Wind Chimes And Monks: The Music Of Claus Jensen

I met Claus Jensen on Pat O'Bryan's new forum. This is a great place to meet
new friends, JV partners, people to write articles and Squidoo lenses for and
about.

I volunteered to make a lens for Claus but I wanted to hear his music, first.
So he sent me three C-D's called Music for Mother and Child: Wind Chimes;
Lullabies; Tales Of The Ocean.

I brought all three C-D's to work on a busy night. People were flying around
with constricted and unhappy faces. I began to feel constricted, too.

But I started to play the music and it changed everything. As we listened, we smiled.
I told my patients about the music and they could hear it, drifting into their rooms
from the nurses station.

The music has an immediate effect on changing the vibrational field, first in
those who first began to listen, then reverberating throughout the entire hospital.

Even the fluorescent lighting appeared softer to the eyes.

I asked Claus a few questions about his work and his life:

Kate: Tell us the circumstances of how you first began to play music.

Claus: When I first started to create my own music, it was a big step for me. Educated
a classical guitarist, I had always played music composed by others.

One day I had a visit by my sister and her kids. I was sitting with my guitar playing
one of my favorite compositions. The kids got totally quiet, looking at me with a relaxed,
dreamy look in their eyes. That was the exact moment when the idea hit me to
create music especially for children.

Some weeks later, I had a meeting with a good friend and colleague and it
turned out we had the same idea!

It was easy for us to decide to create music for children. We brainstormed and the
idea got clearer and clearer: To create music for specific ages.

New borns or even fetuses understand sounds and music differently than a two year old
child.

We started doing a lot of research and things just went smoothly. Before we even got
to the recording studio, we already had sold 10,000 C-Ds!!

Kate: What makes your heart sing?

Claus: Children! I love children and spending time with them, especially my own child
(who was born to my Wind Chimes C-D!)

Kate: What is your greatest passion?

Claus: My greatest passion is being in nature and watching birds. I have always gotten
my greatest ideas being out in Nature.

I also love helping others with their creativity.

Kate: How old were you when you first started to play music?

Claus: I started to play music at age ten, I think. The sister of my mother taught me to
play guitar and I was sold!

Kate: How have dolphins influenced you and your music?

Claus: I have always been drawn to the sound of dolphins and whales. There is a kind of
timelessness and infinity to the sounds. We all come from water and I think these sounds
"talk" to something deep within us all.

So it was natural for us to use the sound of dolphis in the music.

Kate: Tell us more of how nature influences your work.

Claus: Nature has always had a great place in my life.  I've experienced rough times
(we all have!) and in those times, I was comforted by nature.

I think nature is the best medicine. It makes me feel at one with the creative source
itself.

I guess I try and create this feeling in music. My best creative and business ideas come
to me while communing in nature.

I had a serious stress breakdown about two years ago, and in that time, I actually
listened to the music of Mother And Child. It helped me tremendously. Music has rescued
me more than once!!

Kate: Can you tell us a little about each of your three C-D's?

Claus: My partner, Henrick Birk Aaboe and I created these C-D's.

The music on each C-D contains elements chosen specifically for the relaxation of mothers,
fetuses and infants, as well as elements more generally relaxing for all age groups.

Wind Chimes is especially conducive for infants. We purposely chose long, continuous
passages because we learned that this sort of continuity is especially calming for young
children. Through our research, we learned that too many breaks in the music can be
disturbing to infants and young children.

Therefore, this C-D consists of long passages connected by light and melodious wind
chimes.

Tales Of The Ocean is a journey of the unconscious from the surface down layer after
layer (under the sea) ending with a homecoming composition:  "The Sea Is My Home."

The last of the C-Ds, Lullabies, is a sequence of newly composed lullabies, each telling
its own story. Compared to the other C-Ds, the melodic material is significantly advanced
and they harmonize with the child's enhanced consciousness and ability to comprehend
actual melodic sequences.

Simultaneously, we sought to preserve the tranquil and secure atmosphere by purposely
using repetition as an artistic effect.

Lullabies has a hypnotic effect that sooths and influences the listening experience of
every age group.

Kate: Thank you, Claus. And may I add, listening to these C-Ds gives all of us a sense
of security and deep, deep peace as evidenced by the evening we listened to nothing else
for a total of twelve hours!

When the C-Ds stopped, we all felt a tremendous void, and everyone there requested that
we immediately continue playing the C-Ds.

When I went home after the night shift experience, I wanted to continue listening in my
sleep.

When I went back to work, my colleagues wanted me to play the C-Ds again.

Those of us who listened the night before were bonded by dolphin, wind chime and ocean
sounds. The rest of the unit quickly learned of our experience and wanted to listen, too!

This music would have a profound effect in settings where professionals work with
disturbed, autistic and emotional disadvantaged children.

Further research is needed, but I am convinced that this music is the answer to the
uncentered, distracted and turbulent elements in our society today.

Keep on composing and creating, Claus!

The world needs you!!

Kate Loving Shenk

-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Kate Loving Shenk is a writer, healer, musician and the creator
of the e-book called "Transform Your Nursing Career and Discover
Your Calling and Destiny." The book is designed to stimulate
nurses to love their work and to prevent on-the-job-burnout.
Click here to find out how to order the e-book:
http://www.katelovingshenk.com/blog
http://www.katelovingshenk.com/nursingcareertransformation
Check out Kate's Blog: http://nursehealers.typepad.com
And the Lens: http://www.squidoo.com/katelovingshenk
http://www.squidoo.com/thinkriches
http://doganddolphin.ning.com
http://nursehealers.typepad.com/dog_lovers_unite
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Comments

[Karen Kay]

Beautifully written, Kate!

Thanks to you for your innate ability to get it written,and to Claus for his innate ability to soothe us.

The world is a better place with the two of you in it.

KK

[missguidedkat]

Beautiful and inspiring article.
I personally felt the power of this music the first time I heard it.
And it is wonderful to hear the story behind it's creation.

[Kate Loving Shenk]

Thanks Kat and KK--The amazing music is playing as I write these words--I love it!!!!

Love, Kate