Transcendent Waves: How Listening Shapes Our Creative Lives

by Lavender Suarez, Bibbe Hansen (Introduction)

How can thoughtfully and intentionally listening to our world inspire our creative practices? What insights can we gain when we delve into the immersive world of sound, which permeates our every moment? In Transcendent Waves , sound healing practitioner, meditation teacher, and artist Lavender Suarez outlines how listening can unlock moments of creative spark, self-awareness, and mindfulness in a work that is equal parts how-to guide and contemplative artist’s workbook. Suarez's illustrated meditations combine the open-ended freedom of Yoko Ono’s Grapefruit with the profound psychological insights of Oliver Sacks to offer a modern take on the impact of listening in a world that gets louder every day. Featuring an introduction by Bibbe Hansen―artist, Warhol star, and daughter of Fluxus co-founder Al Hansen― Transcendent Waves compiles scientific evidence, anecdotes, and thoughtful prompts for readers to manifest a sense of wonderment and appreciation for the intricacies of listening and the new perspectives it can bring to our daily creative worlds.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Art

120 pages, Paperback

Published December 15, 2020

Reviews

[Blayze Hembree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is best when read slow, contemplating over nearly every sentence. And it's so uplifting that I now want all of my friends to read it.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take a pause. I will chew on the silence thoughts for some time.

[Briana Yarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always thought of myself as a "visual learner."As a kid, I had a difficult time following and processing oral instruction in school. I have a vivid memory of being in Kindergarten and my teacher Mrs. Faxon queuing up a recording of a man calmly giving instructions we were to follow. Draw a yellow line, draw a blue circle, and put a red square below the circle. I remember drifting off into a daydream and then losing track of the instructions, which the man seemed to be dictating faster and faster. Eventually, I realized I am hypersensitive to sound - which is probably why I was having a difficult time filtering out the distractions in that new classroom environment.

I appreciated Lavender Suarez's insights into how to harness our power of listening while practicing it mindfully. The book inspired me to explore some new sound therapies and experiment with listening to music at different frequencies while doing creative work. Visually, I loved the simplicity of the typefaces used, the way each section is color-coded, and the nostalgic illustrations.

[AK]

This book is a lovely physical object, and it didn't take very long to read. Could even read most of it while watching/listening to some of Suarez's sound baths on YouTube. Some nice to questions to prompt more attention to sound and listening, and the illustrations are excellent, but ultimately, a featherweight outing (for what I was hoping for from this). I just need to read Pauline Oliveros. Would be a pleasant and lightly inspirational read while in the waiting lounge of your acupuncturist.

[Eli Haider-Bierer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short n sweet

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening is believing!

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice introduction to processing the sounds that surround you and understanding how they influence our daily lives. A very easy read, making it an excellent resource to revisit occasionally to ground one in their present environment.
Also really nicely printed and assembled!

[Patrick King · Rating 4 out of 5]

Savored slowly, but still perhaps too quickly. All in all I found the sections on silence the most illuminating (and of course the idea that the Big Bang wouldn’t have produced a sound that human ears could have “heard”).

[Colin Boardway · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit sappy and a lot of stating the obvious but done so in a way that made me appreciate things I’ve been taking for granted. A nice reframing of my day to day.