The beautiful and complex music of Persian musician Ostad Elahi is used in the innovative auditory stimulation program Music for the Mind. The four CD compilation combines global music with light filtering, psychoacoustic methods, and natural sounds. The program is accessible to everyone and may be bought directly from ABT or an Authorized Provider, much like Sound Health® and Music for BabiesTM.

Ostad Elahi was a tanbour virtuoso and master musician for whom music served as a primary tool for introspection and contemplation. A class of lutes with necks longer than bodies are referred to be tanbour in general. Since the 15th century, it has been utilized nearly entirely for spiritual activities.

Advanced Brain Technologies was initially exposed to the music of Ostad, and we were instantly drawn to its potential therapeutic uses. After one of the company’s members took a TLP Training Course to become an Authorized Provider, Brainquiry, LLC initially came up with the proposal.

Brainquiry understood that ABT was researching several musical genres to see if they may have therapeutic properties. They saw that Richard Lawrence and Alex Doman, the trainers, had extensive expertise of the impacts of music. They also thought it was fascinating that they had a profound knowledge of musical intention, which was crucial to them.

Ostad’s song had a different effect on Brainquiry than other music, and it had deeply affected him. They explained to Alex that Ostad’s music may be perfect for stimulating the senses and that it would be appealing to a wide audience that appreciated listening to music from civilizations other than western Europe.

For a number of reasons, ABT discovered that Ostad’s music presents a singular and potent possibility for boosting active listening. Since all of the music is improvised, it has a loose feel, and the odd harmonic and rhythmic structures dramatically increase attention span.

With repeated hearing, the music’s language begins to become more apparent, yet there are always little inconsistencies that keep the mind from organizing the music into a familiar structure. Ostad’s music appeared especially well suited for our goal of promoting active listening because auditory stimulation programs sometimes aim to free us from a situation where we are trapped.

Additionally, the tanbour’s tonal characteristics are particularly striking. We found that the dense range of high frequencies in the music was more powerful than in any other instrument we had previously investigated when we performed a digital spectral analysis. The fact that Ostad frequently played numerous notes per second that built on each other’s harmonics can be partly blamed for this density. Additionally, the sound’s percussive quality gives the untrained western ear the impression of audio explosion.

ABT made the decision to divide the music into digestible chunks so that it would appeal to both the Eastern and Western ears. To entice the listener into the song, we used little snippets of Ostad’s playing as introductions to specific parts. In order to keep the brain attentive and prevent it from becoming accustomed to and tuning out stimuli, nature sounds are frequently employed to start the section before mixing with the music.

Additionally, we included spatial dynamics, which is how we move musical instruments or natural sounds, like a bird, around the sound stage between the left and right ear. As the listener locates sounds, it improves their spatial awareness and aids their auditory focus. While the even numbered songs are intended for evening listening and utilize either true nighttime nature sounds or none at all, the odd numbered tracks are all intended for morning listening and use authentic morning or midday nature sounds.

It was the best impression of this type I had ever had; I had never heard anything like it. The music was extremely pure, precise, and intensely sensitive. Nearly lost for words at what I was hearing. It had an advanced power, similar to a laser.

On Ostad Elahi’s song, Sir Yehudi Menuhin

We softened the sound of the music by adding resonance to the original recordings, giving the impression that the music is being heard in a medium-sized concert hall. Ostad’s music was originally recorded in a tiny room with nearly no resonance under unprofessional, uncomplicated conditions. This influence is lessened as the recordings go along to create a more personal sound that better conveys the intensity of Ostad’s music.

The listener may concentrate on the midrange and high range frequencies by excluding lower frequencies from the sound spectrum. The lower frequencies are filtered somewhat early on in the first CD. The first CD has 100% of the resonance of a medium-sized auditorium added, with a high pass filter allowing everything over 100Hz through. On the first CD, there is music and nature noises on around 60% of the disc.

The second CD has an 85% resonance of a medium-sized hall and a high pass filter that lets the sound spectrum of everything above 175Hz to pass through. 45% of the CD is made up of music and nature sounds, with the remaining content being just music.

On the third CD, everything over 250Hz can flow through the high pass filter. About 30% of the song includes nature sounds, and we added 70% resonance.

The filtering on the CDs gradually gets stronger over the course of the four weeks that are suggested for listening, reaching a level of 325Hz on the fourth CD. The already high frequencies of the song are amplified by this filtering, as is the resultant impact on the brain. The high frequency sounds encourage careful and in-depth listening. We just needed to use very light filtering because of its richness. Only 20% of the music on the fourth CD incorporates nature sounds, and the resonance has been reduced to 50%.

The percussive quality of the tanbour’s sound makes audio exploding already exist in a natural way. No extra audio bursting was required since Ostad’s improvised music is so full of dramatic noises that appear out of nowhere.

The Listening Logs and Handbook are included with Music for the Mind. Short summaries of Ostad Elahi, the reasons ABT got interested in co-producing the show, the unique energy of improvisation, a fundamental knowledge of aural stimulation, and the significance of ideal acoustic surroundings are included in the wonderfully designed booklet.

Each of the four CDs in the collection has six tracks on it. You can finish all six tracks on CD 1 in three days by listening to the tracks in pairs (tracks 1 and 2, track 3 and 4, etc.). Each CD should be listened to twice a day for six days, with a weekly day off in between. For one month, it is advised to listen for 10 minutes in the morning and at night. The recommended tools and exercises are the same as those for The Listening Program®.

The Music for the Mind program was evaluated by Brainquiry in a Pilot Study involving forty listeners. Feedback in general demonstrates that listening enhances several cognitive and auditory areas.

Why did ABT sign on as a co-producer for this endeavor? According to Alex Doman, “I think that these CDs can assist to disrupt the habituation to most people’s typical sound environment and to teach the ear to adjust to something new and unexpected. We believe the music might really benefit those who shut off sound or become trapped in behaviors or patterns since it is so vivid and energizing.

We want you to experience this exceptional improvised music firsthand. The acoustic patterns are rich and engaging due to the intricate music’s shifting rhythms and tone variation. Because there is so much information to absorb, listening is quite taxing on the auditory system. You could discover that you will suggest Music for the Mind to customers and friends.

Our drive to listen might be sparked by listening to music from many cultures. The music of Ostad is a useful and fun technique to train our ears and our brains. Allow Music for the Mind to transport you to a different setting and era.