11-year-old blonde girl yodeling at TV competition
Inspiration

Yodeling Day?

by Emma Laurence

I’ll bet you’ve never heard of Yodeling Day. You’re welcome. This January 30th, you can join voices around the world that celebrate with contests or in community practice. And before you dismiss yodeling, like I did, as belonging to Alpine mountaineers and sheepherders, you need to meet a well-known Ukrainian.

She’s not an old man in lederhosen, though this young yodeler might make you reconsider reincarnation. Check out Sofia Shkidchenko wowing the judges in talent competition as an eleven-year-old (2 min):

As if that isn’t impressive enough, eighteen-year-old Sofia yodels Mozart [say what?] at the 2024 Winner’s Concert of the Boston International Music competition (3 min): 

Clearly, yodeling isn’t just some quirky, folksy vocal technique of fast flipping from chest to head voice. It’s an art form of recognizable value. Check out these facts:

  • In 2025, Switzerland’s yodeling was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage—which includes oral traditions, performing arts, festive events, and traditional craftsmanship.
  • Physical benefits of yodeling include strengthening vocal cord muscle fibers and increasing lung capacity for cardiovascular health.
  • Yodeling even releases endorphins. 

What’s not to love? 

I’m game for playing with a yodel for vocal agility and performance confidence [go big or go home]. What new vibration could launch the new year for you? A whistle, a mouth sound effect, or just louder laughter?

New sounds bring fresh energy!

That is living as music. 

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Uncategorized

Ride, Red, Ride!

by Emma Laurence

This is the one holiday tune you must hear because some songs break the mold. Ella’s version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town literally redefines holiday joy. (2 min) 

What is it about holiday music that reaches into our consciousness, igniting memories that set our expectations for upcoming celebrations? 

Some festive songs always lift us. Other melodies weigh us down when repeated ad nauseum in bricks and mortar retail. But a remake has the power to can shake us out of weepy nostalgia (positive or otherwise), and bring fresh spirit to this moment. 

Traditions aren’t a bad thing. Christmas trees bring the smell of pine, holiday baking infuses cinnamon and nutmeg, reading ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas or watching Love Actually for the 17th time can bring togetherness and goodness. 

And, we can also look for what’s new. Decorate to a different drummer than the little drummer boy. Learn how other cultures celebrate. Re-invent a recipe with ras-el-hanout, give gifts to neighbors we haven’t even met, or write a holiday limerick.

Let’s embrace the pulse of the present and get creative in bringing joy! It’s fun to combine the best of tradition with playful invention. 

My husband and I once hosted a New Years Day Pajama Brunch. Our friends arrived in PJs—one even rode the train up from Manhattan before public PJs were cool. Ride, Red, Ride! 

That is living as music.

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Did you miss last month’s adorable otter? Meet Leya, whose life was saved by music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Owl montage, 5 kinds
Uncategorized

Why Listen to Nature?

by Emma Laurence

The other night, I stepped out onto the back patio, drawn by a sweet smell and cool breeze. I found myself rocking slightly back and forth with the wind in the trees, when I heard a Great Horned Owl. I became still, my senses alert, and filled with awe.

Coincidentally, my friend Tim had forwarded me an article on listening to birds that ended with this: Birds live in the moment, and when I’m listening to them, so do I.  A Great Horned Owl’s call brought the writer to a heightened state of aliveness. Clearly, we both felt pierced with presence.

Here are several striking owls calls in a two minute clip. You may want to close your eyes and imagine your own after-dark experience:

Would you like the science on the benefits here? Mo, another reader, shared a scientific study on the effects of listening to sounds of nature vs urban sounds. This article speaks to nature’s impact on body and mood, including lowering blood pressure, reducing inflammation, and increasing positivity.

What busyness keeps us from stepping outside and going silent inside? Is it so hard? Sometimes I find myself so churned up with daily stuff that taking a moment to step beyond the sliding glass door into my backyard seems daunting. 

Yet, it’s exactly what I need. The night I heard that owl, I slept better than I had in days. I remembered that humans aren’t the only species on the planet. As I took deeper breaths (just naturally, not yoga-forcing), I rediscovered a rhythm that’s calm, connected to all life, and far more enjoyable.

So, here’s permission to be as wise as an owl. Let’s step out beyond that inertia when the pressure of our next to-do item or our binge-watching wants to take charge. Let’s listen to the birds, and remember.

That is living as music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Three teen siblings singing in harmony
New Perspective

Unexpected Harmony

by Emma Laurence

Last winter, my husband and I got in a car accident. A young driver pulled out from a side street  to cross our lane and make a left turn. We couldn’t brake in time. We hit the driver’s side door, shattering glass and sending the alarm keening into the night. Our car was totaled. 

Aside from being shaken up and having mild whiplash, we walked away pretty much unscathed. When I woke the next morning feeling surprisingly intact, the song title, “Amazing Grace” came to me.

