Photo: David Menidrey (@cazault) | Unsplash Photo Community

So, blog number 1...Where to begin?

Think of a topic that might interest myself and others within the space, place and people theme. There were so many avenues to go down that would have been hugely interesting but I decided that frequencies met all three aspects of the theme as they are part of the earth, our everyday environment and ourselves.

Each of my blogs will explore various aspects of frequencies - Where to begin? The how and why of frequencies and how we are affected as humans by sounds, the change of frequency from 432Hz-440Hz in 1940 in USA and 1953 in other countries (Duman, N. 2023). The Schumann resonance - details of how the earth's rhythm or heartbeat works and affects everything (Nickolaenko, A.P. and Hayakawa, M. 2014). The solfeggio scale and the chakra system - a healing and wellbeing system whereby different frequencies heal us in various areas of our bodies (Reed. T. 2023), and, Whakata, music from New Zealand that incorporates high frequencies with nature specifically for children (UCA Music. 2008).

By blog 6 we will have discovered how frequencies work, why they work, how they affect us as humans, how they are affected by our surroundings, how the standard frequency has changed over the decades, how they can alter our moods and how the earth's rhythm affects our environment and everyday lives.

What is frequency?

Frequencies determine the character and pitch of notes that we hear. Each note is brought about by the speed at which specific sound waves vibrate. These vibrations are created in the air when a musical instrument makes a sound. We measure this by counting how many vibrations happen each second. The cycle of vibrations are measured in Hertz (Hz) (Alessi, M. 2024). High pitched sounds will have a higher frequency and low pitched sounds will have a lower frequency (Homden, W. 2024) .

Photo: Pawel Czerwinski (@pawel_czerwinski) | Unsplash Photo Community

Frequency and human hearing

Humans can hear frequencies ranging from 20Hz (bass) - 20kHz (treble). High frequencies (birds chirping) sit in the 5kHz-20kHz range, mid frequencies (human speech) sit in the 500Hz-5kHz range and low frequencies (thunder) sit between 20Hz-500Hz. Genetics, age and loud environment exposure can all affect this hearing range. The frequency that will deteriorate first in old age is high frequencies. The graph below shows where the human hearing range sits amongst other animals. Elephants and moles can hear from 0Hz, for humans these are known as infrasounds. Cats and dogs can hear between 20 000Hz - 40 000 Hz and bats and dolphins can hear in excess of 40 000Hz. These upper frequencies are know as ultrasounds to humans. Both infrasounds and ultrasounds are human perception limits whereby we cannot hear them, however, it is possible to feel them as vibrations. (Pujol, R. 2018). Ultrasounds are also used in hospitals for medical imaging (NHS. n.d.).

Photo: S. Blatrix (Pujol. R 2018)

Pitch, harmonics and equal temperament

Higher pitched sounds produce higher frequencies, if we play note A4 on the keyboard it has a frequency of 440Hz (the sound wave vibrates 440 times in 1 second). We call this concert pitch, standard pitch, Stuttgart pitch or Western pitch. Tuning forks are set to this note as is an orchestra when warming up (Music Production glossary. n.d.). 

Musical notes not only have a main pitch (fundamental frequency) they also have harmonics or overtones, these sounds enhance the main pitch adding colour with tone and timbre. Harmonics are multiplied oscillations producing richer sounds. The image below shows a guitar with two fixed points at either end of the strings. To get natural harmonics, touching a string at fret 5, 7 or 12 will divide the string into equal parts known as nodes (see table 1). In order to play a natural harmonic, a guitarist will touch the string lightly (not press down) over the fret of choice, pluck the string then lift the finger that was lightly touching the string - this allows the harmonics to resonate. Western music works in octaves which are divided into 12 equal parts (equal temperament) known as semitones. Moving from one octave to a higher octave will double the frequency i.e. if the note you play is A3 (220Hz) then moving up an octave will take you to A4 (440Hz) and moving up a further octave will take you to A5 (880Hz) (You Physics. n.d.).

Photo: www.youphysics.education                                       Table 1: Natural harmonics

What have we learned?

In Blog 1 we have had a whistlestop tour of where frequencies come from, how they can be heard and felt by humans and how they are produced by musical instruments. We have looked at the differences between high and low frequencies and how harmonics are produced.

Conclusion

On a personal level, I've found this research intriguing, however, at the moment, I have more questions than answers which I hope to solve as I work my way down the different paths towards a better understanding. I'm particularly curious as to how I can implement my findings into my compositions. Since I work with children in creative music I will possibly aim towards finding out how frequencies can allow their bodies and minds to have breathing space. I worry that children are missing out on what the world and nature has to offer due to their obsession with technology from before they can walk. If their eyes are always looking downwards at a screen and their ears are always closed off to their surroundings how can they properly understand each other and their environment? Is it still possible to open children's minds to stories from past generations? Can we coax them into simply walking through woods and along the beach as opposed to being lethargic and only communicating through a screen?  Please join me over the next seven blogs to see where our curiosities take us.

The next step

Blog 2: Space, place and people - The change in frequency from 432Hz to 440Hz.

References

Alessi, M. (2024) What are hertz (Hz) and frequency in music [online] Available at: What are hertz (Hz) and frequency in sound and music (higherhz.com) [20 Sep 2024]

Britannica. (n.d.) equal temperament [online] Available at: Interval | Music Theory & Definition | Britannica [20 Sep 2024]

Chords of Orion. (n.d.) 432Hz VS 440Hz – An ambient Guitar Shootout! [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/8Ze44-Ppj-c?si=wGnDC6o5X4SEtWMk [20 Sep 2024]

Duman, N. (2023) Retuning the universe: examining the cosmic significance of sound frequencies, music and human perception [online] Journal of Music Sciences, 8(2), pp. 160-171. Available at: https://doi.org/10.31811/ojomus.1395046. [20 Sep 2024]

Homden, W. (2024) What is Frequency in Music? A Beginner’s guide for Music Producers [online] Available at: What is Frequency in Music? A Beginners Guide for Music Producers (soundalgorithm.io) [20 Sep 2024]

Music Production Glossary. (n.d.) A-440 [online] Available at: What is A-440? The Definition for A440 (musicproductionglossary.com) [20 Sep 2024]

Music in Space. (n.d.) 10 Minutes of A | Piano | A4 440Hz [online] Available at: 10 Minutes of A | Piano | A4 440 Hz (youtube.com) [20 Sep 2024]

NHS. (n.d.) Ultrasound scan [online] Available at Ultrasound scan - NHS (www.nhs.uk) [20 Sep 2024]

