Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons.
You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.
— Oliver Wendell Holmes
This spring Monroe Products® was asked to participate in an inaugural symposium with the expanding Sound and Music Alliance. SAMA was formed to support and promote the use of intentional sound and music throughout all aspects of life, and to develop professional ethics and codes of conduct in what is truly a diverse field. Because of this diversity, SAMA’s fundamental goal for the event was to organize the players of sounds, vibration, and music.
Held April 16-18 at the beautiful Wisdom House in Litchfield, Connecticut, the SAMA Symposium was a positive step in organizing a harmonious body of professionals who understand the therapeutic power of sound and music. The list of attendees ranged from medical doctors and engineers to musicians and storytellers, all of whom were profoundly engaged in establishing a presence and creating standards for their endeavors.
During the days of the symposium, groups were created to discuss the aspirations of the alliance, and the methods that could be used to manifest those aspirations. From neuroscience to shamanistic ritual, all were in agreement regarding a unified field of study and support. Activities at night were profound as well, as on Friday night SAMA presented its first Luminary Award to Paul Winter, the multi-Grammy award winner, who played for hours in the chapel at Wisdom House. The spiritual leader Venerable Dhyani Ywahoo received a Luminary Award Saturday evening, and captivated the audience with her drumming, chants, and ancient wisdom regarding the nature of sound.
By the end of the weekend the SAMA board of directors had completed a synthesis of the work performed by the groups and individuals: groundwork for creating a forward-thinking plan. Because of the propriety, intention, and mutual respect of this plan, Monroe Products has joined SAMA as a charter member to assist and participate in its endeavors, and encourages those who are interested to visit the SAMA website, www.soundandmusicalliance.org.
The SAMA board states “The purposeful use of music and sound aid in the medical, spiritual, emotional, mental, clinical, cultural and environmental realms to support or bring about change in body, mind, emotion, or spirit. Used culturally, clinically, educationally, in agriculture and in health and wellness, the delivery reflects a wide variety of techniques and frameworks, and shares a common goal of supporting or facilitating a wide range of needs for all life forms. Over the past 25 years there has been a growing body of research into the powerful impact of sound, music, frequency and vibration. In the last 15 years, since the advent of the MRI, neuroscientists have discovered that music lights up many parts of the brain and provides a key to understanding brain function in general.”
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