Jesse is deeply interested in the profoundly therapeutic effects of sound and music. This began in 2008 when she read The Power of Sound by Joshua Leeds, a music producer, researcher, and educator who specializes in psychoacoustics and bioacoustics. Her life was forever changed when she decided to immerse herself fully in the world of healing sound, therapeutic music, and psychoacoustics. She graduated in the 2014 class of the Sound and Music Institute under the guidance of Dr. Wendy Young (Princeton University), and several other incredible teachers including Dr. John Beaulieu, ND, PhD (Biosonics), Dr. Pat Moffitt Cook (Open Ear Center), PhD, Sylvia Nakkach (Vox Mundi), and Dr. Louise Montello (Performance Wellness). Jesse’s particular focus was psychoacoustics, therapeutic instruments, and the role of music and sound in grief and loss. She continued with the late Louise Montello to study Performance Wellness, an incredibly thorough practice specifically designed to use exercises to navigate the inner critic in order to assist with performance anxiety of any kind. Using a wide array of resonating instruments and intentionally chosen music and sound, or simply the breath and voice, she enjoys working with individuals, as well as leading small workshops and groups. She also applies the knowledge from these years of training and experience to all of her music whether it is in a setting of performing onstage, recording on her own, or working in collaboration with other musicians and producers.
the power of music and sound
Contrary to what is believed in the mainstream consciousness, sound and music have been used for thousands of years in healing. Sound as a therapeutic modality has had various resurgences of popularity through the years and has developed further with new research and findings, but the reality is that vibrational medicine is ancient and universal. Energy is experienced though hearing as sound. It is part of the formless realm and cannot be seen, but deeply felt. It can be experienced. In that way, it can be part of the physical realm through the effect on the listener (psychoacoustics). Sound waves move in the air to change the vibration of the space with the ability to alter the entire room and anyone in it. Sound and music work on the body and mind, enhancing different brain waves, altering mood, emotional patterns, and state of consciousness. Sound waves promote the movement of energy, stir things up inside of us, tap into parts of us we hadn’t otherwise been aware of, retune us, and help us to work through and remove impediments. Intentional sound can be immediately effective, as a certain frequency can bypass the story and chitter chatter of our minds, and go directly to where it needs to go, mirroring back to us our own state of being. Depending on the intention of the sound or music itself, and the openness of the listener, the effects can be deeply felt.
There is a great deal of scientific evidence to support the effects of music and sound on our brains, bodies, and emotions, but the easiest way to begin to understand is by thinking about our own experiences with sound and music. So many different forms of sound and music have been in our lives since before we can remember, and they have all effected us very differently. For example, if one is feeling overwhelmed or stressed, sometimes slow, flowing music, or the sound of the ocean or rain can have a calming effect, increasing depth of respiration and slowing heart rate. If you play a lighthearted song on a stereo or infuse joy into a song being played on a piano, you can completely alter the atmosphere in a space. It may be unspoken, but looking into the eyes of everyone in the room, the feeling is shared. A song with higher frequencies and a fast tempo can energize us quickly, making us want to move, upping the tempo of our heart rate and motivating us to action. Standing at the ocean, listening to the waves moving slowly in and out from the shore, we can find our minds quieting down as we take a deep breath in, falling into homeostasis, feeling almost immediately relaxed and at peace. Depending on our state of being, we seek out and respond to different sounds and styles of music. None of this is a random coincidence.
With knowledge comes responsibility, and music and sound instilled with beautiful and positive intention is a key element in helping us to find harmony and comfort in our daily lives.
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References, links, suggestions:
International Sound Therapy Association(ISTA)
Joshua Leeds - Psychoacoustics
Pat Moffitt Cook - The Open Ear Center
Books:
The Power of Sound by Joshua Leeds
The Music of Life by Hazrat Inayat Kahn
The Mysticism of Music, Sound, and Word by Hazrat Iayat Kahn
Music and Sound in the Healing Arts by John Beaulieu
Toning by Laura Elizabeth Keyes and Don Campbell
Cymatics by Hans Jenny
The Healing Power of Sound by Mitchell Gaynor
Essential Music Intelligence by Louise Montello
Healing at the Speed of Sound by Don Campbell
Free Your Voice by Sylvia Nakkach
Human Tuning by John Beaulieu
Healing Imagery and Music by Carol Bush