Nickolaenko, A.P. and Hayakawa, M. (2014) Schumann resonance for tyros : essentials of global electromagnetic resonance in the Earth-ionosphere cavity. [online] Tokyo: Springer. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54358-9. [20 Sep 2024]

Pujol, R. (2018) Journey into the world of healing – Human auditory range [online] Available at: | Cochlea [20 Sep 2024]

Reed, T. (2023) Vibration of the chakra system [online] Available at the solfeggio and chakra system | Search | University of the Highlands and Islands (worldcat.org) [20 Sep 2024]

UCA Music (2008) Rest time = Whakata : nature and music woven together [online] Available at: whakata | Search | University of the Highlands and Islands (worldcat.org) [20 Sep 2024]

You Physics. (n.d.) standing waves – What is a harmonic? [online] Available at: Standing waves. What is a harmonic? (youphysics.education) [20 Sep 2024]

Blog 2: Space, place and people - The change in frequency from 432Hz to 440Hz

Photo: Frederico Beccari https://unsplash.com/@federize 

Early reference pitch - 432Hz

"It is widely considered a superior tuning that makes music more pleasant to listen to. It is also said to have a positive influence on the mind and body due to its relationship with our planet." (Mind vibrations 2024).

Modern tuning - 440Hz

"It is argued that the 440 Hz tuning keeps us closed off from a higher sense of meaning and disconnected from our surroundings." (Mind vibrations 2024).

432Hz Vs 440Hz - can you feel/hear the difference?

Experiment:

What does this all mean?

Studies show that 432Hz is not only more fitting with the earth's vibrations, it is also more calming for us humans (Tuis, T.R. 2010), it is known as "the frequency of the universe" (Paul 2019). Quantum physics proves that the earth and other planets are merely energy strings continuously vibrating. Earth has electromagnetic frequencies within it's thermosphere or ionosphere (Helliwell, 1965) known as Schumann resonances - around 7.83Hz-45Hz which is well below the human hearing threshold (Sentman & Fraser, 1991). Within this universe, all living and non-living organisms vibrate at different frequencies i.e., trees, birds, humans, rivers, plants etc. (Rose 2021). There is a proven connection between the Schumann resonances of earth (see blog 3) and human alpha, beta and gamma brainwaves (Persinger, 1987; McCraty & Deyhle, 2015 ). This is why it is believed that music at 432Hz allows us to feel at peace with our surroundings, we are in harmony with the earth's frequencies; aligned with nature.

So...why did we change to 440Hz?

Are all the positives surrounding 432Hz to be believed? Is it a conspiracy theory? Is it fact? In order to answer these questions we need to firstly find out why a change took place? When it took place? And, who decided there should be a change?

In 1939, London, an international meeting was held primarily to introduce a standard pitch for all orchestras. Before this, orchestras from different countries tuned to different frequencies, however, it was decided between British and German delegates that the new standard pitch should be 440Hz, in line with German radio. French composers immediately complained that they felt 432Hz should remain as standard so that harmony between man and land was synchronised. Despite 23000 protest signatures from musicians, the 440Hz decision went ahead.

In 1955, The International Organisation for Standards made the decision that A=440Hz should be the internationally recognised standard pitch. It was made official and assigned document no. ISO16.

By 1975, it was internationally used by all musicians, it is said that in those 20 years there was acceptance of 440Hz standard tuning (Duman, N. 2023).

Conspiracy theory?

Now that we know the plausible reason for change, it's only right that we look at the alleged conspiracy theory as a contrast.

In 1980, the activist Lyndon LaRouche  called for "..revive Verdi's tuning (432Hz) to bring back great music..." (Gribenski, F. 2020). There are still great rumblings about what the real reasons for the change was - many believe it was to cause disruption and chaos to everyone.

One study shows that 432Hz tuning lowers the heart rate more than 440Hz, however, it also suggests that another study with more people would be beneficial. Maria Renolds has done studies on over 2000 people at piano recitals, her findings are - audiences become hostile and belligerent when the piano recital is played at 440Hz yet at 432Hz the same audience say they enjoy the music better and appear much calmer and more attentive (Calamassi, D. and Pomponi, G.P. 2019).

What have we learned?

In Blog 2 we have looked at why 432Hz standard tuning became 440Hz standard tuning. We have also got a better understanding of the possible differences between 432Hz and 440Hz music pieces and whether or not they directly affect us as humans.

Conclusion

It seems there are plausible arguments for both standard tuning frequencies. I still don't have a defiinitive answer therefore I have no conclusion. I seem to have more questions so my quest for answers shall continue. Does 432Hz really calm humans? What is the earth's frequency? How are humans and frequencies entwined?

Having done the above experiment my personal favourite is 432Hz - my ears, mind and body prefer the more grounded, gentle sound. This could possibly be because I have exited the frantic world of the oil business to enjoy the seaside environment that surrounds me. Is it possible that I prefer 432Hz because I have already made life changes? Am I already leaning into more holistic frequencies because of being more settled?  Or, is it to do with my specific hearing age?

An example of specific hearing age is in Aberdeen, they use a frequency to keep troublesome teenagers from being loud and causing problems at the train station. Their ears are unable to stand the frequency of 17 400Hz. It is known as Teen Away as only teenagers can hear it, whereas, the OAP's can sit at the train station all day as they can't hear it at all (Schrader, J. 2023). Can it get anymore fascinating?

The next step...

Blog 3: Space, place and People - The Schumann frequency and human wellbeing.

References

Bowles, E. M. (2017). The history and significance of 432 hz tuning. The Open Journal of Social Sciences, 5(6), 96-100. [03 Oct 2024]

Calamassi, D. & Pomponi, G. P. (2019). Music Tuned to 440 Hz versus 432 Hz and the health effects: A double-blind cross-over pilot study, Explore, 15 (4), 283–90. [03 Oct 2024]

Chords of Orion. (n.d.) 432Hz VS 440Hz – An Ambient guitar Shootout! [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/8Ze44-Ppj-c?si=2Lkq-GjWAAD5Br7d [05 Oct 2024]

DUMAN, N. (2023) Retuning the universe: Examining the cosmic significance of sound frequencies, music and human perception, [online] Journal of Music Sciences, 8(2), pp. 160–171. Available at: https://doi.org/10.31811/oCalamassi D.jomus.1395046.[05 Oct 2024]

Gribenski, F. (2020). Plenty of pitches. Nat. Phys.,16, 232. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-019-0707-1

[05 Oct 2024]

Helliwell, R. A. (1965). Whistlers and related ionospheric phenomena. Stanford University Press. [03 Oct 2024]

