by Michael Lohr

Jonathan Goldman is an internationally acknowledged authority in the field of sound healing and a pioneer in the field of harmonics. An author, teacher, musician and world-renowned sound researcher, he has worked with masters of sound from both scientific and spiritual traditions including the Dalai Lama’s Chanting Gyuto and Gyume Monks. He has also been blessed by the Chant Master of the Drepung Loseling Monastery to teach Tibetan Overtone Chanting. He holds a BS in Film Production from Boston UniversityLesley College. He is also a lecturing member of the International Society for Music and Medicine. and a Master’s Degree in Sound Healing Research from

ML: Let’s begin by delving into just exactly what healing sound is and how it works. Could you please give us an overview?

JG: The ancients understood what our modern physicists are now saying:  that everything is in a state of vibration.  From the electrons moving around the nucleus of an atom to planets in distant galaxies moving around their suns, everything is in motion and therefore, creating a vibration.  This vibration may be perceived of as being a sound.   Everything also has it’s own resonance. Resonance is the natural vibratory frequency of an object.  This includes the human body-- Every organ, every bone, every tissue, every system of the body is creating a sound. When we are in a state of health, we’re like an extraordinary orchestra that’s playing a wonderful symphony of the self. But what happens if the second violin player loses their sheet music? They begin to play out of tune, and pretty soon the entire string section sounds bad. Pretty soon, in fact, the entire orchestra is off. This is a metaphor for disease. With regard to sound, I ask, “What if we could somehow give the string player back her sheet music?” What if we could somehow project the correct resonant frequency to that part of the body that is vibrating out of harmony, and cause it to vibrate back into its normal, healthy rhythm, restoring it to a condition of health? That’s the basic principle of using sound as a healing modality.

ML: When people say that they can relax or fall asleep better to the sound of wind or rain, is this a natural, functioning sound healing method at work?

JG:   Indeed it is.  The sounds of nature seem to that fall within what is called the “alpha” brainwave bandwidth—that is, frequencies around 7 to 12 cycles per second.  These sounds help generate calmness and relaxation by themselves. That’s why there are a number of recordings that simply feature these nature sounds. They’re very effective at instilling tranquility.

ML: So tell me about the Sound Healers Association, of which you are a founder. What are your mission goals?

JG:   The Sound Healers Association was founded in 1982 as an organization dedicated to the research and awareness of the uses of sound and music as therapeutic and transformational modalities. We’re around and even more active 25 years later.

We have many different mission goals. Some of them are:  1. To research and explore the uses of sound and music for well-being, to share and promote awareness of this knowledge and to network internationally those active in such work for the betterment of all. 2. To promote the education and awareness of the therapeutic and transformative uses of sound and music, including dissemination of information and activities such as music and toning groups in hospitals, hospices, holistic centers and schools.  3. To network people involved in the area of sound, music and the health profession, including an International Directory of SHA members. These are just some of the goals.  I invite all those interested to visit our newly designed website: www.soundhealersassociation.org  We’ve got some amazing material on there including a Sonic Library that’s available to members with which allows you to listen to guest lectures from some of the great founding pioneers of Sound Healing.

ML: I personally have had many encounters with resonance, but one in particular that I remember was a couple of years ago, while walking through a Native American craft boutique, I came upon a display of large, hand made, bronze wind chimes. I was tired from a long trip, had a headache and felt a bit washed out so to speak. Also my mental focus was diminished. When I touched a bigger set of chimes the sound was so wondrous. It reverberated through me so thoroughly that my entire physical and mental disposition changed instantaneously. Not only that but I suddenly began to channel my artistic muse with greater clarity. This was amazing. How could a random encounter with tonality cause such a dramatic change?

JG:   Luck and good karma.  I say this because I know of a number of people who have had similar experiences somehow finding themselves in situations where they were exposed to sounds that balanced and harmonized them.  It really made them believe in the power of sound to heal and transform. At the same time, I also know of people who have been tired and worn out and heard a sound that somehow aggravated the situation and made it even worse. So there’s an aspect of being in the right place at the right time with regard to your experience.

Now, with this in mind, I will tell you a brief story. A friend of mine who was a music writer (and in truth, quite a non-believer in the power of sound to heal) came to visit me.  She got out of her car after having driven for many hours and was feeling quite tired with a powerful headache. I immediately sat her down, pulled out a set of Pythagorean Tuning Forks that were cut to the very specific (and healing ratio) of 2:3, and hit them together.  Then, I brought the tuning forks around her head and her energy field. These tuning forks are extraordinary for bringing balance and harmony and indeed my friend’s headache immediately vanished.  She felt revitalized and rejuvenated after just a couple of minutes of therapeutic sound.  And she became a believer in the power of sound.  I tell you this story because my hunch is that those chimes that you experienced in the store probably utilized these same ratios as these tuning forks and thus you had a healing experience because the chimes were actually sound healing tools.