ALCHEMY OF SOUND & MUSIC

1. ALCHEMY OF SOUND & MUSIC PRESENTED BY SOUND ALCHEMIST RICHARD LEARMONT

2. About Me • If you were to tell me as a boy, that one day I would put down my saxophone and start using the power of sound to heal the heart, body and mind, I probably would have laughed in disbelief. • Here’s why: After being born and raised in the majestic tropical on the Caribbean island of Trinidad & Tobago, surrounded by luscious mountain ranges, rich, vibrant and colorful vegetation, I left with my family to immigrate in the united states. • Shortly after, my step-father started a Calypso band where we settled in Brooklyn NY, and it wasn’t long before I felt myself mesmerized by the seductive chimes of the Steel Pan. • I had always been drawn to the hypnotic rhythms Steel Pan orchestras ringing throughout the streets during Carnival on our island, and was fascinated at how these sweet melodies would bring people together, as long as I can remember. • And at the tender age of 12 years old, I was given my first instrument – the saxophone – and within one year, I was playing on stage with my step-father, as if I had been part of the band the entire time. • You should have seen the look on the audience faces, as we played for the west Indian community in which we lived. Nothing short of shock and awe, as they soon considered me as some sort of child prodigy, and word started to spread. My step father’s band suddenly blew up with popularity, and the list of gigs we played were almost endless from that day forward.

3. Then, in the blink of an eye… • Everything In My World Changed Forever • An accident. One that would break my neck, put me in a brace, and send me straight down a path of recovery. I couldn’t play the saxophone for over 9 months. I couldn’t do anything, really. All I had to do, was heal. • Little did I know, I had started an immense journey of healing that would change my life forever. • Something spoke to me. I wasn’t sure what it was at the time, but all I know was that it was exhilarating, loving, and quite the mystical experience. Soon I realized, it must have been some sort of messenger from the Divine, since what happened next brought me down a path I never would have imagined. • During my 9 plus months of healing and contemplation, it became very clear to me that music was to play a significant role in my life’s purpose. And it wasn’t just music that I had started to puruse, attending Mississippi State University on scholarship (then the Manhattan School of Music) – it was more than that. My spiritual experience revealed to me that it wasn’t just music that I was after – it was to understand the power of sound.

4. Deep down inside, I understood that… • Everything Is Energy And Has A Vibration • My journey continued, as I became a student at the Siddha Shiva Yoga mystery school led by the spiritual teacher GivanMukti Swami Ganapati. This opened up my eyes to see beyond what I had ever dreamed possible, and with such inspiration, I decided to relocate to Belgium to deepen my study at Swami Ganpati’s main yoga center, moving to Paris, France one year after.  • And of course, I kept on the path of music, even had some minor successes of publishing, recording, management contracts and event performances, I knew I had a higher calling. It was no surprise to me that my life path unfolded in ways that guided me away from the entertainment industry and into the holistic healing and spiritual communities. • I spent 10 years in Europe, and finally headed back home with an enlightened new purpose. Eventually I found myself in California, deep into the studies of Shamanism, which brought on an experience that blew me away. • It was a vision quest. And in that vision quest, I received a powerful re-activation of the experience I had during my neck accident.  But this time, the message was unmistakable. • I was here, on this planet to use my gift, my life long relationship with music to… • Heal And Raise Your Vibrations With Sound

5. It became crystal clear to me the need to use sound and music for the purpose of healing and pleasure. Along with playing kirtan and chanting music I became interested in learning the healing properties of sound, cymatics. Mystically, teachers and mentors began showing up, example; Russil Paul, Wayne Perry, Jill Purce, Hans Jenny... • This was my path, as it continues forward, and in a nutshell, this is who I am.

6. INTRO First of all, I assume that we all can agree that life in today’s world is extremely stressful due to enormous pressure and demands to survive in a healthy, balanced manner while serving and providing for our families. Our attention is constantly being sorted after from the moment we wake up each morning for many reasons, the need to work, look after the children, fear of one thing or another, worries about money, taxes, rent, child support, alimony, etc.

7. The intention of this presentation is to remind you through intellectual understanding and actual experience of basic universal laws and concepts that are always present for us to utilize in order to release ourselves from the energetic grip of the pressures of experiences in life and thus embrace the ride.

8. Through my Healing Art practice called R E S T ( Restorative Entrainment Sound Treatment) I have developed superior methods in practice of channeling Synergetic Forces of healing energies and transmitting them through instrumental percussions and other musical forms. I use Sound-Light and Rhythm for transmitting Healing Energy and Power, with over 10 years of experience, study and research in techniques and protocols for eliminating negative habits and the energy of the conditionings that holds those habits in place

9. Balance It is my understanding and belief through certain experiences, that being balanced in the left and right polarities of our being, the masculine and feminine aspects within ourselves and outside ourselves, can lead us to a life of joy, peace and fulfillment. During my research on Sound Alchemy, I was introduced to universal tunings and discovered a network of musicians and engineers who are dedicated to educating the world about the importance of returning to A=432 Hz tuning or C=256 Hz. I have gathered information from a number of authors that I felt resonance with after studying their work. I am not the creator of this information nor were those from whom I gathered the information, rather, we are all gathering ancient information to share for the evolution of creation.