Horowitz, L. G. (2010). Musical Cult Control: The Rockefeller Foundation's war on consciousness through the Imposition of A=440Hz standard tuning [04 Oct 2024]

Mind vibrations. (2024) standing waves – What is a harmonic? [online] Available at: 432 Hz Music: A Guide to the Theory, Science & Benefits (mindvibrations.com)

[05 Oct 2024]

Marcus Gruber Piano (n.d.) 440 Hz vs. 432 Hz comparison on Live Grand Piano (Kawai GX-6) – Do you hear a difference? [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/dhux-KNMLz4?si=jzbrXGVhxlYJTIxL [11 Nov 2024]

Paul, J. (2019). The power of sound: How to be healthy and productive using music and sound. Simon & Schuster. [04 Oct 2024]

Persinger, M. A. (1987). ELF electromagnetic fields, Schumann resonances, and cerebral circulation. Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 65(12), 1488-97. [04 Oct 2024]

Rose, B. J. (2021). The vibrational frequencies of the human body. Available from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354326235_The_Vibrational_Frequencies_of_the_Hu man_Body

[08 Oct 2024]

Schrader, J. (2023). How High-Pitched Tones Target Teens but Evade Adults. [online] Available at:

How High-Pitched Tones Target Teens but Evade Adults | Psychology Today United Kingdom [20 Oct 2024]

Sentman, D. D. & Fraser, B. J. (1991). ELF field line resonances excited by modulated HF heating of the lower ionosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 96(A2), 1691-8. [07 Oct 2024]

Tuis, T. R. (2010). 432 Hertz: la Rivoluzione Musicale. Nexus Edizioni. Walker, B. (2023, 30 June). Frequency and the human body. Retrieved from https://betsywalkerwellness.com/frequency-human-body [20 Oct 2024]

Blog 3: Space, place and people - The Schumann Resonance and human wellbeing

Photo: Beautiful Free Images & Pictures | Unsplash

The earth's frequency

The earth's frequency is known as The Schumann resonance, around 8Hz (Nickolaenko, A.P. and Hayakawa, M. 2014). These earth frequencies are lightning discharges which cause a series of extremely low frequency (ELF) resonances to take place between the earth's surface and the ionosphere. They were discovered by a German physicist called Winfried Otto Schumann in 1952. These frequencies are quaintly known as "the earth's heartbeat" (Schumann Resonance n.d.). It is also said that earth's frequencies have an affect on human wellbeing. In a 2020 study into human health and the earth's atmosphere, the following comment was made - "It is well known that atmospheric processes have an impact on our well-being at multiple scales" (Sierra Figueredo, P. et al. 2020). 

Photo: Álvaro Serrano (@alvaroserrano) | Unsplash Photo Community

The human brain

A human brain is a soft lump of tissue yet holds an incredible amount of knowledge. For a brain to work properly, it needs constant stimulation and stabilisation i.e., a synchronising system. This system needs to be both electromagnetic and biochemical. "The Schumann Resonance signal provides a brain frequency
range matching electromagnetic signal, providing the synchronization needed for intelligence." (Cherry, N.J. 2003). There is further study showing that the brain seeks out the The Schumann resonance - "The stable synchronizing of the brain's electromagnetic systems has led to thinking, emotion, memory, and intelligence. In order to carry out these functions the brain has developed electromagnetic transmitters and receivers in the neurons." (Cherry, N.J. 2003). 

We already know that the Earth's magnet was discovered and contrived by man in the 11th century - we invented magnetic compasses (Merrill, R.T. and McElhinny, M.W. 1983). We also know that the instinctive migration of insects, birds and fish is to do with the Earth's magnetic field (Gall, S. et al. 2014). A recent study by Joseph Kirschvink, an American professor and geobiologist suggests humans also have a reaction. Kirschvink is influential in various areas of earth science i.e., biomagnetism and paleomagnetism. He is a pioneer in the research of magnetoreception, the ability to sense Earth's magnetic field. He proposes that there is actually magnetite (magnetic particles) within the bodies of biological organisms, animals and human brains (Kirschvink, J.L., Walker, M.M. and Diebel, C.E. no date). 

Stefano Bucciarelli (@stbuccia) | Unsplash Photo Community

The seven chakras

As the video shows, it is not only human brains that are connected to the earth's rhythm and vibrations, our bodies are also divided into seven chakras which respond to various frequencies.

Photo: List of Solfeggio Frequencies For the 7 Chakras – Eye Mind Spirit

Sanskrit is the earliest known language which has deep cultural, historical and religious importance. The word chakra is a word from Sanskrit meaning disk or wheel. The seven chakras of the body have specific names, colours, frequencies and mantras. They run along the centre of the body, vertically, in alignment with the vagus nerve (Llewelyn, C.J. 2023). The chakra concept has been handed down through the generations from ancient spiritual traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism in India.

Here are the chakra meanings and how it feels if they are balanced and imbalanced.

Do you recognise any of these feelings?

Photo: Johnny Brown (@johnnyb803) | Unsplash Photo Community

Experiment:

If we are to believe that frequencies affect our chakras and in turn maintain our physical and mental wellbeing then perhaps it is best that we find a quiet space and listen to each mantra to know if -

1. The frequency affects the area it says it does.

2. Our minds become free from negativity.

3. Our bodies become healthier and less painful.

Click on the link below.

https://youtu.be/n_tIn4HROkk

For individual mantras go to specific timings - see table below (Karlssen, K. n.d.).

What have we learned?

In Blog 3 we have learned that frequencies affect the earth and all living things from microbes, to trees, to fish, to cats and dogs to humans. We have pondered over the idea that we possibly act as magnets due to magnetite being present in our brains. We have tried meditation to see if we recognise our chakras being affected or not.

Conclusion

Each of us will have a different conclusion for this blog due to being individuals with very different everyday stresses. There will be no right or wrong, it will simply be a decision that is born from "how did I feel before meditation?" and "how do I feel now?". There is no comparison with each other, there is only a comparison within ourselves. This is an individual journey, some may believe, some may think it's jiggery-pokery but I'm quite sure that even if you didn't feel specific chakras at work, you will have felt an overall feeling of calm, even if it was only during the time where you stopped for a few moments in amongst your busy life. Am I right?

