| Music Channelling is the
spontaneous creation of original music by inspiration. We sit down with
the instruments, we listen, we play, the music unfolds. For some seven
years I have been conducting groups exploring and developing this
concept, as well as applying it to my private teaching practice. I
would like to report on some of our results, and to provide some
guidance in this realm of auditory creation. I will also outline a
theory of channelling as it applies to music and the intuitive arts in
general. In my choice of a potentially controversial term like Music Channelling, I wish to draw attention to the fact that the creative process often appears to be an act of discovery rather than one of invention. It appears as if the music is already there, and some people are hearing it, and playing it. The experience is familiar to improvising musicians. In a state of inspiration there is a sense of conviction about what is to be played, comparable to the reading of a score. Composers have made similar claims. Mozart stated that melodies came to him fully crafted, and his original draft scores support this view. He wrote as if from dictation, without hesitation or revision. Stravinsky concerning his Rite Of Spring said, ‘I heard and I wrote’. A variety of explanations for this phenomenon have been offered. Some of these will be considered later. In this essay however I am primarily concerned with the cultivation of this experience, its application to collective music-making, and as a new way of learning and teaching music. I will argue that, while inspiration can not be forced, we can cultivate ourselves as a channel for its influence. In addition some efforts are made to link this work with trends in contemporary thought, in particular the emerging holistic paradigm in the natural sciences. Music is made possible by our ability to listen – to hear, recognise and distinguish sounds, and to find beauty and meaning in sounds. Musical ability is essentially the ability to appreciate music - to hear musically. Listening to a wide variety of music, and extending our listening horizons is the foundation of a broad musical education. Mature musical taste is characterised by the ability to appreciate and enjoy music of many different styles. There is good music and great music (as well as bad) in every major musical style. On this point I do believe that objective value criteria exist. It is not all subjective. Nature in its healthy state affords an appropriate and universal canon of beauty and meaning. It is however important to examine one’s personal responses to different kinds of music, with their associated thoughts, emotions and sensations. In so doing we become more conscious of our auditory environment and its relationship to the quality of life in general. As a musician one must listen analytically as well as intuitively - with the mind and the heart. Developing a sensitivity to sound we begin to interact consciously and creatively with musical energies, whether it be in the choice of recordings, or in the playing of our instrument. Every kind of music is associated with a particular state of consciousness - the mindset from which the music emanates, and which is communicated to the receptive listener. Based on this affinity of mind and music it is possible to furnish a kind of musical map of the cosmos. According to this scheme I propose to class world music under five major cultural paradigms, representing the essential worldview giving rise to each respective type of music. These are: the Shamanic
the Magical the Mystical the Rational the Integral These comprise the five main continents of musical consciousness, each consisting of a vast sphere with many local variants, as well as areas of confluence and integration in musical style. For the musical explorer and the exploring musician it is very helpful to have some familiarity, based on sympathetic resonance, with these respective musical worlds. I will provide a brief resume of each to aid in this quest. Shamanic music is the music of the dreamtime and cognate belief-systems pertaining to traditional hunter-gatherer societies around the world. The function of shamanic music is to announce the tribal presence to the natural environment, including the spirit realm, to provide a vehicle of group identity, and to form links of communication with such potencies as may be conducive to the welfare of the tribe. The shaman is both scientist and priest, representing a technology of consciousness – a way of relating to both the physical and metaphysical worlds. Shamanic music is characterised by its trance-inducing qualities, enabling the practitioner to enter states of altered and heightened awareness, so as to receive messages from totemic entities, or otherwise to divine information pertaining to physical, etheric or astral realms. In terms of sound, shamanic music often imitates the elemental sounds of nature, and is often concerned with the physical properties of sound, such as the natural overtones, as well as difference and summation tones. Shamanic music introduces the musical elements of rhythm and timbre. The music of the magical consciousness is well represented by the ritual music of Tibetan Buddhism, as by the court music of the ancient Far East, and as far as we know, by