10. Universal Tuning 440 -432hz http://www.omega432.com/music.html The Schiller Institute campaign for a change in concert pitch from A=440Hz back to A=432 Hz is based on the mathematically proven concept that 432Hz is deeply connected with nature and that the vocal chords of singers will not be damaged at 432Hz. The recent rediscoveries of the vibratory nature of the universe indicates that current contemporary A440Hz international concert pitch tuning generates an unhealthy effect in the consciousness of human beings. A natural measured phenomenon that supports the idea of 432Hz intertwined in organic basis is the movement of the Sun and Saturn. Saturn is the solar systems accurate time piece and it orbits the precession every 864 years 
(432 x 2).

11. Universal Tuning Most music worldwide has been tuned to 440 hertz since the International Standards Organization (ISO) endorsed it in 1953, following the prior recommendations of the Nazi party spoksman, Joseph Goebbels in 1939. 440hz was pushed by J. C. Deagan, A US NAVY man and disciple of the acoustics physicist Hermann Helmholtz, who published "the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music" (1862). In 1910 J. C. Deagan persuaded the American Federation of Musicians, at its annual convention, to adopt A=440 as the standard universal pitch for orchestras and bands. Deagan was well connected in many elite society circles and was a charter member of the American Federation of Musicians, a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Physical Society, American Acoustical Society and a member of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific He was deeply interested in astronomy, geology, chemistry, and all branches of physics, particularly the theories of light and sound and he was considered an authority on pitch and acoustics Deagan designed the 440hz Wartime chime that was used for propaganda news reels in world war two and it is still used everyday as the call sign of the NBC chimes. Despite the petitions of over twenty thousand musicians in France, The ISO codified the concert pitch globally by 1955.

12. Esoteric Understanding • The Alchemy of Sound & Light is based on the three principles of the Universe’s creative power. • In classical Indian philosophy there are three major guṇas(principles) which serve as the fundamental operating laws of universal nature which are called: sattvaguṇa, rajasguṇa and tamasguṇa. The three primary gunas are generally accepted to be associated with creation (sattva), preservation (rajas), and destruction (tamas). • The western equivalence are neutral (sattva), positive (rajas) and negative (tamas). • Note that positive and negative are viewed here as opposites or polarities and not as good, bad, right or wrong.

13. Summary or 440 Hz – 432 Hz I believe that the more people become consciously aware of the power of sound, the more power they will be able to cultivate for healing themselves and effectively contribute to the greater good of humanity and evolution.

14. Esoteric Understanding Ancient Wisdom Ancient Hindu philosophy and Spiritual teachings explain that the Universe is the evolution of the creative force of God. In the evolutionary perspective, energy radiates outward from Source creating a field of force, when it reaches the limit of the force of the energy field, it returns to the Source. The ancients have recognized all phenomena as manifestations of the vibrations of Sacred Sound.

15. Esoteric Understanding What is Energy? Energy is the animating force in nature, the source of life, growth and healing. It is an incredible mystery and it is everywhere. It cannot be created nor destroyed and no one knows where it comes from. All the energy on all levels of creation is said to move through an evolutionary cycle which we call polarity. It is a cycle in which Consciousness moves from Source, out into experiencing the field, and returning to the Source. This cycle moves from a Neutral Source to a Positive Field, then through a Negative Phase, returning to the Source.

16. Modern Science Wave phenomena Modern Physics shows that the entire perceivable universe is made of vibrations. Gravity, electromagnetism, light, heat and even matter itself are wave phenomena.

17. Modern Science • Waves are moving patterns in time of amplitude, interval and frequency. • Wave and form are created from pulse.

18. Modern Science Quantum Physics Every cell in our body is composed of atoms, which are composed of sub-atomic particles. When these sub-atomic particles are broken down further, they reach a point where they are no longer objects at all. They dissolve into quanta, vibrations or waveforms of compressed energy.

19. Energy Energy is always moving. All of life is a pulsation and oscillation resonating in attunement with the universal forces of nature and the cosmos. All energy moves out from Source through an involutionary phase then returns through the evolutionary phase back to Source.

20. Esoteric Understandings… more on Energy An example of the involutionary cycle is a person’s passion for life, experience, expression, creativity etc. Attention is focused outward to the world through one’s identity and ego. It is associated with the Five Passions: pride, greed, anger, lust and attachment. The source of life and action is acknowledged in gratitude. The Five Passions are transformed into the Five Virtues: detachment, continence ( self restraint), forgiveness, contentment, and humility.