I wouldn't say that I felt each chakra open and breathe with any specific part of the music but I was very aware that my mind relaxed first which is the crown chakra. I became aware of my breathing being in-sync with the drum beat and vocal sounds, my face and neck felt like they were falling into the ground. The vowel sounds and instrumentation are specific to each chakra yet my body seemed to work in reverse, my root chakra was the last to open during the heart chakra music. During the solar plexus music I felt a rush through my legs to my feet, at this point I'd say I was fully relaxed in body and mind. In my own experiment, my body did not have the correct chakra reaction to the music - does this matter? I don't feel that it does, we are after all individuals with different ailments and I think this holistic approach perhaps leans into how you feel on a specific day. For me, I looked at the experiment as one whole thing. The tribal sounds to steady my breathing, the vowel sounds that helped me feel I was communicating even though I was saying nothing, the ethereal sounding instruments with long drawn out notes that relaxed my nervous system, the feeling of space in my mind, the feeling of being light bodied and floating yet grounded. Without question, the frequencies, changes in instrumentation and chanting took me to another level of consciousness. To some it's a piece of nonsense, however, I believe we as humans are more than just here, we also need to be.

The simpleness of the seed syllables, the frequencies, music and the connection between space, time and inner peace remind me of a quote by Arvo Pärt - “I have discovered that it is enough when a single note is beautifully played. This one note, or silent beat, or a moment of silence comforts me.”

Arvo Pärt is a minimalist composer and was born in Estonia in 1935. His love of religion and bells encouraged him to compose a new musical language called tintinnabuli (Shenton, A. 2014).

The next step...

Blog 4: Space, place and People - Tintinnabuli, bells and spiritual values

References

Abhijit Ghosh et al. (2020) “Studies on Schumann Resonance Phenomena and Some Recent Advancements,” Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, 59(8), pp. 980–994. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016793219080073. [11 Nov 2024]

Alka Mishra and Vandana Shrivastava (2021) “Exploring the Science of Marma - An Ancient Healing Technique: Its mention in Ancient Indian Scriptures,” Dev Sanskriti: Interdisciplinary International Journal, 17. Available at: https://doi.org/10.36018/dsiij.v17i.154. [11 Nove 2024]

Arvo Part Centre (n.d.) Arvo Part – biography. [online] available at: Biography – Arvo Pärt Centre (arvopart.ee) [12 Oct 2024]

Be Inspired (n.d.) They found Crystals in Human Brains: “They decode all the frequencies”. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/SSsRaGH4e_A?si=D_cJcaROVSlBqu24 [13 Nov 2024]

Cherry, N.J. (2003) “Human intelligence: the brain, an electromagnetic system synchronised by the Schumann Resonance signal,” Medical hypotheses, 60(6), pp. 843–4. [10 Nov 2024]

Eshaya, N. (2023) List of Solfeggio Frequencies for the 7 Chakras. [online] Available at:

List of Solfeggio Frequencies For the 7 Chakras – Eye Mind Spirit [10 Nov 2024]

Fdez-Arroyabe, P. et al. (2020) “Schumann resonance and cardiovascular hospital admission in the area of Granada, Spain: An event coincidence analysis approach,” Science of the Total Environment, 705. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135813. [10 Nov 2024]

Gall, S. et al. (2014) Magnetoreception in mammals. In Ad[1]vances in the Study of Behavior (vol. 46), pp. 45–88, Elsevier Ac[1]ademic Press [12 Nov 2024]

Karlsen, K. (n.d.) Vocal Medicine – Chakra Sounds & Seed Syllables. [online] Available at: Chakra Sounds and Seed Syllables [13 Nov 2024]

Kirschvink, J.L., Walker, M.M. and Diebel, C.E. (n.d.) “Magnetite-based magnetoreception,” Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 11(4), pp. 462–467. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-4388(00)00235-X. [10 Nov 2024]

Llewelyn, C.J. (2023) Chakras and the vagus nerve : tap into the healing combination of subtle energy & your nervous system. First edition. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications. [07 Nov 2024]

McCarthy, J. and Part, A. (1989) An Interview with Arvo Part. The Musical Times, 130(1753), p. 130. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2307/1193819. [03 Oct 2024]

Merrill, R.T. and McElhinny, M.W. (1983) The Earth’s Magnetic Field: Its History, Origin, and Planetary Perspective, Academic Press [07 Nov 2024]

Monteil, C.L. and Lefevre, C.T. (n.d.) “Magnetoreception in Microorganisms,” Trends in Microbiology, 28(4), pp. 266–275. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tim.2019.10.012. [30 Oct 2024]

Nickolaenko, A.P. and Hayakawa, M. (2014) Schumann resonance for tyros : essentials of global electromagnetic resonance in the Earth-ionosphere cavity. [online] Tokyo: Springer. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54358-9. [20 Sep 2024]

Schumann Resonance (n.d.) Schumann Resonance. [online] Available at: Schumann Resonance [29 Oct 2024

Shenton, A. (2014) The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt – Ch.7 Bells as inspiration for tintinnabulation by Marguerite Bostonia. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom, p128-139. [29 Sep 2024]

Sierra Figueredo, P. et al. (2020) “Schumann Resonance anomalies possibly associated with large earthquakes in Mexico,” Indian Journal of Physics, 95(10), pp. 1959–1966. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12648-020-01865-6. [07 Nov 2024]

Blog 4: Space, place and people - Tintinnabuli, bells and spiritual values

Photo: Sébastien Bloesch (@sbloesch) | Unsplash Photo Community

Bells - spiritual values and community

For centuries bells have signified community, religion, peace and comfort across the world as well as meditation and mindfulness. Bells can be symbolic, their sounds and vibrations are good for meditation, their cultural significance is clear in a community sense through ceremonies and religion, their practical uses can help in yoga whereby they bring a person clarity, mindfulness and focus, they can encourage us to explore different cultural practices giving us deeper connection and they can help adopt tranquility by changing everyday spaces to spiritual spaces. See table below for examples of countries and the values that bells have for their communities. (Myers, C. 2024).

The pitch of bells vary from country to country due to size, weight and materials used to make them which means their frequencies will also differ (Hibbert, B. 2022). We do know that the frequency of a bell is proportionate to it's thickness i.e., "transverse vibrations of bars, plates and hollow cylinders." (Lehr, A. 1952).

Western bells v Russian bells

At the end of Blog 3 I briefly mentioned the minimalist composer, Arvo Pärt and how he produced a new musical language, tintinnabuli, born from his own spiritual values, space and sound. This new compositional style was born from his love of Russian bells. So, what is the story of the bells? Do Russian bells have the same sound as Western bells? And, why did they make Pärt create a new compositional style?