I’ve searched for hours for a simple, beautiful version of one of the best-loved songs ever written. No famous recordings brought chills like the unexpected acapella harmony of these teen siblings (3 min):

Isn’t that stunning? Pure and true. Watching them reminded me of the innocence of the 17-year-old who pulled out into our path. 

Oddly, I experienced that accident as more of a healing than a car crash. For some reason we were meant to participate in a young man’s life lesson. As I sat with him on the curb waiting for the police, he kept saying, My Dad is going to kill me. Then he asked quietly, Am I going to go to jail? 

Remember that teenage vulnerability? No sweetheart, I answered, you’re not going to go to jail.

The next day, my chiropractor said my spine was actually better after the accident than before. The jolt improved my alignment. Who knew that was possible? More grace. 

Sometimes the synchronicity of an experience is truly music in motion. We really never know when we walk out the door what or who we’ll meet. But if we stay open to amazing grace—an unexpected or miraculous gift—it may come. 

That is living as music. 

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Demonstration of sound impact with car engine
Uncategorized

The Impact of Sound

by Emma Laurence

How much does sound impact us? Even in a subtle way, sound influences our thoughts and emotions—and it often does without us being aware.

Here’s a quick experiment to play with what I mean. Take a listen to this 15-second video with the sound OFF, then play it again with the sound on.

How did hearing the sound change your experience?

Last summer, I took my fabulous 2007 Honda Civic in for a pre-emptive check. I can hardly believe how low maintenance it’s been for 18 years.

But I’d been hearing a slight sound difference. I’m very tuned in to my car. So, while I asked my mechanic to look over what would make it last another year, I also requested that he check the exhaust system. The answer?

Besides new tires this winter, you’re good to go. Oh, and you do have a tiny hole the size of a ballpoint pen tip in your exhaust pipe. But there’s plenty of time before that’ll need replacing. 

I appreciated his integrity and still chose to replace it right away. No one else could hear the sound yet, but my vehicle and I are in synch. Why wait?

Similarly, when we’re in synch with ourselves, we’re aware of subtle changes in thoughts and emotions that can signal the very beginnings of a larger issue. Even a slight shift can bring us down, and we want to stay buoyant. 

Choosing to repair a tiny hole in our happiness now saves a much bigger problem down the road.

So, here’s another experiment. This week, take a moment periodically to tune into subtle sounds. Focus on the ones that have an uplifting impact, open your heart, or make you laugh.

And if you notice any tiny disturbance, handle it now. 

That is living as music.

colorful painting of female singers
Uncategorized

Bucket of Love

by Emma Laurence

I learned a surprising truth about music when performing an acapella tune called “Bucket of Love.” Written by singer/songwriter Meg Tennant, this three-part harmony song carries a power all its own—a sound current of love. 

Take a listen to the original recording. It’s a big wow: 

Our trio prepared well. Tech rehearsal on Thursday night enlivened us. Every musician backstage came forward to listen, and they cheered us wildly at the end. 

Saturday night’s performance presented a different story for me, personally. I had a tough day, and by evening my body was tired and my voice felt weak. The other two singers came out of the gate on our first note with such force that I thought, I’m in trouble. 

I had a choice. Do I try to push the sound out, or do I relax into the resonance of my instrument, knowing some low notes would be barely audible?

I chose to stay true to my instrument in the moment and allow the sound to be.

Here’s the surprise: the feedback we got was so overwhelmingly positive, that I had to wonder what happened! What were they hearing out in the house? 

A trusted friend in the audience said something else came through our voices. 

The song’s musical flow and lyrical story carried outward on that powerful sound current, landing in the listeners. The truth is that music coming through a pure heart rides a wave, no matter what. Flow over push delivers buckets of love.

It takes both creator and performers to surrender ego and be conduits for that primal sound. It’s the love needed for our very survival—the one that assures us no matter how things may appear, all is well.

That is living as music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Blue background image of sound frequency in the form of a vibrating circle
Impact of Sound

Healing Sound Frequencies?

by Emma Laurence

Is it possible to heal our body, feelings, or mind using sound frequencies? Sound therapists and scientists appear to be discovering the same truth. That frequencies of sound can at least invite, if not bring about, relaxation, release from anxiety, deeper sleep, and healing.

I’ve been experimenting with a low frequency sound (175 Hertz) to reduce pain. The following short sample combines 175Hz with other vibrations to encourage a theta brain wave state. Theta is the wave our brains produce when drowsy, lightly sleeping or in deep relaxation.

I aim for the most pure and refined sound in what I allow into my consciousness and what I give out through my voice. Granted that’s a tall order! But one step I can take is to test out sounds to see what beneficial impact they may have on me as an individual. 

The older I get, the more careful I am at taking anything from an outside source at face value. For example, the advent of AI has required even more alertness and attunement to my inner guidance. 

