noise pollution

Its 6:14 a.m., mind chatter, and now I am up. I am listening to my brainwave synchronization music, chanting to Lakshmi, doing my back exercises while I watch video that interest me. Vocal warm-up and singing practice. Then I am up on the phone working, making appointments, on the computer and oops, got caught in a facebook thread, because I got distracted, or I was feeling lonely, uh…bye!
 
My phone emits various sounds while on, my fridge and heater make noise, and my car is pretty loud too. In the car, the music or local radio and I am visually processing road signs, advertisements, reacting to stupid driving moves, and someone’s bass at a decibel loud enough to kill plants.
 
I am at the gym and I gotta have my music, oh, gotta get that call, that’s a possible gig, Evening is full of events involving either music or speaking, or listening, or talking or singing, or making music with instruments, or watching something and…
 
     S                         T                            O                         P                !
 
Attention is what I pay, and now its getting to be expensive.
              
How much can our brains process in one day, especially when it involves sound? Can you hear yourself think? In the world of music there is a function called audiation, which is the ability to hear something when it is no longer there. You’ve turned on the music, now you’ve turned it off. What happens? For me, it’s a little nuts. I hear music in my head c o n s t a n t l y. It’s not unusual for me to hear two songs or two parts of one song at the same time. Audiating, one hears what is missing in a way that allows space for one to re-create it. I would also add, to create something new.
 
I have facilitated drum circles and one of the reasons I gravitate towards facilitation, aside from its creativity, is that at a typical drum circle, I feel bombarded by sound, and my nervous system needs a rest. The rest is where the breath can take place, where nuance can enter.
 
So it is in music making. Songs that have planned rests elicit an anticipation, a kind of leaning forward into it. We have such a wonderful opportunity in improvisation since there is no plan. Allowing silence and pause can translate into spaciousness in our minds and nervous systems, and create space for other’s contributions.
 
Go to the woods or the ocean and sit quietly.
 
Take media breaks throughout your day to prevent overwhelm.
 
Stare at the wall for a while.
 
Its all good.