The differences between British and Russian bells are their tone, tuning and design which reflects on their spiritual and historical characteristics. Western bells are more delicate looking than the robust Russian bells and have a flared, pear like shape which enhances harmonic tuning and overtones. They are precise which allows melody. Russian bells are much bigger and thicker, the sound is more resonant due to the cylindrical shape thus the sound has been described as wild. Unlike the Western bell, the Russian bell is not harmonically tuned, it is more of a chime, a sound that is described as meditative. However, whilst Western bells are perhaps prettier in sound, the Russian bell is more artistic with decorations of religious inscriptions and Orthodox symbols. Western bell ringing involves the bell swinging and striking the clapper but in Russian zvon the bell is stationary and the clapper swings and strikes the bell. Traditionally, Russian zvon is seen as a form of praying to the devine, whereas, Western bell ringing whilst still religious is also seen more as spirit within the community i.e., marking the hour and celebrations.

Click on the links below to see the difference between Russian zvon and Western bell ringing (Shenton, A. 2014a).

Tintinnabuli - a new musical language with spiritual style

Tintinnabuli is a unique musical language or compositional style created in 1976 by Pärt. It comes from the term ‘tintinnabulum’ which is the Latin term for ‘little bells’ and was inspired by Gregorian chant. Pärt was obsessed from a young age with the sound of Russian bells and felt that the three notes of a triad sounded like bells, thus, the reason he used the term tintinnabulation. It isn’t just about notes though, he felt that there were three equal parts, the notes, unity and searching for a perfect place. (Shenton, A. 2014a).

There are several key features pertaining to tintinnabula.

1. It is deeply spiritual and sacred – Pärt drew on his strong religious beliefs and was inspired by the ringing of bells, specifically Russian bells and Gregorian chant to Christian and Orthodox themes and texts.

2. It is a very minimalistic compositional approach whereby Pärt aims to create a calm and almost meditative feel for his listener. He avoids complexity and keeps things simple by using repetition.

3. Unlike western compositions that use standard chord progressions, Pärt opts to keep his compositions harmonically simple by sticking to clear and concise triads, allowing lots of consonance to evoke a sense of time standing still as well as dissonance when tension is required. He is quoted as saying “I’m intrigued by the triads natural purity, it’s laconism and euphony.” (Shenton, A. 2014b)

4. Within tintinnabuli there are two voices – one is known as melodic voice or M-voice, the other is known as tintinnabuli voice or T-voice.

Arvo Pärt's composition Cantate Domino Canticum Novum is an example of tintinnabuli - it is not just musical, it is also spiritual. He strongly believes that music is a way of speaking to the divine in a simple and sincere way (Church, M. n.d.).

Experiment:

Listen to Cantate Domino Canticum Novum, click the link below.

Translation of lyrics:

What have we learned?

We now know that bells have played an integral part in human societies for thousands of years. They leave a legacy symbolising the passage of time and unity throughout the world. They provide humans with comfort, joy, peace and calm and are seen as cultural and historical artifacts. Their frequencies will vary according to the material they are made of, the size and thickness. We have been introduced to tintinnabuli, a unique musical language invented by the Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt.

Conclusion

If we think of general sound, the sound of bells and the meaning behind them in the same way Pärt does then we take music to its simplest forms i.e., we hear nothing, or, only the feintest of sounds when there is silence. This perhaps adds to the value of a single note or sound resonating, a flourish of life pushing through the silence. Thus, this is the reason Pärt only adds minimalistic triads of notes – he allows each sound to be heard alone so that every note shines and has their moment then they melt into each other with vibrancy before going back to a steady quiet. Pärt also adds religious words to his music and is specific with syllables which adds a rhythmic, hypnotic feel. He is a deeply religious man who sees and celebrates the beauty of life whilst accepting the truth of death through his music. Whether you are religious or not, Pärt’s hermeneutic approach gives warmth, elation and calm. He is a genius who gives his music life, the piece Cantate Domino Canticum Novum literally breathes on its own and somehow carries you along with it. This is a piece that I am familiar with as part of Aberdeen Bach Choir, whilst I enjoy it's simplicity, a lot of the choir whether they are basses, tenors, altos or sopranos find it irritating. This is possibly to do with the fact they are all excellent sight readers and can't appreciate his musical language, whereas, my sight reading is not on par with theirs and I therefore enjoy the minimalistic reading of notes.

The next step...

Blog 5: Space, place and people - Whakata, Maori music for children and nature.

In my next blog I am keen to dig deeper into whether or not children, specifically, can be affected by frequencies and sounds, in the same way adults can. Do grown ups have a need for calm due to adulthood stresses? Do babies and children encounter these same stresses? Can aligning with the earth's heartbeat and frequencies in early childhood save them from stress, making peace and calm a learned behaviour and cognitive skill allowing self-awareness and growth?

References

Church, M. (n.d.) Don’t bring all your noise into my silence. (composer Arvo Part)(Interview),” The Independent, (3074), p. S3(1). [10 Oct 2024]

Hibbert, B. (2022) The Sound of Bells. [online] Available at: The Sound of Bells – The acoustics, sound, tuning and history of church bells [17 Nov 2024]

Lehr, A. (1952) A general bell-formula. Acta Acustica united with Acustica, 2(1), pp. 35–38. [17 Nov 2024]

McAuliffe, S. (2024) Gadamer, music, and philosophical hermeneutics. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing AG. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41570-8. [07 Oct 2024]

Myers, C. (2024) Spiritual Meaning Of A Bell: Discover Its Significance In Meditation and Mindfulness Practices. [online] Available at: Spiritual Meaning Of A Bell: Discover Its Significance In Meditation And Mindfulness Practices [17 Nov 2024]

Petyaluk (n.d.) Russian Orthodox Bell Ringing on Pascha (Easter). [online] Available at: Russian Orthodox Bell Ringing on Pascha (Easter) - YouTube [16 Nov 2024]

Rossing, T.D. (1984) The Acoustic of Bells. [online] Available at: The Acoustics of Bells: Studying the vibrations of large and small bells helps us understand the sounds of one of the world's oldest musical instruments on JSTOR [17 Nov 2024]

Shenton, A. (2014a) The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt – Ch.7 Bells as inspiration for tintinnabulation by Marguerite Bostonia. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom, p128-139. [29 Sep 2024]

Shenton, A. (2014b) The Cambridge Companion to Arvo Pärt – Ch.4 Musical archetypes: the basic elements of the tintinnabuli style by Leopold Brauneiss. Cambridge University Press. United Kingdom, p55. [30 Sep 2024]

Willets, J. (n.d.) Bell Ringing at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon. [online] Available at: Bell Ringing at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford upon Avon - YouTube [16 Nov 2024]

Blog 5: Space, place and people - Whakata, Maori music for children with nature

Photo: Connor Gan (@connorgan) | Unsplash Photo Community

What is Whakata?

