I have finished reading a book called the power of tranquility in a very noisy world by Bernie Krause and I've actually circled back to earlier chapters now that I'm done. You may know that I'm a big fan of Krause because his now decade old book The Great Animal Orchestra was instrumental in shifting how I listened to the world around me. It was one of those "aha" moment books, and I read it not long after finding One Square Inch of Silence by Gordon Hempton. I've written in this blog about both of them and described them as acoustical mystics.
Dr. Krause was a professional musician in the 50's and early 60s who transitioned with a partner into recording for films such as Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, and Apocalypse Now. He also worked with musicians The Beach Boys, The Doors, Linda Ronstad, Mick Jagger, and many more. For more than 40 years he has travelled the world recording and archiving the sounds of more than 15,000 species and he did pioneering work in establishing the soundscapes of different environments, literally "all God's critters got a place in the choir."
One of the many aspects of the power of tranquility which I really appreciate is the thoughtful questions and helps at the end of chapters which invite us to engage with our soundscapes, wherever we may be, whether in urban/suburban settings or in the wilds. There is a lifetime of wisdom here and reading the book stirred me to sharpen the focus I have already included in my life.
I would add that I choose to do this as a person of faith, with the conviction that listening in the natural world is vital to spiritual health and to honouring both Creator and Creation. As I read it occurred to me that I would like to develop a study series which incorporated Bernie's questions, encouragements, as well as the sound walks described in the Supplementary Summary.
This book wasn't written as a spiritual treatise or guide but some tweaking of the material would make it a great resource for a group in a faith setting. And there are actually a number of times when spiritual language is used.
In the first sentence of the introduction Dr. Krause describes an "authentic holy rendezvous" (great phrase) and goes on to speak of an overpowering emotional impression of sanctity. Later in the book he says that "the forest, desert, and ocean biophonies are the voices of the divine, the sermons from the mount, the spiritual homilies of ancient times", to which I would respond, Amen Brother! I didn't anticipate an altar call but he certainly gives witness to what I would term Creation in a way which resonates with my Christian heart.
While the Krauses reside in California, Bernie's beloved and wife and co-creator of Wild Sanctuary, Katherine, reads this blog from time to time -- you can follow her on Twitter. Could we come up with a guide to the book which might be used by faith communities of various persuasions? It's always worthwhile to draw on the wisdom of elders!
As an aside I discovered in reading the book that the Krauses spent time at Christ in the Desert Monastery in the wilds of New Mexico. It really is far from the madding crowd, but I've been there twice while on retreat at nearby Ghost Ranch.
Whatever the case, both of Bernie Krause's books are very worthwhile, so turn down the volume, attune your ears, and give them a read or listen. Oh yes, there is also an immersive audio-visual presentation of The Great Animal Orchestra which in currently touring the world. I would love to see it. Here is an link to a fascinating interview about the film with both Katherine and Bernie which whets my appetite:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic8Ss8ON_uE
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