sound shaman Home Page Calendar Music Private Healings Newsletters Podcasts Articles Hildegard Store Press Kit & Booking Contact Links FAQ     I offer Healing Concerts of chant, teach Sound Healing Workshops and share Individual Healing Sessions. If you are interested in having me come to your community go to Biography & Sponsor Information FOR OFFICE: Healing Chants P.O. Box 971020 Ypsilanti, MI 48197 office@healingchants.com 734-330-3997

Frequently Asked Questions NORMA GENTILE Sound Shaman I want to get a singing bowl. How do I get one? What is the difference between crystal and metal bowls? I find that sound acts as a carrier wave for intention. This intention includes the intention of the maker of instruments, as well as the thoughts and focus of the player of the bowls. Crystal bowls are created from the dust of quartz crystals, and then reformed by a machine. They are built to specific shapes, to create exact pitches. These pitches are based on a system of tuning that evoled as the modern piano evolved. These pitches are not naturally occuring, and are not based on the harmonic scale. For both of these reasons I find crystal bowls to create sensations in the body, but ultimately act as a short term musical 'feel good'. They do not, in my experience, place someone into the situation of deep realization of their own actions and results in creating their life. The metal bowls are created of 5 or 7 metals, each blended and hammered by hand. Their quality varies widely, largely due the sudden demand. Some metal bowls are machine made. They appear smooth and uniformly colored. Their tone will have a steady quality. Again, I myself prefer nto to use these, as I don't want the uniformity of a machine in the healing current. With any bowl, voice or instrument, I look for its ability to move with spiritual energies, and to allow a variety of qualities to come through it. The flexibility of an instrument, bowl or voice, means a greater range of healing energies can move through it. The finest bowls that I know of are made by the Dalai Lama's monastery in India. They are recapturing the technique of the sacred bowls. Some stores purchase their bowls from them. You can also look for them at the chant events done by the Tibetan monks. They often bring a selection of bowls. Every bowl is unique. I must have played 200 or more before I found my first bowl. Since then, I have played hundreds, perhaps thousands more. My entire collection is made up of only those few that truly wanted to be with me. Why do you sing Hildegard's music? I sing Hildegard's music because it creates a doorway to sacredness. I've always seen auras - the electromagnetic field around the human physical body. When I sing Hildegard's music I see other energies interacting with this field. It could be described as angels or guardian spirits coming and whispering in people's ears as they listen to me sing. After a concert or workshop, people are different. They often write to me months and years afterwards, saying that 'something' happened, and their life was changed forever. Did Hildegard paint the illuminations? The illuminations are described as being produced (painted) by the nuns under Hildegard's care in the monastery. According to Hildegard's autobiography, the illuminations are depictions of what Hildegard saw during her experiences of spiritual revelry, and were created under her supervision. How can I get a copy of an illumination to use? The illuminations (not all, but most) are in the book "The illuminations of Hildegard von Bingen" available in the Bookstore under Hildegard For copyright purposes: The color version of the illuminations is held in world-wide copyright by Otto Muller Verlag GesmbH & Co KG of Salzburg, Austria (use google to find their current address/email) Hand-copied black and white versions of the illuminations (they xerox very well) are included in "Mystical Visions", published by Bear & Co. It is a translation into English by Bruce Hozeski of Hildegard's first book, "Scivias". It is available in the Bookstore under Hildegard. The black and white version of the illuminations for the USA and perhaps some English speaking countries is held by Bear & Company, originally in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They were bought up by Inner Traditions. Contact them directly for permission to use any of the black and white illuminations in "Mystical Visions". Where can I get wall poster of Hildegard's illuminations? I don't know who is currently printing posters based on Hildegard's illuminations. There are many artists using her illuminatiosn as a basis for their own mandalas and sacred designs. If you find a source for posters of Hildegard's illluminations please tell me. I want to learn to sing some of Hildegard's chants. Where can I purchase the musical scores? Hildegard's music is available in 3 types of musical scores; the original score is handwritten and exists in facsimile, there is a square-note 4 line version in standard Gregorian chant notation, and a modern edition. You can see samples of each type and the publishers you can buy from HERE on this website, or go to www.healingchants.com, under HILDEGARD, then MUSICAL SCORES. Happy Singing!