Whakata is a Māori concept meaning "to rest", and a collection of high frequency music for early years children. It involves high frequencies emanating gentle sounds along with nature i.e., birdsong, the sea or leaves rustling promoting relaxation and calm. It is particularly useful at nap times to encourage a peaceful setting that works alongside a child's natural rhythm. Many collections of music include songs (waiata) that provide cultural heritage allowing children to feel connected to their environment  (Haami, M. 2024; Williams, N.M. and Broadley, M. 2012). 

Paitu is an educational music provider that promotes nature inspired and cultural music for children. To hear some of the songs, click on the links below:

Ritual: Montessori celebration of life https://youtu.be/JWizGloOz7s

The Montessori celebration of life is simply a ritual whereby a child walk's around the sun singing a song for each year of their birth on their birthday. They then sit and sing another song and blow out their candle.

Karakia: Whakataka Te Hau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxduyheSrQk

Karakia are Māori chants or prayers - they can be for spiritual guidance, protection and communication with the gods.

Waiata: Pure Nei https://youtu.be/le5SS5j27-Q

Simply, a song.

Do you have a favourite?

Do they make you feel calm and connected?

Do they sound harmonious, melodic or dissonant?

Photo: Daniel Lienert (@daniellienert) | Unsplash Photo Community

How can Whakata help with early year's learning?

It is important that every child has a foundation to build upon and one important aspect is cultural foundation - this allows a child to learn and appreciate what has gone before; through the generations. Whakata creates a nurturing, peaceful and calm environment for all children to rest and reflect upon mindfulness. Along with cultural foundation and heritage are the elements of the music - there is a sense of not only connecting through generations, there is also a sense of connecting with nature through birdsong, the sea and other environmental sounds. Whakata also uses gentle vocals either in chant, singing or lullaby fashion - something we already know comforts children. There are also traditional Māori instruments known as taonga pūoro i.e., pūtōrino (flute) and nguru (nose flute). 

Click on the links below to see the instruments and hear their sounds:

Pūtōrino - wooden flute Richard Nunns playing the pūtōrino - YouTube

Nguru - wooden/bone nose flute. Nguru (Echoes from Hawaiki) - YouTube

Taonga pūoro - traditional Māori instruments Taonga Puoro: Pūtōrino ā Raukatauri - YouTube

We have already touched on the earth and nature emitting frequencies in previous blogs. It seems Whakata hones in on these frequencies and continues them through legato sounds and rhythms through both voice and traditional instruments. Whakata at bedtime can be beneficial through lullabies - let's listen to UCA (Universal Children's Audio) Music's Nature's Lullaby - Rest Time Whakata.

Experiment: lie down, close your eyes and listen to Album - Naxos Music Library

Think of your five senses -

Does Whakata help you build a sensory picture?

Are you transported to another place?

Do you see colours?

Does your body imagine it smells or tastes things?

Do you feel as though your body is draining itself of negativity?

Did you simply fall asleep?

Does this make you feel similar to the chakras spiritual frequencies?

Fill in the table below with your findings...

What are the benefits to children?

Firstly, it strengthens their traditional values of connection and kinship (whanaungatanga) and Māori cultural heritage which in turn fosters respect and a deeper understanding of diversity. Children feel calmer, more secure, they have less anxiety, better sleep patterns if used at bedtime and overall have increased emotional wellbeing. As far as education is concerned children improve their attention spans allowing them to remain grounded throughout the day in turn giving them space to have better coping skills. They also build a relationship with, and, appreciation of nature, whereby they become much more environmentally aware. All of these calming practices surrounded by family and nature allow children to be resilient, aware and emotionally developed through holistic practice (Tan, O.S. et al. (eds.) 2024) , continuously building on sustainable development goals (Mahony, L., McLeod, S. and Salamon, A. (eds.) 2024).

What have we learned?

The basis of Whakata is "to rest" in comfortable surroundings with family in nature. The Whakata music is ethereal; slow moving without pace allowing children and adults alike to simply take time to breathe - breathe fresh air, hear natural sounds and be part of a community that thrives on it's cultural heritage being passed down the generations.

Conclusion

I stumbled upon this subject and have thoroughly enjoyed researching why it is so important. Having been to New Zealand I understand their thinking, they are very much community and nature based as a nation. The land of the long white cloud, for me, is Scotland on steroids. Never have I felt so at home in a strange place - New Zealand throws cultural heritage in your face and it is one of the best experiences to be immersed in their rich warmth. The whole lifestyle is built on the outdoors and nature - the sea, the mountains, the lakes, the whales, the glaciers, the bubbling waters emerging from the ground. Yes, they work every day like other countries but space, place and people are the most important aspects of their lives. Tradition is everything to them, they don't want to lose what they have built through the generations, it is hugely admirable. Whakata fits with this laid back yet adventurous tribe, the music is calm, at one with the land yet uplifting and cleansing. It makes sense that this holistic approach to teaching children will instill a constant breathing space in their adult lives. When doing the experiment, listening to the Whakata lullabies, I felt sleepy. It didn't feel the same as the seven chakras experiment where I felt like I was floating. I think this is partly due to the rhythmic quality, the chakras frequency carried me along on a tribal rhythm, whereas, the Whakata felt like I was being swayed. As babies, our parents and grandparents sing to us and sway us backwards and forwards until we sleep. Could this feeling as an adult be a childhood memory that was ignited by the same rhythm and sounds? When I closed my eyes I saw the colour yellow morph into green then purple. Whilst Whakata doesn't speak of colours, the chakras do. If I were to combine the two philosophies, perhaps the Whakata lullaby affected my solar plexus, heart and crown chakras - I Do, I Love, I Understand. With this thought in mind, I feel those three simple phrases could certainly be enough to settle my mind, body and soul into a deep sleep.

The next step...

Blog 6: Space, place and people - Connections, similarities and differences

References

Ascension@Paitu (n.d.) Montessori birthday Walk celebration + Montessori Birthday song ‘The earth Goes Round the Sun. [online] Available at: Montessori Birthday Walk celebration + Montessori Birthday Song 'The Earth Goes Round the Sun' - YouTube [17 Nov 2024]

Ascension@Paitu (n.d.) Whakataka te hau | karaika | waiata. [online] Available at: Whakataka te hau | karakia | waiata - YouTube [17 Nov 2024]

Haami, M. (2024) He Whiringa Wainuku: A Weaving of Māori Genealogies in Land, Water, and Memory, Genealogy, 8(3), NA, available: http://dx.doi.org.uhi.idm.oclc.org/10.3390/genealogy8030080  [19 Nov 2024].

