Well, I had this all typed in, went to do something else on the net and lost it, so I hope it comes out as well this time. Actually, I've been meaning to put some of this in the Music Therapy thread and never got around to it. So, this will seem kind of long, but some of you have asked for more info on my brother's stuff, too, so look below and holler at me if you'd like more info, please.

Penny, my brother has studied and written much on the Pythagorian monochord concept and applied it to his theories about preventing earthquakes through use of what we call MetaMusic(tm). He teaches classes in this and has people imagine a giant string, like on a guitar, which resonates when plucked. Along the faultlines would be centers where musicians would intone certain tones to make up one harmonious chord which would coincide with beneficial vibratory rates of the earth. He's got a lot of hard scientific research from many sources, referred to in his booklet, and was a guest speaker at the 1994 or 95 (can't rmember) International Forum for New Science in Ft. Collins, CO. He is writing an expanded book version of this now, which goes into much deeper concepts, etc.

Anyway, to everyone, what I had originally meant to mention was to remember we are not just talking about the audible tones when we play or sing or hear. There are also the sympathetic overtones which vibrate at higher frequencies. When we blend as one, I believe, these are acting as a conduit of Cosmic energy, which in turn gives us that "chill up the spine" feeling. I believe we have, at that point, subjugated our egos, for that of a higher consciousness, where we experience, even for a second, a universal love and oneness with all things.

I feel this esp. when listening to or singing/playing certain pieces of music, including some of the songs from my bro's Second symphony, Mozart, some Native American trad., several Scottish and Irish tunes; as well as others. It seems, to me, to depend more on the tune and its vibes, than the words. When it happens, I can feel a swelling in my heart which washes over me with a feeling of oneness or connectedness with all beings and ultimately what I call the Great Spirit. I can feel such joy from this, that I always cry.

Speaking of two men crying. My dad says he can remember his granddad and a friend of his, both former old West lawmen, singing together, when quite old. He said they would sing certain songs and just sob their eyes out together. One of those songs was Little Bell Brandon. (There is a thread on it).

Here's a few quotes from my bro's first booklet, "Insights of a MetaComposer"(tm) "I have always stated that music is a consciousness modifier; therefore, it is a planetary modifier,also. People who play or listen to music are modifying the environment with changes of consciousness induced by music.

"Music based on universal laws of harmony, (such as the law of octaves in the chemical elements, the septenary colours of the spectrum, etc.), has an uplifting effect on people, plants, and animals, who in turn modify the planet herself.

"The concept then, is to realize that our earthly music has infinite combinations of undertones which reflect, as a mirror, the real tones of the Cosmic state, vibrating at an inconceivably high rate.

"The Universe is a vast scale or keyboard of vibrations and each being, however small, has notes to sing, a part to play.

"Man is a dual being, spiritual-psychic and physical. An aura of high vibratory rate surrounds him and penetrates him. Certain music arouses an exhaltation and uplifting vibration in the auric and physical centers of man.

And for a bit of the more scientific from his booklet, "Earthquake Prevention Through MetaMusic": "The entire scheme of the solar system can be represented with earthly music and put on recordings to listen to! One such recording is the "Planetary Songs" of Johannes Kepler. As we all know, the planets revolve around the Sun in elipses, and vary in speed at perihelion (nearest to the Sun) and aphelion (furthest from the Sun). Kepler compared each(then known) planet's angular velocity at perihelion and aphelion and equated this ratio to a musical interval. "Sliding scales" occur within the extremes of these ratios. For example, Saturn takes 29 1/2 years to go up and down a musical major third. Kepler actually noted all the intervals each planet "intones" and expressed them in 17th century musical notation. These transcendent planetary songs have been accelerated so that humans can hear them in physical sound. One recording is "Harmony of the World", LP 1571, Yale University of Music.

"Though the earthly music is not the same vibration as the tones produced by the actual planets in the aethers, yet such music corresponds as a lower (or higher in some cases) harmonic. In a modern table of the planets' angular velocities as seen from the Sun, the tones generated by all the planets,including Pluto, is given by Dr. Joscelyn Godwin. Of 74 tones produced from the perihelion-aphelion intervals, he points out that 58 belong to the major triad CEG in the modern Western key of C! He says that a belief in Cosmic harmony is justified by this table alone!"

copyright 1987 & 1991 by Delton Lorenzo Hudson

I didn't mean to go off on a bunch of mundane stuff, but wanted to show there is some scientific basis for claiming the things that he does. There's lots more in the booklets. Thanks for listening, but it really is most important to listen to your heart and leave go the explanations, eh?

Love yawl,

katlaughing