Newsflash..........Newsflash..........Newsflash Georgia and I returned to Australia on the 4th of Dec. 2004 This website and all e-mail addresses here will continue to operate. CD's can still be purchased via this site by contacting Andi I would like to thank everyone who has helped me and my work in Germany and other parts of Europe over the last 5 years. Without you all none of the beautiful evenings and workshops would have happened. Over the month of December we will be re-establishing ourselves back in Australia. I would really appreciate it if you could wait until the middle of January to e-mail unless it is urgent. We have had a very fullfilling time here in Germany and met many wonderful people and we will be trying to return for a few months every year for workshops and concerts Once again, a huge thankyou for all your support Joseph Sound Healing: (an article by Joseph Stanaway from 2002) Ever since I was a child I had a sense, an instinct, that some music had a kind of magic, some kind of extra power. As I grew older I sensed that this was not always confined to the composition, but also had a lot to do with the performer. Certain singers or musicians were able to manifest something extra. They usually had a strong intention. In the early nineties I had my first conscious experiences with the mind altering ability of music when I went into trance whilst playing percussion using repetitive interwoven rhythms. This combined with vocal experimentation and my desire to overcome total terror of using my voice in public, led me to the world of sound, sound healing and the use of the voice as a healing tool. I have found that the simple act of humming, for example, has the extraordinary effect of not only cleaning and clearing my voice, it also uplifts my spirit. Humming gently vibrates the whole body from the inside, and humming for sustained periods is like an internal sound massage. It is extremely relaxing if it is not controlled by the brain. We can then extend this facility and direct the hum to different parts of our being, using intent, to an arm for example, or the blood, or nervous system, or skin, or to our emotions, or our chakra system. The choices are only limited to our imagination. Humming can bring unbalanced parts of ourselves into harmony. Here entrainment is often at work. An example of entrainment is when we hold a vibrating tuning fork next to an unstruck fork, and the second fork also begins to vibrate. Toning is the creation of vowel sounds, and most of us are aware of the ahhh sound as having a direct relationship to the heart. We can feel how open and good this sound is for the mouth, jaw and chest area, especially when we fill the sound with love. And the ooooo sound is so good for toning into the aura, tuning up the electromagnetic energy field around all of us. I have personally experienced toning my wife's bleeding leg with the ooo sound and completely stopping the bleeding in less than one minute. The use of intent when instilled into the sound, creates the power "behind" the sound. One aspect of the eeeeeee sound, is its effect in curing tinnitus (ringing in the ears). When we listen to, or create harmonics, i.e. vocal overtones, we are drawn to them with such a strong feeling of knowing. This is really not surprising, as the mathematical relationships existing between overtones are found in much of nature on a microsmic and cosmic level. For me, one of the most beautiful things that happens when a group of people are toning or singing together, is the feeling of community. That magical experience, when, without losing our sense of individuality, we feel the boundaries between us disappear and we commune in a non-judgemental and understanding nature. This can have a profound effect for a lot of people, especially around issues of self-acceptance. By using these simple tools regularly, we steadily alter our perceptions and increase our ability to be constructive and loving members of our global community. Joseph Stanaway (2002) We Are Symphonies Joseph Stanaway (2003) A hum, a tone, a sigh, a groan a vibration within a sound is out Borne on breath and intent and love Connected to angels and our eternal soul We are light and sound and love We are symphonies to be sung. Toning Group in Hamburg Following a great workshop in Hamburg in late March, participants started a Toning group in Hamburg to continue the sound work. Details of times, place etc can be found on the Dates/Termine page on this site. If you need any info please e-mail or telephone. Its fantastic that the world of sound and voice is continuing to grow all over the world, and is helping people to become less stressed and more able to express themslves. ...... The New 'Earth' CD The new EARTH CD ( Star Chants ) is now available. The vocal overtones combine with Dominik's cello playing to form a beautifully grounding and restful soundscape of tones and melody. E-mail or telephone to place your order and I will post it to you immediately. Cost is 15 Euro per CD plus post, ( see post under CD's ). e-mail: cd-order@starchants.com ...... Also, Dominik and I are now performing improvised versions of this CD in Concert preceded by Richard Holzhauser on gongs See dates/termine page of this site for details of our new Healing Music Evening. ....... Bells and Musicians of Augsburg This is a project involving the City of Augsburg and well known musicians and composers of Europe. I initiated this idea last year and it is now in the early stages of development. The recording of the bells is now well under way. We are still looking for some involvement from persons or companies who would like to be patrons of this most interesting project. With co-operation of the churches and local and European artists/composers, we aim to create a CD of music especially created to combine with the sound of the beautiful bells of the old city. An especially rewarding aspect of this project, is the willingness of many different interest groups to come together, and support each other for the improvement of the community. I believe this CD will provide great music and an interesting and historical snapshot of these times. Joseph Stanaway