Ok – I realize that this sounds weird, complicated and confusing – but seriously – just follow the steps one by one and it will be worth it…I promise, if you relax and visualize it – it will make sense.

Step one is open both of these youtube videos on your screen at the same time This is just an example – you can experiment on your own.

One is an Adagio for Strings, op.11 – the other is Annie Lennox. Now play them together at the same time.

First try to pick out one piece of music playing over the other – then switch.

Then try to listen to both pieces at the same time – imagining you are listening to a completely new work you have never heard before.

Now imagine looking into a stream where the water has spots where it moves slower and spots that move faster splashing over rocks or pooling before moving on. Then imagine the music does the same so that you are listening the “stream” of sound and it is blended in a similar way as the water.

Now relax and breathe and let the sound wash over your entire being.

Great! Now you need to go and find a piece of Art – a complicated abstract works well (although all visuals will work, really, at various levels of difficulty). Using the previous exercise on listening as a metaphor – apply the metaphor to the act of seeing instead of hearing…

by Mardi, written Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 10:16 pm Mountain time in Roberts Creek, British Columbia, Canada, Earth, Milkyway, Universe…

…there – here – and every point in between 🙂