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by M.L. Benton
Growing up surrounded by music, Carole Lynne’s musical education has ranged from
the informal training of her parents teaching her how to sing jazz to formal
instruction at The Juilliard School of Music, University of Michigan Music
School, and The American Theater Wing. With music playing such an integral part
in her life, it became clear to her from an early age that there is an inherent
healing quality to music, especially music springing from the soul. This
resulted in her spiritually oriented singing practice Singing for the SoulТ
(www.singingforthesoul.com).
With her Heart & Sound book and CD kit
just published in October by Red Wheel/Weiser, this kit of chants, prayers, and
affirmations is based on those same ideas. It’s been created so that we might,
as Carole says, "create the sound of the life that we want."
Red
Wheel/Weiser
Greetings Ms. Lynne, Thank you for taking the time out of
your busy schedule for this interview, we do appreciate it. Lets start our
interview out with a bio...shall we? Please tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Los Angeles California to parents who were both disk
jockeys in the early days of radio. When I was ten years old my mother and
father, my younger sister and I all moved to New York, where my parents went to
work in the newly forming television industry.
I grew up in a world full
of creativity, which offered all the best in life and all the worst in life.
Creativity is an interesting "force." It can be so wonderful and so terrible
depending on how the force is used. Growing up in a creative world taught
me the power of words. I came to understand that people who listened to the
radio, read newspapers and watched television were greatly influenced by the
words. In fact, if they heard the words in a commercial that told them to go out
and buy a particular kind of soap, they "obeyed" the commercial. Quite frankly,
that scared me and so, at an early age, I started realizing how important it is
to question any "words" that may influence us. With the help of my parents, I
formed the opinion that we must never accept words without questioning them
first.
I also realized that as we choose words to focus on, we could
change our lives. By choosing positive words that are in line with the direction
we want to go, we can create the reality and life that we want. Every second of
every day? Of course not! But for a great percentage of our lives, the words we
choose and the thoughts we think can influence our reality.
As an adult,
I have taught singing, guitar and public speaking. I have always had my own
business. My music business is called Singing for the Soul® and my coaching
business is called Quality Performance Coaching for public speakers and
performers. Life has provided me with the incredibly interesting opportunity to
coach a singer of rock and roll one day, and a business professional the
next.
In my twenties, I spent most of my time either singing and
playing the guitar in the coffee houses of New York City’s Greenwich Village, or
working as a back-up singer and dancer on television.
In my
thirties, I lived in the Bay Area of San Francisco and sang in restaurants
and music clubs. Those were the early days of women’s liberation, and I sang
many a feminist song in the coffee houses and clubs.
In my forties, I
moved to the Boston area and spent many years writing and performing one-woman
shows with themes that revolved around social issues.
In my fifties, I
discovered my mediumistic abilities, and my whole life changed! My teaching of
music became more spiritually oriented and all of my work became influenced by
what I began to perceive as the world of the spirit. I started composing songs
of a more spiritual nature.
Now, in my early sixties, you will find me
performing in my music workshops and in Spiritualist church events or singing
with my grandson after I pick him up from kindergarten.
When did you
find your spiritual path? Can you tell us about this experience?
In the
past ten years, I have discovered that my long hidden psychic abilities are
important to me. As a child I was always psychic, but hid those abilities, as
people might not believe me. In the past ten years I have come out of the
"psychic closet" and I have realized that I not only have psychic abilities but
also mediumistic abilities. A medium is able to perceive the spirit of those who
have passed on to eternal life.
I have been studying the art of spirit
communication, (that many call "mediumship") and spiritual philosophy for ten
years and now work regularly as a medium and Spiritualist minister, giving
lectures, teaching, doing demonstrations of mediumship and giving private
readings. I have chosen to work within the religion of Spiritualism, which is
founded on proving that we do survive the change called death.
My
abilities as a musician and my psychic abilities have both led me to my current
spiritual path. As a child, it was through singing that I first experienced what
I now call the "Creator of All That Is." One day while singing I felt
"goosebumps" all over me and a kind of ecstasy that I had never felt. From that
day on I felt connected to the spiritual side of life. My music has always been
an integral key to my spirituality.
How has it inspired your life?
My music and my spirituality have come together in the creation of my
new book and CD, Heart and Sound. The writing of these materials has been
inspirational. In other words, as I have written the words to the chants,
prayers and affirmations that are in Heart and Sound, I have felt as if the
words simply flowed through me. The writing of Heart and Sound has been an
incredible experience for me as a musician and as a spiritually unfolding human
being. I am excited to be able to share my experience with others.
