Schizophonia

On Earth Day this year my yoga studio had a special celebration restoration class complete with traditional (eastern) Indian instruments, music and singing. It got me thinking of one of my favorite words I learned during a World Music class in college: Schizophonia. It means to separate sound (schizo-to separate, phone-sound).  What I remember so much about it is the professor pointing out to us that we rarely experience music without some kind of schizophonia.  All of the music we hear on the radio and our iPods are examples of schizophonia; even hearing live music at a concert or small show fit the example. We hear the instruments and voices through some type of microphone or amplifier, separating us from the true sound that is being produced.  When you are around a campfire with acoustic guitars, voices and bongos, or in your living room listening to your roommate and his band mate practice their set for their upcoming gig - that is hearing the music with no schizophonia - you are experiencing the true sound waves and vibrations being created by strings and vocal chords. One of my most envious moments involves schizophonia...a brother of a friend worked at a restaurant that involved someone walking around playing an acoustic guitar for the tables (oh yea and the place is in Hollywood). Eddie Vedder just so happened to be there, borrowed a guitar and serenaded an intimate circle of lucky listeners. I think I would've given my left toe to  hear this man's voice from five feet away. However, a couple of my favorite no schizo times would have to be listening to a kindergarten class sing Christmas Songs and my sister in law playing me the latest song she wrote. The word reminds me that how we experience things in this world are sometimes distorted, but nevertheless, wonderful.

*That is Coco in the picture playing the harmonium and singing to us while we are in final Savasana.