Mahony, L., McLeod, S. and Salamon, A. (eds.) (2024) Early childhood voices : Children, families, professionals. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56484-0.

Museum of New Zealand (n.d.) Richard Nunns playing the pūtōrino. [online] Available at: Richard Nunns playing the pūtōrino - YouTube [20 Nov 2024]

NAXOS Muisc Library (n.d.) Nature’s Lullaby: Rest Time – Whakata. [online] Available at:

Album - Naxos Music Library [20 Nov 2024]

New Zealand Folk Song (n.d.) Waiata for Pre-schoolers. [online] Available at:

NZ Folksong * Pre-schoolers' Waiata [17 Nov 2024]

Otago University Press (n.d.) Nguru (Echoes from Hawaiki). [online] Available at:

Nguru (Echoes from Hawaiki) - YouTube [20 Nov 2024]

SOUNZ Centre for NZ Music (n.d.) JEROME KAVANAGH: Introduction to Taonga Puoro. [online] Available at:

JEROME KAVANAGH: Introduction to Taonga Puoro - YouTube [20 Nov 2024]

SOUNNZ Centre for NZ Music (n.d.) Taonga Puoro: Pūtōrino ā Raukatauri. [online] Available at: Taonga Puoro: Pūtōrino ā Raukatauri - YouTube [20 Nov 2024]

Tan, O.S. et al. (eds.) (2024) Enhancing holistic well-being of children and youth: insights from Singapore for research, policy and practice in education. Singapore: Springer. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-3515-0. [21 Nov 2024]

Williams, N.M. and Broadley, M. (2012). Resource Kit – Waiata Booklet. [online] Available at:

RESOURCE SERIES | Waiata booklet [17 Nov 2024]

Blog 6: Space, place and people - Connections, similarities and differences

Photo: Aaron Burden (@aaronburden) | Unsplash Photo Community

In the beginning...

I started these blogs with the intention of looking at why music frequencies changed from 432Hz to 440Hz. I had no other direction or thoughts, so nobody is more surprised than me to find myself at this point. I have been able to make links between music frequencies, the seven chakras, tintinnabuli, and Whakata. This combination of philosophies brings cultural expression, science, sound and spirituality to the forefront. Although, each concept is unique they all have well defined structure and traditional values which help humans to feel involved through sound and resonance. 

My thoughts...

Music frequencies come from a scientific and acoustic background, they are based on fact and are specifically measured as vibrations per second (Hz). These frequencies become musical pitches. Humans can be affected by frequencies through their bodies (physical), minds (cognitive) and souls (emotional). Whether it is single note pitches or the earth's resonance humans have a capability for feeling them.

The Schumann Resonance or Earth's heartbeat is a frequency that all humans are unknowingly in tune with as our constant, giving us stability. The seven chakras hail from an ancient Indian philosophy, whereby, it is thought that humans have energy spots (chakras) within their bodies.

The chakras are in a vertical line through the core of a body and are associated with spirituality, emotions and physical being. Each chakra has a unique colour and frequency that allows a person to balance out. Our root chakra is the chakra nearest the bottom of our spine, it represents stability. Our crown chakra is the chakra nearest the top of our spine, it represents spirituality and freedom.

It could be said that frequencies, vibrations and chakras are connected - they work in harmony and channel healing energies which impact humans on a daily basis.

Tintinnabuli is Latin for little bells and inspired by Gregorian chant and Russian bells. It is a musical language inspired by the Estonian composer, Arvo Part. Tintinnabuli is a deeply sacred language that evokes time standing still; meditative and ethereal, whereas, the chakras are an Eastern spiritual language that enters your body. However, although, they are different concepts, both tintinnabuli and chakras instill peace and harmony. Both have simplistic features which allow humans to contemplate - a prayer like state in tintinnabuli and meditative focus in the chakras.

Whakata means "to rest" and is harmony through cultural expression. It involves, song, rhythm, and poetry to do with Māori connection and storytelling. The main focus is the same as the chakras and titinnabuli, resonance, balance and harmony but where chakras deal with individuals, Whakata deals with the community. However, Whakata, tintinnabuli and the chakras are aligned in the fact they evoke a meditative state in humans.

In a nutshell, the differences between the philosophies lies in their use and culture. Sounds and frequencies explore not only the individual but the community as a whole. No matter what quadrant of the earth we are on our experiences can be sacred, spiritual, healing, and meditative. Methods and origins may differ forcing different inputs but the outcomes appear to have the same positive impact on humans. Individually, the philosophies give us science, spiritual energy, artistic expression and cultural heritage and together they provide us with diversity and connection.

The next step...

Blog 7: Space, place and people - Creative Music ideas using frequencies, chakras, tintinnabuli and Whakata philosophies

Blog 7: Space, place and people - Creative Music ideas using frequencies, chakras, tintinnabuli and Whakata philosophies.

Ideas - Incorporating the above methods into creative music for children

I work with children in creative music and felt that I'd like to use some of the things I've learned through the above topics i.e., Tintinnabuli, triads, ascending, ostenato, monophonic, diatonic, 4/4, frequencies and Whakata. I came up with a very simple C major triad short rhyme whereby children can learn about bells, rhythm and song in a place of nature.

Ding Dong Ding is probably the simplest form of tintinnabuli ever but it shows the progression of how that simplicity will work by allowing the children to use it as a building block to their next stage of development by incorporating rhythm, sounds, singing and harmony. Whilst the children think they are playing they will actually be attuned and engaged. Their concentration and cognitive skills will enhance. And, their confidence will grow.

Song: Ding Dong Ding
CEG |CEG |G G |CEG |
Ding Dong Ding -
Ding Dong Ding -
Sing - Sing -
Ding Dong Ding -

Babies

Parents simply have baby lying on a mat on the floor, singing the song and using sensory scarves that they waft and drag lightly down their bodies. Tutor plays bells. Babies then get free play with bells - no connection will be made at this point but it will be a learned behaviour and is a good workout for their little fingers and minds.

2-3 years

Make it a standing up game, in a circle with parents, hold hands and wave them in and out in a bell swinging fashion, singing the song. The children will have no idea that they are learning, they will simply enjoy the game and grow in confidence.