How
do you feel your path is different from the other paths?
The path that I
am today choosing to call "the path of creativity and unfoldment" is different
from other paths in that I have my own heart and soul to answer to. In some
spiritual paths, one must follow the directions of others who may have made the
rules thousands or perhaps millions of years ago. My spiritual path allows me to
constantly reevaluate how I feel about things.
Who was the greatest
inspiration to you growing up, and who is now? How have they made an impact on
your life and your life’s choices?
Actually there were and are many.
My Taurus parents were both great influences. They taught me to think
for myself and question everything. They also taught me that no two people think
alike and that is the wonderful thing about human beings. My Taurus sister
taught me to love the animal kingdom. And so I gained many great teachings from
my family. And my Virgo husband, who has worked in publishing for many years,
taught me to reread whatever I write many times. My Leo and Sagittarius kids
have taught me to loosen up and live. I have many, many teachers! I, a double
Scorpio, have been blessed with wonderful people in my life.
Barbara
Sher, in her book entitled Wishcraft, inspired me to insist on being myself no
matter what. I was interested in doing so many different things and had a bad
opinion of myself as I had some idea that you had to choose one thing and stick
with it. I called myself a dilettante and a dabbler until I read Wishcraft
sometime in the eighties. There was a chapter in which I had to draw all these
circles and put the name of each of my interests into each circle. I then went
through a process of finding out how each of these interests could be included
in my life. I suddenly realized in this process that I had wasted years trying
to get rid of some of my interests in the name of becoming more focused, when in
fact this had been a futile journey for someone like myself with many creative
facets. I had wasted incalculable energy trying to get rid of vital parts of
myself. It was as if I was trying to cut off a hand or an arm or a leg. Once,
with the help of Barbara Sher, I accepted ALL my talents, I found ways to have
ALL my talents flow through my life. My life changed and my creative projects
developed quickly and with great ease. What a gift Barbara Sher gave me with her
book! Now, I wonder what sign she is?
Purchase Today
You
have written and produced the book and CD set titled Heart and Sound: Prayers,
Chants and Affirmations. Can you tell our readers what inspired you to do this?
As a singer songwriter of many years, a teacher of singing and guitar
and a Spiritualist minister, it was a very natural step for me to write a book
of Affirmations, Prayers and Chants. I have used affirmations in my work for
many years, and prayers in my ministry, and chants in my singing workshops. So
Heart and Sound really combines all the work that I have done over the years
into one spiritual practice. I felt truly inspired as I brought through the
words in this book and CD Set. I say that I "brought through" the words, as it
never felt as if I was writing it. The words felt as if they came from someplace
else. As I read the words, they can relate to people of any faith. The concepts
are universal.
Can you elaborate for us the idea of the chants, prayers
and affirmations?
Words have great power and can influence our behavior.
Words can also influence our personal vibration.
The words in chants,
prayers and affirmations can be used by each one of us to create the reality
that we want in our lives. By repeating the words over and over, we send our
intentions into the universe where they will be amplified and returned to us in
greater strength. In other words, what goes around comes around. In this case,
you send out your intentions with the use of chants, affirmations and prayers,
and you create the reality you want.
In chapter one you made the
statement, "Thoughts are things and they shape our lives." Can you elaborate on
the meaning for us?
The thoughts that we have ARE the reality that we
create each moment of our lives. While we cannot control everything that happens
in the world and every challenge that we are presented with, we can discipline
our minds and change our reality by CHOOSING the thoughts that we think. Can we
do this every moment? OF COURSE NOT! Trying to control our thoughts every moment
is not only silly but also impossible. However, when we are faced with various
situations in life, we can choose thoughts to think that will help us go in the
direction we want. We can use thoughts to help us relate better to friends, to
do a better job at work and to help ourselves grieve the loss of loved one and
break-ups of relationships. We can use thoughts to choose our spiritual paths
and to help ourselves stay focused on the chosen path. Thoughts ARE things and
they DO shape our lives. The Heart and Sound book and CD are filled with
"thoughts to play in your mind" in various situations. You are also invited and
encouraged to rewrite the "thoughts" in Heart and Sound to fit your particular
needs at the moment. The "thoughts" in Heart and Sound are presented in the
forms of affirmations, prayers and chants.
Chapter four is Calling Out
Your Best Connections. Can you explain this one to us? How do we know what our
best connections are?
