and the Power of Intention

     Speaking with a research associate the other day, I recalled one of the more seemingly implausible experiments that we conducted in 1972—even though in didn’t involve music. It did involve intention, however, and in light of recent studies and bestselling books, our findings were not implausible at all.

     Basically, what we did was to record three five minute recordings of the ocean. In the first sample, we kept our minds blank. During the second recording, we focused on thoughts of love. During the third recording, we focused on thoughts of fear and anger.

     As you might expect, all you would hear on the tape was the sound of the ocean. We then played these samples for the free “human guinea pigs” that grad students had access to, namely, their college undergraduate students.

     The only instructions they were given is that they were to observe their feelings as we played three recordings of the ocean. Sure enough, a majority of students were able to perceive the intention that was encoded into the recording, even though they didn’t know what we had done.

     General comments were summarized as, “I didn’t feel anything unusual listening to the first selection.” “The second sample made me feel warm and comfortable.” “This is really weird—the third sample made me angry. It didn’t feel good.”

     Granted, this was not a rigidly controlled double-blind experiment, but it was enough to open the door to many other fascinating explorations into the subtle dimensions of recordings, which I have included in all of my recordings since that time.

Mindful Driving™

     This factor was very much in my mind as I recently recorded my first new subliminal audio program in several years. In response to many requests, I began working on an updated version of my 1982 release which was focused on assisting drivers in being more alert yet relaxed while driving. This new project, Mindful Driving, includes positive affirmations that are intended to create safer drivers, reduce road rage, and make your overall driving experience safer and more enjoyable.

     For so many of us, driving in congested rush hour traffic is a major stress. Many of us listen to talk radio or our own choice of music to pass the time. But wouldn’t it be great to have an audio resource that could actively support you in maintaining a calm state of being? Listening to even one song could effect a significant reduction in stress.

     There’s nothing like it on the market. Until now—or rather, until a short time from now. Stay tuned to an updated announcement on my website and in this newsletter. I bet some of you might be interested in being part of the beta testing phase. Drop me a line at AskDrSound@innerpeacemusic.com if you are.

     The soundtrack is primarily chosen from my more rhythmic albums, and of course, there are several fully relaxing songs, to be used as needed.

Music is a Carrier Wave of Consciousness

    When I first wrote about this in my earliest articles and books, it was a foreign concept to most audiences. I’m delighted that it’s finally moving into the mainstream.

     In scientific terms, we’ve learned that the emotional state of a musician is encoded into the music that he/she composes or performs. That’s why the vibe you pick up from an uptight musician, or a composer who is in the final stages of dying, can be even more important than the notes. And that’s one of the reasons listening to different versions of the same composition by Mozart or Beethoven, for instance, can have such dramatically different effects on you.

     And this is also one way of evaluating whether the author of a book or article knows what they’re talking about. If they just recommend “Music by Mozart,” any Baroque music, without specifying which performance by which artist, it’s a fairly useless recommendation. In fact, a little information can often be a dangerous thing. I’ll speak more about that in the near future.

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Steven Halpern is an award-winning composer, producer and recording artist whose music helps listeners “get into the gap”—the space between the notes, and space of infinite possibilities. His latest releases, Peace of Mind, Drum Spirit, and In the Om Zone, provide three different modes of accessing that state.

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