In preparation for this week’s Orchestral Conducting class at Juilliard,
I was studying the score and liner notes from the CD’s for Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony,
third and fourth movements.

 

I do my best to listen to several different recordings of performances,
because not only do different conductors bring their individual musical interpretations
to the performances, but they (unknowingly) also actually bring their own
Calibrated Level of Consciousness to the performance.

 

One of the things that I like to do is Consciousness Calibration Research = one on
the actual piece of music by the composer, and one on the specific recorded
performance with that conductor and orchestra.

 

Look for my comparison spreadsheet that will be available when I release
my CD series of Consciousness Music, and in our membership site,
ConsciousWorldMusic.com (currently pre-launch).

 

In the liner notes of the CBS Masterworks Series with Leonard Bernstein
conducting the New York Philharmonic, it is stated that the finale of Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67, is “a glorious ascent from the darker recesses
of the soul to the light of courageous, challenging life.”
Wow. How cool is that?

 

Beethoven knew that his purpose was to create music that would uplift mankind.
Because of that knowing, and his courage and persistence to take action
on that intuitive knowing, his music still is still here influencing and affecting us
hundreds of years later.

 

What is the purpose of the composer(s) and performer(s) of the music
that you listen to?

 

What do you think the consciousness is of today’s popular music
composers and performers? Why are they writing and performing?

Where do you think they would calibrate on Dr. David Hawkins’ Consciousness Scale?

• Grief?
• Fear?
• Anger?
• Desire?
• Pride?
• Courage?
• Responsibility?
• Acceptance?
• Reason?
• Love?
• Joy?
• Peace?

 

Thank you.

 

In the April 2006 Issue of Hudson Valley Magazine, there is an article about one of the world’s greatest living jazz artists = tenor saxophonist/composer Sonny Rollins. Rollins is interviewed for this magazine because he is a resident of Columbia County, here in Upstate New York. In the words of the interviewer, Thomas Staudter, “man and instrument are one”.To be a great jazz improviser, one has to overcome the challenges of the left brain = technique, scales, the harmonic structure of music = and move fluently into the right brain aspect of spontaneous flow. This requires a shift in consciousness. Some are able to make the shift, others never do. That is not to say that they are not capable; they just have not practiced enough, exposed themselves enough, mentored with a teacher enough, played out enough, etc., to make the necessary shift from left brain playing to right brain playing.

If you ask Kenny Werner, composer, pianist and educator, and author of Effortless Mastery (look for an upcoming blog post dedicated just to him and his book), some people have just not been mentally and emotionally kind enough to themselves to be able to make the shift. They are too busy berating themselves for what they are not doing, instead of relaxing into “the space” and allowing whatever wants to come out through them to be expressed.

Sonny Rollins has been channeling jazz for decades, celebrating his 75th birthday last September. In the magazine article, Rollins discusses the fact that for him, music is not only to express joy, but it’s also “an important social force.” He also has his own spiritual interests, and believes in “having some values outside of materialism.”

At the International Association of Jazz Education (IAJE) conference in Manhattan in January, Rollins “sat outside a ballroom post-interview and signed hundreds of autographs, taking a moment to greet each well-wisher”. He apparently shares “similiar displays of his generous spirit after each of his concerts”.

“It’s connecting with his audiences that keeps the artist at the top of his game. ‘I want people to leave my concerts with a positive feeling so they’ll feel hopeful and optimistic about everything,’ Rollins remarks. ‘That’s my ultimate aim, that’s why I play.’”

God bless you, Sonny Rollins. That’s why I write and play, too.

In Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book, “The Power of Intention”, he uses the word “Intention” not only to describe a strong purpose or aim or goal, but also interchangably with God, or the Field of Consciousness, or Universal Source, etc. He states that this field of consciousness is also the Power of Intention, because we were all intended to be here. It is in that context = the Field of Intention = that the word “intention” is used in the quote below.“Become conscious of the energy level of the music you listen to. Harsh, pounding, musical vibrations with repetitive, loud sounds lower your energy level and weaken you and your ability to make conscious contact with intention. Similiarly, the lyrics of hate, pain, anguish, fear, and violence are low energies sending weakening messages to your subconscious and infiltrating your life with similiar attractor energies. If you want to attract violence, then listen to the lyrics of violence and make violent music a part of your life. If you want to attract peace and love, then listen to the higher musical vibrationns and lyrics that reflect your desires.”

I intend to be a beacon for this message for the rest of the world.

What are you listening to?

In Dr. David Hawkins‘ works, which include Power vs. Force, Eye of the I, I, Truth vs. Falsehood, and Transcending the Levels of Consciousness, he writes extensively of a mathematical Scale of Consciousness that compares everything to the Absolute. When I say everything, I mean anything you could possibly think of.

Everything in the Universe can be calibrated according to this Scale of Consciousness. The scale is a logarithmic scale and goes from zero to 1000. A virus is at zero, and a bacterium is at 1. Jesus and Buddha are at 1000. An outline of the Map/Scale of Consciousness can be found here.

Generally speaking, there are two major lines of demarcation, and three major zones on the Scale: Consciousness Levels 0-200, 200-500, and 500-1000. Below 200 are negative emotional and consciousness states, where people tend to be unable to take responsibility for themselves and their actions, and act without integrity. Starting at level 200, and progressing to 499, are the levels of integrity and progressively increasing levels of positive energy and thinking and reason. Consciousness Level 500 and beyond are the levels of Love and Peace and Enlightenment.

What does this have to do with Rolling Stone magazine and the Billboard Top 40?

According to the Consciousness Calibration Research that was done at Advanced Health & Wellness in Red Hook, New York, Rolling Stone’s list of the top 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, published in November 2005, calibrates at 192. This Level of Consciousness is below the level of integrity, and does not contribute to the spiritual uplifting of humanity.

However, the most recent list of Top 40 Albums, as compiled by Billboard magazine and listed on the last page of RS Issue 997, April 6, 2005, calibrates at 205. This is great! It is actually above the level of integrity at 200. That means that the collective increase in humanity’s consciousness is finally being reflected in the popular music that is being produced.

Dr. Hawkins has written frequently about how the levels of consciousness of humanity have slowly been increasing throughout time, and how the collective consciousness of mankind has moved from a level of 190 in 1996 to a level of 207 presently. “Consciousness level 207 has totally different qualities from those at 190. It would be comparable to water in that when it reaches a boiling point at 212 degrees, it suddenly turns into a gas, at which point it is no longer a liquid but a vapor and capable of totally different effects in the universe.” –p. 371, I: Reality and Subjectivity.

“Mankind develops progressively in all areas of science, technology, industry, physics, and medicine, so it is not surprising that spiritual awareness would also keep pace.” (p. 372)

And I would add, thankfully, that now, popular music is also starting to keep pace.