Ritualized sound making as Soundwork.

Recently I was asked to do a presentation at a private institute for the recording arts, a lovely facility in Toronto. When I am introduced in these types of situations, I sometimes ask the host to avoid descriptive terms such as “sound healer.” In order to give a little direction, I provided the host with this little paragraph.

 I have worked for over forty years supporting individuals through challenging times of liminality - that betwixt and between state that comes with major transitions. It’s been my observation that impressionistic soundscapes can help individuals enter an intermediary state somewhere between being highly cognizant and deeply asleep. I operate from the premise that, in this more twilight state, an individual can access archetypal or dreamlike components that might surface from the person’s inner life. Encountering and processing this content seems to have helped the clients I have served. For decades I have referred to this type of ritualized sound making as Soundwork.