Alpha Music by John Levine

WHAT IS ALPHA-MUSIC?

The Alphamusic range is composed by John B. Levine, Australian-born graduate composer, pianist and teacher of meditation. The “Silence” series are simple and deeply resonant piano music.

They are usually used as a powerful, pure and aesthetic means to calm the mind, in preparation for any task which needs focus, alertness and presence.

The “Amber” and “Orange” compositions are more upbeat. These pieces are multi-instrumental and suited for use during work or study.

Alpha-music is highly recommended as background for therapeutic exercise such as qi gong, yoga and pilates.

They achieve their powerful effect through the composer’s awareness of how music actually affects our mind and mood.

To design this music, John has integrated his profound knowledge of the structure and function of music and of the physical behaviour and responses of the brain.

WHO IS JOHN LEVINE?

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 (SDR) Techniques at the University of NSW, including 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-high theta level, optimum for the job.

Based on this, and incorporating his musical knowledge and creativity, John developed ALPHAMUSIC as an effective tool anyone can use to cope with everyday stress and anxiety. Encouraged by his discoveries and egged on by friends, Levine wrote, played and recorded a 60-minute composition he called “Silence of Peace”. It is a strange title until you consider the amount and volume of “chatter” that crowds our brains every waking moment and how we might feel if there was less inner clamour.

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.