With that bit of a disclaimer, if you’d like to test out particular sound frequencies, the following is the best video I can find to sample nine currently recognized beneficial tones. (10 min). 

What impact do these sounds have as you listen? 
Which sounds are you drawn to for peace, balance or healing?

If it’s helpful, this guide below lists possible benefits from listening to the nine frequency vibrations. Perhaps your experience matches, or maybe you feel something different.

In chaotic times, every tool we can find to strengthen the integrity of our bodies, minds, and emotions is welcomed. We want to be strong, secure, and sound within our own being. 

Let’s listen inside ourselves first and foremost for our highest guidance and truth. With that intention, we’ll be led to the gifts of sound that uplift, purify, and heal.

That is living as music. 

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Close up of the sun with an audio bar across showing that the sun sings, makes sound.
Impact of Sound

The Sun Sings

by Emma Laurence

Are you as surprised as I am to learn that the sun “sings”? I know scientific instruments detect and monitor sounds in the universe all the time. Yet, I never thought of the sun having sound. 

Through a process called data sonification, heliophysicists use NASA satellites like audio recorders to listen to the sun’s electromagnetics. It took NASA 300 hours to make this 1-minute raw audio. Their telescope took video every 12 seconds of invisible UV light. 

Take a listen and see if you find resonance here, as the sun sings:

A simple sound can give us a way to probe inside our life-giving star and better understand its deeper layers. How cool is that?

For me, when the human world becomes too chaotic, I try to understand deeper layers, too. I work at expanding my heart, and I seek a bigger picture. I remember that the sun shines the next morning despite the human drama playing out on earth. 

And I listen for a sound to uplift me—rain on the roof, my dearest friend’s voice or my cat’s purr, a beautiful singer. Learning that the sun creates music as it shines lifts me up with light and sound. 

I also discovered recently a kind of sunrise within me each morning, too. On any given day, the quality of light inside may be diffuse or bright, depending on what I dreamt the night before, how my body feels that morning, or what emotions show up. Like internal weather.

If we greet the day by opening to that light, that sound— from an outer or inner sun— will we gain in peace and confidence? Maybe our personal world would brighten, no matter what surrounds us.

Even seeking that place is living as music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.

Hummingbird in flight near a feeder
Animal Story

Hummingbird Wings

by Emma Laurence

Have you ever been close enough to hear the sound of hummingbird wings? I found it magical.

Hummingbirds hover at an average rate of 80 wingbeats per second. With strong muscles, and rotating shoulder joints, their wings flutter in a figure 8 pattern. This allows them to move forward, backward, or pivot to the side.

Take a listen to this remarkable creature in flight. You’ll hear some chirps, too!

Who isn’t delighted by catching sight of a hummingbird? In some Indigenous cultures, this little bird is the symbol of joy and healing. In others, a sign of strength, endurance, beauty and harmony.

My husband and I often share our ‘highlight of the day’ right before we go to sleep. One night, after a day of many gifts—abundant organic produce from our local farm, excitement of my upcoming book launch, strength my husband is gaining from weight lifting—how remarkable that we both named our highlight as the hummingbirds at our feeder!

It’s good to celebrate life’s big events. And, on any given day, our peak experience might still be as tiny and miraculous as the sound of a hummingbird’s wings.

All we need to do is stay alert for the small joy that darts into our lives.

That is living as music.

Photo by Eric Brehm on Unsplash

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Giraffe in motion in the wild
Animal Story

Giraffes Hum!

by Emma Laurence

I first learned that giraffes hum to one another from reading the historical novel West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. The novel fictionalizes a 1937 trek across the U.S.A., when two young giraffes arrived in New York harbor during a hurricane, barely alive, and were transported by make-shift rig to the San Diego Zoo. [A great adventure tale, highly recommended.]

Who knew that giraffes hum?
Click below to listen to this extraordinary nocturnal sound:

Giraffe in motion in the wild

In the novel, the young giraffes hum to comfort one another, to create safety, and to express a sense of contentment. The human characters are awe-struck when they experience this vibration firsthand.

I got to wondering if people who experience insomnia might benefit from learning the giraffes’ secret to comfort and peace. Many of us may listen to ocean waves or soft music as a way to relax into sleep. But what about making our own sound?

It turns out that humming isn’t just soothing. It stimulates the vagus nerve and signals the brain to calm down. It lowers our heart rate and blood pressure. Humming produces oxytocin, can release melatonin, and induces parasympathetic dominance.

Several research studies have been done on humming’s healing impact. In fact, a book called The Humming Effect dives deeply into the topic.

As we look for ways to calm our nervous system, quiet our minds, and balance our emotions, isn’t it heartening to know that we carry with us this simple sound technique? I’m trying it out.

Thank you, giraffes!
That is living as music.

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Find Your Rhythm. Harmonize with your heart.