The words "Calling Out Your Best Connections" is
about relationships. We may not realize it, but we are always "calling out" or
"sending out" messages to other people. I believe there is a dimension of
reality that we cannot perceive through the usual senses. In this dimension of
reality, which for the moment I will call "the extended dimension of
perception", we communicate with each other all the time. For instance, when a
woman is happily involved in a committed romantic relationship, she sends out a
message that she is "not available." Those looking for a romantic relationship
will most likely NOT approach her. However, should the same woman become unhappy
in her current relationship and consciously or even unconsciously want to meet
someone new, it is almost as if she has put a sign around her neck that says "I
am available." Suddenly, those looking for a romantic relationship will KNOW
that she is available without her ever having said a word about it. In effect,
her vibrations are "calling out" for a new "connection." This is a cute idea and
a bit scintillating, but this idea of calling out for connections can apply in
all KINDS of relationships.
Track two of the CD is the affirmation, "As
I sense the unseen world I am comforted, I am not alone." Please tell us, what
is your perception of the unseen world?
Many of us sense the presence of
an unseen world. Depending on a person’s view of life and spiritual beliefs,
there are many ways people perceive the "unseen world." Some people sense the
presence of a Supreme Being that is called by many names, depending on the
faith. Some people sense the presence of nature, while others sense the presence
of their loved ones living in the world of spirit. Others sense the presence of
guardian angels.
What do you feel is the difference between our voice,
and our soul voice?
My, my, my you DO ask some good questions! I feel
that our regular voice that we speak with most of the time each day, or think
with most of the time each day is the result of our "conscious personality."
This voice is closely related to what is going on day-to-day, moment to moment,
in our everyday lives. Our soul voice is the voice of the inner spirit. I
believe that we are all spiritual beings living, for the moment, in physical
bodies. I believe that when we give up the physical body and go through the
transition that many call "death" our consciousness lives on in our spiritual
body in the eternal spiritual life. This spirit that will live on when each of
us ends our earthy life is within each of us right now. Our physical bodies are
"clothing" our spirit. Our physical bodies live out our life on earth having
many experiences. Our inner spirits have knowledge of where we came from and the
meanings of life that our physical bodies may not always have. When we want to
understand the deeper meanings of life we need to "tune into our spiritual
souls." In doing so we can listen to the voice of the soul. Sometimes when we
are in tune with the spiritual essence of ourselves, our spirit shines for all
to see. In such a state, if we are speaking or singing, the spiritual voice
comes through loud and clear. When this happens, we often say that a person is
"inspired."
In your book you state, "Become the statement you have
chosen." Can you explain to our readers what you mean by this?
As you go
through the process of choosing a statement from the Heart and Sound book or CD,
you will begin to gravitate to the vibrations of that statement by simply making
the choice. For instance, if you choose a statement that talks about being open
to new relationships, you are already starting to open your heart and soul to
new relationships. You are beginning to send your thoughts in the direction of
new relationships. Then, as you repeat the statement that you have chosen, which
is in the form of an affirmation, prayer or chant, your thoughts will be sent
out into the universe where they will attract similar vibrations.
Why do you feel affirmations are so important?
First of all, the
act of choosing an affirmation is a statement in itself. When you make a choice,
you have defined what you what.
Second, the act of repeating an
affirmation out loud or with in the mind, sets your vibrations in the direction
of the affirmation. If you send out thoughts of hope, you will attract hopeful
situations and people.
Third, making affirmations part of your daily
spiritual practice, gives you a tool for staying on course and creating the
reality you want. It is a noisy world out there where many people and things are
competing for your attention. Using affirmations can help you keep your thoughts
in the direction YOU want to go and you can avoid being distracted or persuaded
to go in directions that you do not want to go.
How do you feel chants
help us in everyday life?
If you want to keep a thought in your mind, a
chant can be extremely effective. Listen and sing along with the chants on the
Heart and Sound CD. Then choose a chant that you feel best applies to YOUR life.
Rewrite the words if you need to make the chant better fit your situation. Next,
learn that chant by heart, and you will find that the tune and the words will
"play in your mind" at the darnedest times. This can be a very effective way to
FOCUS on an idea.
I love to eat chocolate cake but really should not.
What I need to do is create a chant that says " If I eat this cake I will be
wearing it on my body." Truthfully, I may not choose to either create or sing
this chant as I do like to eat cake and I may not be willing to eliminate it
from my life. While I realize this is a silly example, the point I am trying to
make is that, like affirmations can influence our daily lives, so can chants.