21. The Three Forces Energy consist of three forces. As a rope is woven of three strands, all vibration is the spiraling movement of the three forces, Centrifugal (ascending), Centripetal (descending) around a stable core (center). Therefore, all vibration is the spiraling balance of three forces. The neutral principal is the force of equilibrium in nature. Caduceus

22. The Five Elements The Ancients understood the five archetypal forces of the world, Ether (space), Air, Fire, Water and Earth. All vibration in creation is sustained by its attunement with these universal forces. All energy in nature radiates outward from the center, stepping down from spirit to matter in attunement to these five harmonics of resonance called Elements.

23. What is Alchemy? Alchemy is an art and a science. It is a natural process. It is turning something from a dense state to a transformed purified state. Purification, Transformation, Raising Vibrations, Intentional Acceleration of Evolution, Expanding Consciousness. Benefits It is all about wholeness. Blending the artistic and the scientific state of mind. It is about allowing us to turn our personal lead into gold.

24. What is Sound? Science Sound is pressure waves or vibrations of energy that move molecules of matter.

25. What is Sound? Esoteric Understanding Sound is audible light, and the carrier of information. Sound (& Music) is the bridge that helps us to achieve a state of transcendence. Our ear is the gateway to transcendence and sound is the bridge that helps us get there by balancing the left and right hemisphere of the brain.

26. Alchemy of Sound Ancient Alchemist observed nature and tried to harness natural rhythms & cycles to understand what the vibrations of the universe were so that they could align with, and also harness these energies to capture the subtle life force energies into their experiments.

27. Ancient Alchemist Alchemist would infuse the life force energies into their experiments whether their experiments were on themselves, doing internal alchemy with consciousness or whether the alchemy was with the outer world with some elixir or herbal remedy. It was through nature the alchemist learned to align themselves with these universal rhythms & vibration to create a greater state of harmony that enhances life rather than going into pure scientific, pure mechanistic way of doing things, where science today has gone too mechanistic and has forgotten to be aligned with nature.

28. What is Sound Healing Sound is the original mystical experience of creation. As the Bible states; “ In the beginning was the word and the word was God.” Sound is the bridge between energy and material manifestation, or spirit and matter. Therefore, Sound Healing is an ancient method in which resonating sound frequencies are directed towards someone or something with the intention of creating transformation.

29. What is Toning? Toning Sounds Toning is a process in which we create non-verbal sounds with our voice to assist in harmonizing and healing the body. For example, when we groan, hum, grunt or sigh to release stress we are in fact toning without knowing it. The cry of an infant is a form of toning. Their non-verbal vibratory soundings are capable of expressing distress, love, happiness, and anger without words. Toning is an ancient method of healing which has existed for ages within many cultures throughout the world. Alchemists, Mystics, Shamans, Medicine men and primitive healers have used vocal sounds to evoke spiritual and emotional cleansing in restoring health to the physical body.

30. Sound Healing The Human Voice The voice is the only instrument that has the ability to create and manipulate sounds through the use of its unique mechanism to speak, shout, whisper, cry, laugh, moan, tone, hum and sing all with natural ease. The use of the voice through spoken or sung word is the most powerful vibratory manifestor to create and perpetuate the reality that they desire. Native people understood the power of using the voice. Also, this is one reason why television and radio is more powerful that newspaper

31. Vibrational Alchemy Scientific Background The vibration of thoughts and feelings are not mere theory. In the 1980’s neuroscientist Candace Pert, Ph.D discovered that specific brain chemicals called neuropeptides or “molecules of emotions” as she called them- act as couriers between the mind and the immune system. Dr. Pert also discovered endorphins, determined that thoughts produce molecules in the brain as well as throughout the body, which means the immune system is directly affected by thoughts. Pert’s work shows that our gut feelings and intuition are biological realities, not just random reactions or illusions.

32. What is Cymatics? Cymatics is the study of wave phenomena and the effects of sound on matter. It was discovered by Dr. Hans Jenny, a Swiss scientist, doctor and researcher who left a major contribution to our civilization through his painstaking experimentation, acute observation and ability to articulate a conceptual basis which may prove fundamental throughout the broad reach of scientific endeavor. I personally would like to express my gratitude to Dr. Jenny for the incredible contribution his work has made to the emerging fields of “ Sound Healing” and “Energy Medicine.”

33. Cymatics Cymatics shows how vibrations interact to create the world we experience 'out there' and it reveals principles that are fundamental natural processes. Understanding these principles can help us to 'cleanse the lens' through which we perceive our world, thereby clarifying our outlook on life. Once you've objectively observed the rhythmic interplay of chaos and re-integration in simple powder, you may view your own tumultuous circumstances a bit more objectively (and with far less apprehension!) as a purposefully evolving process leading toward greater personal coherency and equanimity.

34. Outline Esoteric Understandings and Universal Laws 432Hz - 440Hz What is Energy? The Three Forces What is Sound? What is Alchemy? The Whole Brain Cymatics What is Sound Healing? What is Toning? Sound Health