The Well of Sound: Listening in the Art of Healing with Katie Down

This training in sound, sound therapies, and mindful listening will be offered at Wainwright House on the weekend of April 25th and 26th, 2020. We will delve into sound practices, mindfulness meditation, connection, and what it means to heal through creative ways of mindful and intentional listening, hands on practicum training and stimulating discussions about sound and listening. How we engage in sound through our voices, playing instruments, and the simple act of being present will be explored through hands-on practicums, improvisation, and mindfulness meditation. Participants will be introduced to specific musical drone instruments including gong, crystal singing bowls, monochords, voice, drums, and more. Students are encouraged to bring a personal instrument of their choosing including their voices to look at how we engage in “musicking” with each other and in the natural world. Students encouraged to participate include those wanting to learn how sound can be incorporated into their work, teaching, and personal lives. A certificate of completion is provided. Overnight accommodations are available for up to 8 students. Please contact Laurie Jordan to reserve ljordan@wainwright.org. Lodging for Saturday night is $80, double occupancy

Weekend Schedule: 

SATURDAY

8:30 - Arrival (bagels, GF treats, fruit, coffee, tea)  

9:00 - Introductions

9:30 - What is musical drone in therapy and healing and how to use it in clinical work 

10:15 - Introduction to instruments and playing techniques

11:00 - Hands on experiential of instruments

12:00 - Open discussion  

12:30 - Lunch  

1:45 - History, context and practicum use of vocal toning techniques and mantra. 

3:15 - Break

3:30 - Rhythm and how it is used in clinical work using drums, rattles, shakers, body percussion and voice. 

4:30 - Monolina and shruti box introduction as essential musical drone instruments

5:15 - Hands on experiential with Monolinas and shruti boxes 

5:45 - Wrap up, discussion.

6:00 - Break 

7:30 - Sound Bath free for all participants and open to the public

SUNDAY

8:30 - Arrival (bagels, GF treats, fruit, coffee, tea) 

9:00 - Toning meditation, breath and movement activity 

9:45 - Open discussion

10:00 - Introduction to tuning forks with hands on practicum

11:30 - Break

12:00 - Discussion of best practices/ethics/boundaries

12:30 - Lunch

1:45 -  Review of all instruments, mantras, and other topics

2:15 - Break up into groups of 3 for "hands on" work with voice and instruments.

3:15 - Discussion

3:45 - Break 

4:00  - Offerings from all participants fro 5-10 minutes each depending on number of students utilizing tools and topics learned from the weekend 

5:30 - Close and certificates of completion  

6:00 - Good-byes

TESTIMONIALS: 

"Katie Down is doing important work in raising the level of training for sound healers. She is combining her knowledge of training and supervision as a music therapist with her teaching and practice as a sound healer. I heartily support her work and see her as an important 'bridge' integrating the knowledge base in these two areas of practice." - Dr. Alan Turry, Managing Director, Nordoff-Robbins Center for Music Therapy

"In the sea of healing practitioners we have to choose from today, Katie holds a unique and vital place as she possesses a rare combination of scientific, evidence-based knowledge, solid foundations in both music and psychotherapy, and an undeniable personal talent for integrating a sense of creativity and warmth into everything she does. I have had the true pleasure of attending Katie’s sound baths, been a student in her Sound School program at Maha Rose, and have brought her in as a special guest lecturer for a grand rounds presentation in the Department of Psychiatry at Jamaica Hospital. My experiences with her have added so much to not only my professional work as a creative arts psychotherapist, but also to my personal artistic practices and overall sense of wellness.  In all of the different settings I’ve worked with Katie, she consistently imparts knowledge, humor, increased inner strength, and a sense of both wonder and grounding. I highly recommend her offerings to anyone seeking a new perspective!" - Karen Codd Fairchild, MPS, ATR-BC, LCAT, Licensed & Board Certified Creative Arts Psychotherapist

About the Instructor:

Katie Down, (LCAT, MT-BC, MMT, MM) is a licensed creative arts therapist, music psychotherapist, Reiki practitioner, deep listening practitioner, educator, performer and composer. She has been teaching and facilitating sound meditations and deep listening workshops for over 10 years offering classes, and training programs in music therapy and sound healing as well as provding clinical supervision for LCATs, LCSWs, MDs and other creative arts therapists. 

Katie received her master's degree in Music Psychotherapy at New York University with additional trauma training at the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy and with Laurel Parnell in EMDR and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Paulette Graf.  

Incorporating MBSR, EMDR, and creative visualization for trauma and trauma-related symptoms, Katie provides a nurturing, grounded and open environment for opening the heart and letting go of blockages and negative patterns that hold us back from feeling connected to our higher selves and each other. 

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Katie is the Department Chair of Music Therapy at the Brooklyn Music School, meditation teacher at MNDFL, and practitioner at Maha Rose Center for Healing and MINKA Brooklyn. 

She co-directs the Maha Rose Sound School and the Sound Therapy Training Institute for BodyworkersKatie has designed  and taught the courses "Music and Mindfulness in Clinical Applications"  for The Spiegel Academy,  "The Art of Listening "at NYU, and The School of Visual Arts, "Deep Listening Through Sound Meditation"  at Cal State Fullerton, "Sound and Mindfulness in Contemplative Care" at the Art of Healing conference at The Jewish Theological Seminary, The Expressive Arts Therapy Summit, and The International Conference on Deep Listening, and has presented at grand rounds presentations for local NY hospitals. 

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Katie has worked internationally in the Balkans, South Africa, and Ecuador, offering workshops in improvisation and song writing and has studied with Musicians Without Borders in their Training for Trainers workshop in the Netherlands and continues to work towards social justice for refugees and marginalized populations.  To Learn more, check out her Website

LEARN MORE: 

Click here to listen to an interview with Katie Down on her work in sound, music, mindfulness, sound baths, music therapy and being an artist/activist in the world. Alana Medlock of "There There" on WGXC speaks with Katie on her relationship to sound and music, her thoughts about artistic inquiry, curiosity, social activism, and how listening and creativity can be acts of compassion. Starts on minute 3.

Wainwright House Cancellation Policy:

• No refunds will be offered if you do not show up, are late, or leave early from a program.
• If you need to cancel, fees can be transferred to another event.