Mirror of the Soul

Mirror of the soul is a reference to the precious metal silver because of its extraordinary reflective ability. An exquisite piece of silver jewelry reflects one’s taste or personality. Kodak film or a full-length mirror reflects an image of a beloved friend or family member. A silver musical instrument reflects a person’s heart or soul through sound. I am drawn to the luster of a silver ring, which is a symbol of love and eternal commitment. I am drawn to vintage photographs creatively laid out in a scrapbook or memory book. I am drawn to the purity of sound of a silver instrument. Silver is a tool for healing one’s body, mind and spirit. It is the best conductor of heat and electricity on the periodic table. Its chemical symbol Ag is derived from the Latin argentum, which means white light and shining. A flicker of white light is a beacon in the darkness, and we are drawn to the light like sheep to shepherds. It is the reason we soak up the sun, look up at the “man in the moon,” gaze at the Big Dipper, and “wish upon a star.” Following the light, in the words of Jiminy Cricket, “makes our dreams come true.” White light warms us literally and figuratively. The closer we get to its vibration, the purer we feel…

This book is about discovering God and using music as a tool. It is a look at the journey of my life experiences with 20/20 hindsight and how they have aligned in divine perfect timing so I could produce a work of this scope. It is about exploring my interests and hobbies, and revealing the symmetry and common threads in different disciplines that interest me. To be thorough, I have read books on music, music history, art, acoustics, physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, health, healing and theology. I focus on the role of music and prayer on the health of the human body – a subject that has fascinated me since my two-year-old sister, Christa, was diagnosed with leukemia in the fall of 1979…

In the pages that follow, I offer theories about the inner workings of the disciplines that are meaningful to me. I am not a scientist, nor a theologian, and I do not even claim to be a master musician. I love puzzles, and I like to analyze and contemplate. My thinking brain rarely rests. This is not my personal story but merely an analysis of my personal interests. Every aspect of this book has been thought out and carefully arranged. All chapters in this book have an underlying connection, and I am in awe of the stunning parallels that can be drawn between seemingly unrelated concepts. This book is about unity and duality, theology and science, allopathic medicine and alternative medicine, frequency and music, and linear time and eternity.

This book includes an accompanying CD that features pieces I have felt connected to for many years. Each piece resonates with me. It was not until I began researching these works that I discovered the reasons I have such a strong affinity with the chosen selections. There is an even split of past recordings that have been re-mastered and newly recorded material. The music is purposely arranged in this manner because of my fascination with the concept of time. In performing these compositions live, time has stood still for me or passed faster or slower than the second-hand of a clock or the ticking of a metronome. I have discovered theological and scientific theories that suggest past, present and future are happening simultaneously. I believe I have felt this intuitively and that this concept is mirrored in art via sculpture, painting, music, TV and film. We reflect the Creator in all we create.

My silver flute has allowed me to mirror back to God the blessings he has bestowed on me for over thirty-two years. Like the moon that reflects the light of the sun, I hope my silver flute reflects the light of the Son. This book is also about mirroring, both literally and figuratively. It is about reflecting – analyzing, observing, listening, hearing and heightening one’s awareness. Mirrors are and always have been part of our consciousness, from the microscopic to the macroscopic, from Narcissus to Walt Disney. There are many dimensions to this book. It is about developing a sense of awe for our Creator and the creations that mirror him. It is about our ability to mirror aspects of our friends’ personalities or interests or our ability to recognize another person as a complete mirror image of one’s essence – a rare relationship that must be cherished.

This book is about simplicity and complexity – spiritual significance reinforced by science and art. It is about the role of music in the cosmos, as all is vibration. The word universe literally translates “one song.” A recurring theme in my research is the power of the perfect fifth musical interval. Fifths are referred to as perfect because they are mathematically perfect ratios and very stable intervals. Sound healers use the interval of a perfect fifth to restore the physical body to perfect health. The number five is significant because it is the union of 2, an even number, with 3 an odd number associated with the Trinity. Modern mystics believe the perfect fifth serves to unite or connect heaven to earth, much like Jacob’s ladder. Jesus himself assumes this role of uniter in the New Testament. J.S. Bach used the number five when referencing Jesus because of the five wounds he suffered at his crucifixion – two hands, two feet and his side. This book devotes five chapters to the five roles Jesus assumed in his life on earth – Good Shepherd, Healer/Miracle Worker, Carpenter/Stone Mason, Fisher of Men and Son of God. References are made to music, science and art that reflect, or mirror, and support each of these roles of Christ. In the spirit of Jesus, I want to draw some stunning parallels between theology and science and reveal the reasons why these disciplines do not have to be diametrically opposed. Sound is the very vibration that preceded all matter. This material is presented by a musician who enjoys listening, observing, analyzing and hearing sound.