BACKGROUND:
I went to a sound healing seminar for psychotherapists last week. The teacher played sound bowls while we closed our eyes. I sensed higher sounds up in my head and lower sounds in my belly. I learned that we hear not just with our ears but that our whole body vibrates and registers the frequency of the sound. This must be why we can be transported emotionally by different types of music. At the Opera, I have felt music of every color – sad, romantic, blissful, lofty, soft, angry, hard, sweet and scary.
The therapist leading the seminar made the connection with being in “tune” with a client. She asked us therapists in the room how we respond after we have worked with a client and that client arrives at an important insight. There was a pause and then all the therapists made a sound “MMMM”, which filled the room. She explained that in that moment we resonate to the strong positive vibration of the client.
PROBLEM:
I am just beginning to learn ukulele. This is my first foray into playing a musical instrument in my life. While practicing, if I hit the wrong note on a familiar simple tune like “Ode to Joy”, it rattles not just my ears but my whole body.
Now that I am learning about sound resonance, I understand why my husband and daughter cringe when I sing. They have perfect pitch and I do not. These family cringe faces will not keep me from singing, don’t get me wrong! I sing in Saturday morning ukulele group at the music studio. Everyone is busy cheerfully playing, or trying, and most of us are singing along to the tune on the screen. Maybe I cannot hear my own voice inside my head very well, but when I twang the wrong uke note, my body resonates with the discordant sound and I scrunch my face like I smelled something rotten.
SOLUTION:
Practice is the solution. Practice may not make perfect, at least in my case, but I will improve. I just want to get good enough playing the ukulele to keep the beat and play the right notes and chords. I want to look up and see people listen to me play a song, tap their foot to the tune, smile and someday, maybe someday, even hear a resonant “mmmmm” from at least one listener.