"My wish is to help the greatest number of people through the healing powers of music."
John B Levine
About John Levine - the creator and composer of Alphamusic
John Levine has been creating original music and playing piano since he was six.
He graduated as a composer from Sydney University, Australia and spent several successful
years in commercial music, working with bands like INXS and Midnight Oil and writing
jingles for Saatchi and Saatchi and the Coca-
No other composer has
set out with the same intent that drives John Levine. Trained originally as an electronic
engineer and then as a classical composer, John has also studied psychology and the
physiology of hearing. He read about the discovery by Dr Hans Berger, of how the
brain emits electrical waves, which rise and fall in intensity depending on our mood.
These waves, whether in the brain or being emitted into the air, are measured in
Megahertz (MHz) and scientists. After considerable experimentation, John established
the pattern of sound that predictably invites the brain to settle into alpha state.
This is a calmer state than the excitable peaks and troughs, known as beta, which
contribute to feelings of anxiety.
While beta has its purpose, it also interferes
with our ability to stop, take stock and work out a better long-
At university Levine became deeply interested in meditation. He studied at the Sydney
Transcendental Meditation Center and then pursued a wider, more varied understanding
of meditational practices. Alpha Relaxation with Jacob Bloom, Systematic Desensitization
Relaxation Techniques at the University of NSW, Mind Language with Robert Murphy.
The more he learned, the more certain Levine became that he could write music deliberately
aimed at stimulating the brain to produce the waves we need to function at different
levels. For instance, when we want to intensify concentration, retain information
and study more productively, we could listen to music that "makes" the brain operate
at low alpha-
Based on this, and incorporating his musical knowledge and creativity, John developed
Alphamusic as an effective tool anyone can use to cope with stress and anxiety. Encouraged
by his discoveries and egged on by friends, Levine wrote, played and recorded a 60-
Levine suggests that four minutes into listening to "Silence of Peace", our brain
waves may "notch down" to alpha state. This is the same mental calm and freedom we
enjoy when we first wake from relaxed sleep. Quite a claim. But tantalising for anyone
who battles to balance the sensory and emotional overload of our urban lives!
Levine
named the rebirth of his musical career Alphamusic, to signify the importance he
places on alpha waves. The brain produces alpha waves when our mind is completely
relaxed, for instance, as we awaken from deep sleep, or when we meditate. In this
state we are most likely to have our most creative insights and experiences.
In the
course of 2004, he collaborated with Australian psychologist and journalist, Dr Amanda
Gordon, to create a series of five, guided relaxation CDs called “The Armchair Psychologist
Series”. It is hoped this work will help to lower stress in both parents and adolescents.
With great joy, Levine now fosters his passion for working with people. In specialised
workshops, he draws together meditation and music to assist teachers and students
at all levels, from kindergarten to university. His delivery is tender, candid and
highly personal, with content tailored to meet the needs of the group he is leading.
He shows nursery school teachers how to use Alphamusic to calm their kids. With glee,
he tells of a phone-
At St Matthews' Primary School in Cambridge, his
music is played during all Math's classes, as well as during exams. According to
their headmaster, the school plans to adopt this as a general practice.
"My wish
is to help the greatest number of people through the healing powers of music."
John
B Levine
FREE SAMPLE TRACKS
Available from our home page
CLICK HERE to listen to John’s radio show
