My Books
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Mindfulness for Musicians: A Practical Guide
Become a better musician through a mindfuness practice.
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Sound Bath Conversations: A Technical Primer
A systematic guide to developing confidence and fluency in your sound bath journeys.
Due to a glitch with Microsoft Word, Appendix C did not properly update. If you purchased your copy prior to Sept 15, 2024, please click here for the correct frequency charts. Cheers!
Never run out of material!
Develop confidence and fluency in your sound bath meditations with the first meditation method book of its kind!
Everything you need to get started with your sound bath meditation practice. With almost 2,000 exercises and meditations spanning:
technical instruction
tips for selecting mallets
music theory for sound healers
how to develop your sound
meditation tips
Each exercise is geared toward developing your proficiency, your personal meditation practice, and as inspiration for live or recorded group sessions. The best part? You don’t need to own a full armamentarium of instruments to begin. The entire book is designed to be adaptable for you using any 2 or 3 contrasting sounds of your choosing.
“Sound Bath Conversations fills a void in the sound healing world offering tangible ways to learn the language of sound. Irons shares his lifetime of experience and expertise in a clear, generous, and fun manner. Through touching gems of wisdom, clear direction, and accessible exercises, he invites sound practitioners to take time—time to play, listen, breathe, and be present with the sound of the moment. For those who want to up their game, this is their go-to text. Take the deep dive. You will not be disappointed.”
Each exercise helps the performer internalize various aspects of their playing AND serves as the framework for its own sound bath meditation. In that sense, there are nearly 2,000 meditations in this book! Anytime you need inspiration, flip to a random page and try something new. The possibilities are limitless.
This is just one example from the book. This section uses two contrasting sounds to explore different timings. In this example, the gap between invitations of sound from Instrument A get shorter and shorter, while the gap between sound from Instrument B stay the same. A & B can anything you have, provided there’s enough contrast between the two to make them sound different. In the first recording A is a rin gong and B is a wind gong. The the second recoding, I switch and A is my wind gong and B is the rin.
“As a teacher of sound healing, I recommend this book to any student, whether you are a new or long-time steward of sacred sound. With over 2,000 sound meditations, this book can stay with you for a long time. Ben provides ideas for practitioners to sit with, explore and deepen our understanding of and relationship with our instruments, to awaken the sounds within us. ”
A closer look at one way to use the exercises in this text. I'm focusing the balance between voices and my left-hand (non-dominant hand) "touch" on the singing bowl.
Please use the form below if you would like a copy of “Sound Bath Conversations” yet Amazon (Kindle Print on Demand) doesn’t seem to be available in your area. Please allow 2-3 weeks for printing and delivery.
“With his book, Sound Bath Conversations, I found that Ben brought his unique perspective to practitioners, whether experienced or new to the practice. His writings are engaging, inspiring and full of information that can enhance any practice. ”
Become a better musician through Mindfulness.
Become a better musician through Mindfulness.
Music is a competitive world. Despite vigilant preparation and practice, performers are constantly at odds with their own fear, tension, anxiety, worry, and restlessness. Mindfulness--cultivated through meditation--brings you fully into the present moment, honing skills such as focus and concentration, confidence, relaxation, compassion, and positive communication.
Like a new piece of music, Mindfulness begins in its own space, a controlled laboratory of experimentation and sculpting. As it develops, integration begins to take place: mindfulness and music converge. As all the techniques are brought together, Mindfulness begins to permeate the life of a musician: from venue to venue, embedded in every musical and interpersonal interaction. It becomes second nature and a positive cornerstone of your professional development.
A musician with no prior meditation experience will learn:
how mindfulness is commonly defined
how to recognize Ego-mind obstacles toward staying present and focused
skillful meditation posture and technique through progressive exercises
how to handle common distractions and difficult emotions
how to integrate Mindfulness into music spaces
approaches for ameliorating Music Performance Anxiety
Includes:
progressive exercises in meditation and mindfulness
supplemental visual aids
21-Day Mindfulness Challenge!
A practical guide for developing and integrating mindfulness in the practice room, studio, and concert hall.
Free Guided Meditation Audio: “Trusting the Music Within”
Adapted from Thich Nhat Hanh’s guided meditation, “Trusting the Buddha Within.” This meditation (for both instrumentalists and vocalists) focuses on releasing the Ego-mind from the music process through meditative focus on the breath and allowing the Music to flow from a place of centered peace and acceptance. Each verse is separated with a single invitation of sound from the “tingsha” (Tibetan cymbals). The tingsha act as a sonic summons to attention to keep your focus actively engaged throughout the meditation. Namaste!
