Dr. Cash and Dr. Alfred Tomatis
Dr. Alfred Tomatis
In the Spring of 1991, I was very fortunate to be able to study with Dr. Alfred Tomatis at the Sound Learning and Listen Center in Phoenix, AZ. This was the very beginning and the foundation on my journey into the world of Music Medicine. Prior to that, I was a classical piano professor and performer. Dr. Tomatis opened up a whole new world of sound healing to me and I was mesmerized by the possibilities. The experience also opened up my awareness of how ancient the knowledge and the wisdom is, surrounding the power of sound and the power of vibration.
One of the facts that was amazing to me was the concept that the ear is not just a differentiated piece of skin, but that actually, the entire body that is covered with skin, acts as an ear. What?? He explained that, through vibration, we actually hear and feel vibration through every pore of our body. That made sense to me and I’ve never forgotten it.
The internationally famous percussionist, Evelyn Glennie, as been completely deaf from childhood, but she tours the world playing percussion pieces, with orchestra, written just for her. How does she do this? She plays completely barefooted and feels/hears all that she needs to through the soles of her feet and the vibrations that permeate her body! She has been awarded high honors in music from institutions around the world, and all this after she was told
by her high school guidance counselor that she could not possibly have a career in music! Please watch this brief excerpt from her documentary bio that appeared years ago. I don’t know if Dr. Tomatis and Evelyn Glennie ever met, but I certainly hope that they did because she truly epitomizes that things that Dr. Tomatis taught!
Below you’ll find an almost two-hour video of how Dr. Tomatis taught other sound healers to tone, and do skeletal humming. To my surprise, you’ll see him working with me at the very end of the video, time-stamp 1:48:14. I remember that momemt quite vividly. Many of the healers that preceded me had a little bit of trouble with the
instructions and I feared that I might too, but Dr. Tomatis seems pleased when I gave his technique a try!
Dr. Tomatis passed away on December 25, 2001, but his contributions to the fields of music medicine, sound psychology and otolaryngology will be felt for many years to come!
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