Chants are affirmations that we are singing and they can change our lives.
What do you hope each person will walk away with after reading your book
and listening to your CD?
I hope that each person will walk away with
the understanding that each one of us creates our own reality. The thoughts that
we choose to let "play in our minds" each day become the life we live. The
thoughts that we choose to entertain also contain vibrations, which attract like
vibrations. So, if you want to live the life of your dreams, you have to choose
thoughts to think that will take you where you want to go AND attract like minds
who will walk with you on your chosen path.
How do you think music
effects each of us?
What a wonderful question! After sharing music
with people for most of my career, I have come to believe that the vibration of
music cuts through barriers to the soul. I cannot prove that as a scientist can
prove this and that under the microscope, but I truly believe it because I have
watched people transform through listening to music and making music. I watch
their defenses go down, and the beautiful essence of the soul begin to shine
through the personality.
Why does it affect us so deeply?
While
all of life is vibration, the sounding of music can produce qualities of
happiness, grief, anger, excitement, spiritual beauty and other qualities. The
vibration of music seems to make its entry into our bodies and souls quicker
than many other vibrations. Each experience in life is different. Looking at a
beautiful painting can also affect us. But I find the vibrations of music
especially powerful. Don’t you?
Yes, I do, very much indeed.
What is the one thing that you hope each of us would learn?
I
would hope that each of us would learn to think for ourselves and find our own
path of creativity and spirituality. I don’t care if readers like what I have
written or even agree with me. I hope that the energy of the book and CD leads
each reader to want to write their own affirmations, prayers and chants and to
find out how they think. If my products can inspire others to find their own
unique paths of creativity and spirituality, then I will feel I have done my job
as a teacher on this earth.
Can you tell us what you are working on
now?
Actually, I am working on many things. One of my exciting creative
projects is a new CD that I am working on with Nat Hefferman. Nat is a recording
engineer and musician that worked with me as both composer and engineer on the
Heart and Sound CD. We are experimenting with different kinds of sounds and
exploring how various combinations of sounds make us feel.
As you look
back and see the roads your journey of life has taken you, where would like to
see it go next?
If my dreams could come true, I would write a new book
and CD every year for the next five years, and travel around giving workshops on
spirituality. I would like to continue to help myself and others to focus on
their dreams and have fun while focusing.
If you have learned one thing
in your experience, can you tell us what this has been?
I have learned
that when I "try very hard" to make things happen, I am exhausted and things do
not usually turn out as I had expected. On the other hand, when I allow my
creativity to flow and open to whatever happens, I usually end up with much
better experiences. In fact, I end up much closer to my dream than when I try to
force my dreams to come true.
If you could change one thing from
your journey what would this have been?
I would take all the hours and
all the energy that I have used worrying about "how I look" and use that energy
for something else. I grew up in a family who knew many famous and physically
beautiful people. I had to compete with images of Marilyn Monroe and the like.
As a woman in my twenties I sang and danced in musical shows and had to look
"show business perfect." That was tough. I finally decided to be a singer
songwriter in Greenwich Village and find my own style of creativity and be happy
with the way I look. While I am quite presentable, I am not a model and spent
too many years trying to be one.
Where do you hope to go next?
I would like to write more books, compose more music for CD’s and give
more spiritually oriented workshops. I would also like to expand my work as a
Spiritualist medium and minister. And of course if you are asking "where would I
like to go?" Well now, China, Japan, India, South America and Alaska would be
nice for a start. (Perhaps I better be careful what I wish for or I will find
myself on more airplanes than I like.)
What would you like to accomplish
before your next journey?
I find it hard to know where one journey is
ending and another is beginning. I would like to continue to be creative and
share my creative projects. It will only be as I look back that I may begin to
see where one journey ended and another began. Each day is a new day and each
breath is a moment unto itself. Let us all experience each moment. That is my
continual journey and mantra. Sometimes I walk it well and at other times I fall
flat on my face and have to pick myself up and keep moving while dragging my
mantra behind me like a little kid who is pulling a red wagon that is too heavy!
Thank you Ms. Lynne for such an interesting interview. I
do hope you will come and visit with us again?
I would be delighted.
Carol Lynne
Article by M.L. Benton
Copyright © 2001-2003 by Echoed Voices. All rights reserved.
echoedvoices@hotmail.com
http://www.paganvillages.com/Magick/echoedvoices
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