the sacred music of the ancient city-states of Egypt and Sumer. Although this music includes Shamanic elements, the main difference is that abstract and symbolic meanings are associated with specific sounds, and successive stages in the music serve to mark the consecutive stages in the performance of ritual. The music is also more complex in content, often combining the sounds of a small orchestra. Organisation is obviously required, wherefore magical music introduces the element of form. The concept of mantra, of ritualised prayer, of conjurations and incantations likewise pertains to the music of the magical consciousness. One may add that these forms of music so far discussed usually sound quite strange to the modern listener. This is because beauty of sound is usually not a consideration in these types of music, the emphasis being purely on their utilitarian aspects. However, it is precisely for this reason that this alien musical psychology represents a fascinating territory to the modern musician. The classical music of India, raga and tala, is perhaps the best example of music pertaining to the mystical sphere of consciousness. The focus here is on the lyrical exaltation of the mind through the profound contemplation of beauty. While shamanic music introduces rhythm and timbre, and magical music introduces form and structure, the music of the mystical consciousness introduces the use of scales and modes. Along with the necessary tuning systems complex mathematical models of the cosmos come into being. Allied also is the development of instrumental virtuosity, and the art of melodic (and rhythmic) improvisation. Although formally established upon physical laws, as embodied in the harmonic series of the monochord, Indian music is also susceptible to analysis in terms of human psychology. In contrast to the elemental sounds of magic and shamanism, the ragas of India are expressive of emotional nuances such as love, devotion, happiness, sorrow, or mystery. Elements of ritual are maintained in that specific ragas are usually performed at a particular time of the day or night, with which they are traditionally associated. Also closely related to virtuosic improvisation is the art and science of meditation. Accordingly the Hindus with their usual rigour have designated a specific path of union through music and sound - nada yoga. We come then to the music of what we may term the rational era, characterised by Protestant Christianity and the rise of modern science. This development dates from the European renaissance, and its music is distinguished by the introduction of harmony, the tempered scale, the twelve key-centres, and the concepts of modulation and harmonic progression. Arguably this music found its highest point of expression in the work of J. S. Bach (1685-1750). Philosophically and aesthetically this music speaks of an ordered universe, and harmonious relationships between its manifold parts, that is to say, the social universe. By contrast classical Indian music is concerned with the individual soul in its relation to the absolute, as expressed in the single melody-line against the background of the drone. Again, western music, with its shifting harmonic ground, suggests relativity, pluralism, a multiplicity of possible paradigms, as compared to the essentially singular viewpoint of the music of mysticism. It is also well to remember that the tempered scale, which we take for granted as the foundation of western music, is really an artefact, slightly at variance with the pure intervals of the harmonic series. While opening up tremendous scope for harmonic creation, it does so at the cost of a certain remove from the facts of nature. This rationalisation has an obvious analogy in the scientific method. It is a concession to the inability of the rational mind to deal with more than a finite (rather small) set of variables. Thus the space inhabited by western classical music is an idealised, platonic space, abstracted from the properties of the natural acoustic realm. We may use the term integral to denote such music as combines various of the respective formal attributes so far enumerated, and virtually all twentieth century music falls into this class. Of particular interest in this realm is the work of such composers as Bartok, Stravinski, Ravel and Debussy, which gave rise to the era we now designate as modern. Also of great interest is the contemporary movement known as fusion, embracing jazz, rock, folk, as well as classical and local ethnic influences. The emphasis is on creative freedom, on exploring the musical possibilities between the worlds of the great traditions, and on seeking that which is totally new. Music in the 20th century is evolving towards a language or languages which are both personal and universal. While labels such as world music, new age, avant garde, and whatever more proliferate, the creative process is independent of such conceptual categories, and in the final analysis we are dealing simply with music - the quest for meaning through sound. A comparative listening to a representative sample of the five above mentioned classes will make their fundamental differences immediately apparent. Such listening should ideally involve a sympathetic appreciation of the respective worldviews, and