Rug Room

Rug Room

Saturday, Nov 18

Cymatics: The Shape of Sounds to Come

Presented by Jeff Volk and Erik Larson

Everything exists in a state of vibration, but these subtle oscillations are almost always invisible and thus, often overlooked. The science of Cymatics allows us to directly observe how audible sound creates form and structure in matter.  It provides a solid foundation for the therapeutic use of sound, based in empirical science.

Poet, producer and publisher Jeff Volk, will present the remarkable experiments of Dr. Hans Jenny as well as fascinating new material from contemporary Cymatics researchers. We'll view video excerpts comparing these vibrational ‘sound figures’ with patterns that appear in nature and throughout the world's great artistic and architectural traditions, ranging from cathedrals to crop circles. These ever-fluid forms portray many vibrational processes and universal principles which underlie our lives –such as the dynamics of chaos and re-integration– in much the same way that specific vibratory frequencies underlie and determine these sound figures.

These principles will be brought to life as participants create their own cymatic images in real time, by singing or toning into a startling new acoustic imaging device called the CymaScope®, which Erik Larson helped to design. This is a highly refined version of the instrument premiered at last year’s NESHRI conference. It has evolved into a precision device, constructed according to sacred geometric ratios, which has the capacity to visualize archetypal patterns of particular notes and pitches.

So be prepared to take a deeper look at the hidden nature of sound and vibration… “You’ll never look at sound the same again!” ™

Other Cymatics descriptives, click here.

Jeff Volk is a poet, a producer and a publisher.  In 2001 he re-issued Dr. Hans Jenny's groundbreaking Cymatics books which scientifically demonstrate how audible sound creates harmonic, geometric patterns found in intricate life forms, and in the sacred art and architecture of the world's Great Traditions.  He has just published an English translation of contemporary Cymatics researcher Alexander Lauterwasser’s stunning book, Water Sound Images. Over the past 20 years, he has published a series of programs on Cymatics, including Of Sound Mind and Body: Music and Vibrational Healing, which won the Hartley Film Award through the Institute of Noetic Sciences. This inspired him to produce the International Sound Colloquium in 1993, which for six years was the premier conference exploring the power of sacred sound and healing music. He lectures widely on Cymatics and related topics. More information may be found at cymaticsource.com.

Erik Larson has a long history as a designer, inventor, engineer and instrument builder. Vice President of the Inventors Network of Vermont, he played a large role in the development and production of the legendary Parker guitar, used by such notables as Joni Mitchell, Joe Walsh, Tom Hamilton (Aerosmith), and Reeves Gabriels (David Bowie). For the past two years, Erik has been working with acoustic engineer and Cymatics researcher, John Reid, to realize their shared dream of building a 21st Century device to visualize the effects of sound on matter, the CymaScope. His passion is to help people see sound, and thus understand the nature of the vibrations which hold us (and everything else that’s matter) all together.