In its simplest form, sound is vibration. And whether you realise it or not, the audible (and inaudible) world around you impacts your life every day. The modern society we live in has never been noisier but we've become so accustomed to our surroundings that we rarely stop to question it. It's only when we venture outside of our bustling cities that we truly notice how much noise pollution we're exposed to on a daily basis.
Sound noun
mechanical radiant energy that is transmitted by longitudinal pressure waves in a material medium (such as air) and is the objective cause of hearing
A Life of Sound
I've long been fascinated by sound. In my childhood, I was the sort of kid who would record myself on cassette tapes, pretending to host a radio show. It's no surprise then that my working life has followed the path of the spoken word. After studying audio engineering, I briefly worked in radio before entering the podcast industry. I was also making podcasts as a passion long before I was getting paid, and I fell in love with the art of audio storytelling and making audio documentaries. There was just always something about the human voice that I found so captivating.
Music is also really incredibly meaningful to me. I’m certainly not alone in the way that music has quite literally soundtracked the chapters of my life. And more recently, I’ve taken up guitar lessons, finally realising a long held dream to play a musical instrument.
The older I get, the stronger the urge to strengthen my connection to nature. Spending time in the natural world brings me back into balance and connects me to something greater. Not everyone may be consciously attuned to the sonic texture of our environment, but step into a forest or walk along the beach and its effortless ability to calm our nervous system is immediately apparent. We evolved in nature, therefore its soundscape is inherently soothing.
Doing vs Being
Now as I write this, I’m in the middle of training in sound healing, a powerful modality that utilises the organic world of sound and vibration to return the body to homeostasis. It provides an opportunity to connect with a state of 'Being', rather than 'Doing', which is the ethos that drives my work in this field, and indeed this very newsletter. Our busy, "always on", modern lives can sometimes keep us in Doing mode; constant input, dopamine chasing, the pressure to always be productive. While we all have responsibilities, there is more to living than just Doing. A state of Being is about coming back to presence, coming home to ourselves, and that is why sound healing is so potent.
Between Sound & Self
So, in Resonance, I’ll be exploring the relationship between sound and self; how our sonic world affects our lives and our wellbeing. And I want to examine how the world of sound is changing, what the sounds of the natural world can teach us, and what we can do to make our everyday environments more supportive and more pleasant to inhabit.
I'll also be sharing some of my own journey through sound; how it's shaped my inner landscape and why I'm so drawn to sound healing work. And that's where this newsletter will officially begin, with Issue 1, on the 6th of May (then continuing on the first Wednesday of each month thereafter).
Until then, thank you for being here.
James.
