MINDFULNESS IN SOUND: Tune In To The World Around Us

Concert pianist, composer, recording artist and writer, Mark Tanner has performed both on land and the high seas for more than 30 years and taught music to all ages and abilities. He embraces mindfulness in his creative life and teaching, and now in his special book he encourages sound as meditation. Sound unites us all, yet it is only real for those with ears to hear it. Like light, sound has limitless frequencies, and with it an inexhaustible capacity for stirring our emotions. We all have a favourite tune, drift back in time to memorable songs and a distinctive timbre can seep into our subconscious when we least expect it. Buddhists use bells to help them meditate, to draw deeper to their spirituality. A flowing sound helps us harness our breathing, slowing down our private world. We often say that something 'resonates with us', 'strikes a chord' or 'rings a bell', when what we really mean is that we sense a connection beyond what may be visible or audible to others. Chapters include Deep Listening, The Sound of Speech and Soundscapes including hearing the sea, birdsong, animal noises and finding out about psychoacoustics and experiments with biomusic which began in the 1920s and interest continues to grow. 144pp.