associated states of consciousness, through the performance of the appropriate meditations, and if desired, ritual participation. These listening practices serve to familiarise the musician with alien musical cultures, and alien landscapes of the mind. It is desirable that one be comfortable therein, remain relaxed and concentrated, and be able to enter and exit any particular state at will. Fortified and sensitised by this experience the musician is prepared to further confront the musical unknown through the practice of what we call Intuitive Improvisation, or Music Channelling. So how do we begin? Important for good results is regularity of practice - of time and place. The place should be a consecrated area, that is to say, a magic circle in the broad sense. But keep it simple. The most important banishing is that of noise. The most important invocation is that of silence. This silence does not denote the absence of sound - an impossibility in the physical universe - but rather a clear mental space wherein sensations are perceived with clarity. Sit down with the instrument, and listen. It is still. In that silence is conceived a desire for sound. You strike a note or chord; intone a vowel if you are a singer. You listen. One sound may call forth another, or it may not. Follow what your hearing suggests to you. Music Channelling is the perception of music in sounds, and the recognition of musical possibilities in silence. What you are able to hear and conceive manifests in your mind, and what you are able to play of this, you manifest in space and time. You play what you hear. You hear what you play. You become one with the source of inspiration. Continue until the current subsides, then cease, and reflect. Be clear about deliberate beginnings and endings. In the course of the session we may confront certain limitations, both in our musical understanding (appreciation, perception), as well as of instrumental knowledge and ability. By being aware of these and finding creative solutions we grow musically. This involves an authentic response to the musical problem confronted. Our so-called limitations we will then recognise as doorways to discovery; they are our actual areas of growth. We are engaged in a dialogue, via the medium of sound, with our self, with our instrument, with music. Gradually, as we listen, our own inner musical language will communicate itself to us. We begin to hear subtle rhythms, melodic and harmonic affinities where previously there was chaos. Profound listening, and a letting go of expectations are required if we are to reach any significant depth in this process. However we do not function in an aesthetic vacuum. If we do confront the unknown, it is in the context of the familiar. It is natural therefore to organise our musical perceptions according to our musical values. This is to say that our musical influences will be reflected in our playing, and we will naturally respond to those sounds that express our musical ideals. Mastery is twofold - the ability to hear musically, and to express what we hear. When we play (in contrast to practice), we must above all turn on our appreciation and listen sympathetically. We must develop a sense of occasion, a sense of presence - of the uniqueness of the present moment, being fully identified with the creative revelation as it unfolds. Progress towards this level of absorption may be described in three stages. These are: (1) Relaxation. This is a setting free of the energy, a letting go of all extraneous concerns. (2) Concentration. This is a focusing of the energy exclusively on the task at hand. (3) Meditation. Here the energy is one with the object of contemplation. The player, the instrument, and the music are one. Consciousness is flowing unhindered towards the desired ideal. These three stages represent a universal formula, applicable to any objective whatsoever. Now a word of encouragement and caution. If we enjoy the practice, and persist, we will get results. We will discover and manifest our musical identity as an authentic creative voice in music. In the process we will confront our self, and activate subconscious energies in our life. These need to be faced, accepted, and integrated into our personality. As with any genuine art form, we are dealing with a potential path to self-realisation. On the practical level, when engaged in the practice, it is important to remain conscious, and remain in control of the energies – the moods and feelings which are evoked. A beginner easily becomes entranced, and perhaps obsessed by a particular mood. This is really not so bad, provided one realises what is happening, and is able to come out of it at the appropriate time. Music Channelling, in this context, does not imply becoming an empty vessel, controlled by an alien consciousness, but rather a mind focused and attuned to realms of inspiration, and a bodily instrument adapted through practice to expressing that which has been received. In a group situation, there is usually ample input of sound, so the emphasis needs to be on quality. A vast amount of energy is present, but this energy needs to properly raised, integrated, focused and directed. It is desirable that a group should have a conductor, experienced in such matters, unless the players are already very