Sound Health: The Music and Sounds That Make Us Whole

Steven Halpern published this book in 1985. (He had earlier written a book, Tuning the Human Instrument: An Owner's Manual, articulating his ideas on "Sound Health.") The Introduction to this book begins, "The ultimate purpose of this book is to foster health, peace, and harmony in your life and the world." And just as Halpern's music does, so does the book. There is a marvelous autobiographical statement in the book, "In 1969, frustrated with what I found in the existing literature, and needing something legal, nonaddictive, and inexpensive, I set out to create a new kind of music. I knew, in my heart of hearts, that I had no choice but to dedicate my life to researching and composing music for health and healing. In early 1975, after six years of laboratory, clinical, and anecdotal research, I published my first recording. While many listeners welcomed my new healthful music as a 'refreshing wind on the music scene,' others treated it with a mixture of disbelief, derision, and apathy. Neither the media nor the music industry were interested in music related to health.... The president of Columbia Records' Special Products Division ... frankly told me, 'It has no commercial potential.' They advised me to produce and market the record by myself. 'Establish a track record of sales,' they told me, 'Before you approach us again. See if people will buy this music.' When I started out, the only outlets I could convince to carry my records, which were the only ones of their kind in those early days, were health food stores and bookstores. I also made them available at concerts and by direct mail. The rest, as they say, is history." Concerning his own music, Halpern writes, "Spectrum Suite is an example of a uniquely new kind of music that contains no recognizable melody, rhythm or harmony, and yet is still musical and aethetically pleasing." And "In this style of music, there is no melody to hum, and no harmonic progressions to which we have been conditioned to respond. Unlike virtually all other music, there is no central rhythm that hooks us, consciously or unconsciously, to its pulse." Halpern notes that "Nature did not give us earlids. Our ears remain open and working even while we sleep." He endorses Rupert Sheldrake's concept of "morphogenetic fields" from his book, A New Science of Life, and cites research that music such as his encourages "facilitate whole-brain functioning." Though nearly 25 years old, the book is not really "dated." This book will be of substantial interest to fans of Halpern's or other types of New Age/Ambient music, or to those interested in alternative healing methods.

I loved this book so much that I read it from cover to cover in two hours.I never knew that sound could have such a profound effect on our health and wellbeing.Reading this book I leanred that some sounds can promote healing,while others can not only be quite annoying but can make us very ill. I have always been a music lover,and I find that this book is a perfect companion for anyone who enjoys music everyday,not to mention all of us who are exposed to all sorts of sounds,on a day to day basis,some pleasant and some irritating.I also learned how the right sounds used with the right intention can make people less stressed and more balanced,and even heal people from disease. The book also gives it's readers valuable advice on how to avoid bad sounds,noise,and music that can be very harmful and even dangerous to our mental and physical health and offers many healthy alternatives. This well written and easy to read book would also be a fabulous companion for any listeners of Steven Halpern's healing cds.