3-4 years

Sitting game, each child/parent has either a note or rhythm. i.e., 3 children will have a bell each (C, E, G), 3 children will have chime bars (C, E, G) and the other children will clap on the rests. When the song has been done twice, the child/parent will move to their right until each one has tried each note or rhythm. This falls into the Suzuki method of teaching (International Suzuki Association, 2024), whereby, the child and parent learn together so even when the tutor isn’t there, the parent can teach the child allowing them to have a shared experience.

5-8 years

No parents involved in this class so it would be split into movement (to get rid of excess energy) then instruments with addition of harmony. The tutor would play the bells and clap.
Rhythm game: the children would stand in two lines then turning to face your partner, each child claps their own hands for Ding Dong Ding, then bends and slaps their own thighs for Sing Sing, then do a crossover right hand slap with their partner on Ding, crossover left hand slap with their partner on Dong and both hands clap with partner on Ding. Take a step to the right and continue with different partner.
Music game: the children take a playmat each and sit with their instrument i.e., a bell, a chime bar, a xylophone, a keyboard, drumsticks to incorporate rhythm, melody and harmony. By the end of their term they will be able to sing in harmony whilst playing their rhythm game. This is also the end game of creative music whereby the children can move on with confidence and understanding in singing and playing instruments.

GDPR

Experimenting

I was able to get some parents to agree to joining me in two separate creative music classes at Stonehaven beach, Aberdeenshire. I chose to use an outside space full of environmental sound so that nature was present like Whakata. In class 1 I should have had six children aged 2.5 - 5 years, however, due to illness I ended up with two 2.5 year olds. In class 2, I had two 3-4 year olds.

Experiment 1

Class 1 consisted of Josiah with mum, Rosie, and Taighe with mum, Lucy. Due to the age of the boys (both 2.5 years) I knew I wouldn't be able to get them to follow me through the song by ringing the bells at the correct times and neither would they have been able to sing the song in one taster session. This would have taken a term of approx. 10 weeks for them to have had enough repetition to be able to follow the song. Had there been older children there as first planned then they would have learned quicker by copying their peers. I didn't make them stand in a circle as I first thought, it was very cold and I wanted them to keep warm so we did some marching in circles whilst ringing the bells and singing the song. I also wanted them to hear the different crunching sounds they were making on the little stone beach and compare it to the bigger stone beach - the simple question was "does it sound the same or different?" to which they both said "different". We also looked at how we could make different rhythms with the different sizes of pebbles and we threw stones into the sea and listened for them plopping. We also watched the waves coming in and listened to the different sound of the water coming over the stones then leaving the stones. To finish we rang the bells and sang Jingle Bells.

Experiment 2

Class 2 consisted of David with mum, Caroline (and little sister Bethany) and Raife with Nana, Morag. Both Raife and David are 4 years old so I knew that although they wouldn't be able to learn the song and play it correctly in one taster session, they would understand the concept of when to the play the notes. We started off with some marching and running to the sea then running away from it, all the time listening for seagulls and watching the cold water swimmers and kayakers. We used egg shakers and pretended to be fairies taking quick little steps, giants taking slow big steps and then our own size steps to see if we could hear the difference of how those steps sounded on the pebbles. The boys both liked their own sized steps and sound they made better than fairies and giants. We then looked at the Miaowsic keyboard and I let the boys do some sharing/collaborating whilst looking out to sea. We also took big stones and tried different rhythms with them and did the same with small stones to hear the differences. We then used the bells to do Ding Dong Ding - whilst it wasn't perfect, they grasped that we took it in turns to play each bell. The excitement got too much for them and they wanted to run about the beach with the bells, octopus and lobster - who was I to stop them? We ended our session with some pretend surfing followed by hot chocolate and cake.

Conclusion

Positives

I had an absolute ball doing these classes, the adults were happy and the children amazing. They all took part with a huge amount of enthusiasm which was wonderful. Despite the fact, the temperatures were freezing, we were all appropriately dressed plus I kept us moving about more than normal. The caregivers all thought it was a fabulous idea to be outside instead of stuck in a stuffy hall and the children loved the sense of freedom that a natural environment gives. I knew what I wanted to do but I wasn't sure it would work especially when the children I was working with were all under 4. However, they were great and although I had a lesson plan I didn't stick to it as I felt it was best to keep both classes student led. There seemed little point in being at one with nature yet moving along to a rigid plan. I really liked this way of working, it was much more fluid and in keeping with our surroundings. It's hard to say if we moved along to earth's heartbeat or not - are we simply unaware of it or totally part of it? Did the sea play it's part in our wonderfully jovial activities? I feel that in a world of technology this could be a great way of leaving the iPads at home and simply breathing, not just learning music but learning about and respecting your environment. Due to huge issues with mental health, ADHD, Autism etc. in our younger generations I feel that being creative outside could become a learned behaviour for when they get older - an escape mechanism for later years. After speaking to the caregivers it became apparent that they'd like me to do more classes in the environment as opposed to halls. I certainly enjoyed the freedom, sound of the sea, people passing and saying hello etc. for that short space of time it felt very much like a community as opposed to a bunch of strangers. It was just simply a happy vibe that I would like to take part in again and again.

Negatives

Whilst I loved the age groups I worked with I would have loved to have taken the song through the levels from babies to 5-8 years, it would have allowed me to work out if each level was going to properly follow onto the next. I was very lucky that both days were dry, although, I had chosen that particular spot because of the community shelter two minutes away. Rain and snow would mean that you would be on your feet for the whole 45 minute class, whilst this would please the children, I'm not so sure the adults would enjoy it. I wasn't able to do anything with the chakras as one lady was a devout Christian, she didn't want any hocus pocus around her children which is something I have to take onboard. We are all different in our ways of thinking, therefore, keeping things middle of the road and not way out there will be beneficial for future. 

The next step...

I would love to work Ding Dong Ding into my creative music classes in the future. I would be especially keen to work with 5-8 year olds. They would be of a level that can keep a rhythm as well as playing the notes at the correct times. I'd like to split them into groups and use the idea of tintinnabuli with voices i.e., one part ascending whilst the other part is descending so they understand harmony.

Group A: CEG |CEG |G G |CEG

Group B: GCE |GCE |E  E |GCE

I would also like to use Ding Dong Ding as a way of teaching a canon - this would be a fun way of teaching the children how to sing in a choir, how to use their listening ears for all other parts but also be able to concentrate on their own part. Finally, I'd like the children to put movements to the song so that it becomes a playground type of game.

As part of my own creativity and continual improvement, I would like to perhaps take the sounds of the children - their voices, laughter, and musical sounds with pebbles, bells, keyboard, shakers etc. and incorporate them into a musical piece - bringing in tintinnabuli, chakras, The Schumann's Resonance and Whakata.

References