experienced. I am speaking here of group-improvisation, totally free and spontaneous, without prior deliberation as to structure and content. Contrary to a certain body of opinion, the results of such a venture need not be chaotic or bland. Although players have complete freedom of expression, there must be a rigorous discipline imposed from within. Infinite freedom requires infinite refinement of sensibility. More than ever it is essential that players listen and become attuned to the sound environment. According to the quality of musical perception and rapport among musicians, a group may function on one of three levels. At the basic level we have what we may call the improvisational jam-session. Things are flowing, and it sounds all right, but the music, like jam, is usually rather homogenous and featureless. It drones along in a certain key, and folds when the players are exhausted. At the intermediate level the intuitive-creative faculty comes into play. Rather than just playing something vaguely appropriate, musicians now exercise restraint and make conscious creative choices, based on musical insight. Interesting things now begin to happen. The music takes on a more individual character, unique and more clearly defined. Players become attuned to their respective parts, and a deeper, more meaningful dialogue occurs on the musical plane. As players relax within their role, contact is made with realms of inspiration. The music now takes on a life of its own, and the shared experience has the effect of consolidating and stabilising the group-mind. At this stage a breakthrough to the third level may be expected. Here the group as a whole, and each individual player functions fully in the channelling mode. All effort ceases. There are no barriers to communication, and the group functions as a single intelligent organism - however without a loss or blurring of individual identities. The insight is crystal-clear. Thought and expression has become one. Perception and response are one. The music, simple or complex, is sublime. Unusual phenomena may occur, such as sustained synchronistic confluence, and a transcending of the usual conditions of space and time. This is an invigorating and therapeutic experience, and players invariably emerge refreshed, well integrated, and with new insight. The quality of the musical experience therefore depends on the aesthetic values and sensibilities shared by the group – specifically on what the group is able to hear. Experience seems to indicate that musicians fully absorbed in the listening experience will play their part gracefully and effortlessly. In this state of grace there is nothing more to achieve. The music is already present. In the groups that I have conducted over seven years we have had experience of all three levels. Most groups were well established on level two, and at times functioning with sustained consistency on level three. Such success as we have achieved I believe to be due to the aims and values we have cultivated in our quest - the realisation of musical ideals by intuitive means. Further, I believe the channelling process, as here described, operates in accordance with the creative and formative principles inherent in nature. The Swiss psychologist, C. G. Jung in collaboration with physicist Wolfgang Pauli proposed the term synchronicity to denote deep structures in mind, space and time - meaningful correlations for which classical science is unable to account. In conventional life these correlations tend to be sparse, but, as has been observed, in some situations they tend to occur with uncanny frequency. It may be said that in the circle, as convened by the group, we set up a synchronicity field – a microcosm charged with creative energy, which is allowed to manifest in a free and spontaneous manner. Observation has also convinced me that aspects of group interaction here described can be understood in terms current in the new field of complexity – attractors, turbulence, self-organising systems, fractal geometries. The analogies and applications require further study. The view that I have come to favour in relation to the channelling experience and trans-personal psychic phenomena in general, is that mind constitutes a universal continuum, a holographic hyperdimensional nexus connecting all space and time, and that events such as electrons, galaxies, or human beings represent concentrations or vortices of energy in an evolving field of cosmic consciousness. If we view the concept of channelling in a very broad context, we may say that it represents the attraction and manifestation in ourselves of those energies that form our experiential reality. This attraction is evidently based on the affinity of sympathetic vibration. A well established channelling group constitutes a psychic vortex, extending through the planes, and attracting to itself such energies as are in harmony with the nature of the circle. Three things are required for this vortex to penetrate exalted realms of inspiration: purity of purpose, good management of group energies, and perseverance. While creativity cannot be forced, it will occur naturally if we cultivate within us the right conditions – receptivity, and a means of expression. This is the essence of channelling, the hallmark of creative genius. |