Sound Meditation

OM or Aum is the primal vibration from which all other vibrations are believed to emerge, including all light, sound, and physical matter.

In the field of acoustics, vibrations of vibrations are called overtones, and these resonances are based on simple natural ratios. For example, doubling a sound wave’s frequency creates a note one octave higher. This tuning system has fallen out of favor in western music since the 17th century’s advent of Equal Temperament, which uses scales that don’t conform to the natural overtones of nature.
Acoustic Mandala Project creates soundscapes ideal for journeying and meditation. As participants don eye masks and lie down on yoga mats, Alexandre Tannous and David Ellenbogen will invoke the overtone-rich vibrations of gongs, Tibetan bowls, and other instruments.

About the artists

A prolific musician and producer, David Ellenbogen has studied and performed music in West Africa, India, and South America. He is known for his work with Brooklyn Raga Massive as well as his radio shows on WKCR and NYC Radio Live. His 24-hour Ragas Live Festival is entering its sixth year. He formed Acoustic Mandala Project with Joshua Geisler (Cirque du Soleil) six years ago and has since facilitated many sound and yoga retreats, from the Catskills to Costa Rica.

Alexandre Tannous is one of the leading practitioners, researchers, and educators of the integrative experience he calls “sound meditation.” He has been active as a musician, educator, composer, and ethnomusicologist and has conducted fieldwork for seventeen years in more than forty countries around the world. For the past twelve years he has been researching the therapeutic and esoteric properties of sound from three different perspectives—Western scientific, Eastern philosophical, and shamanic societal beliefs—to gain a deeper understanding of how and to what extent sound has been used to affect human consciousness.