Music For Mother And Child

Wind Chimes And Monks: The Music Of Claus Jensen

I met Claus Jensen on Pat O'Bryan's new forum. This is a great place to meet new friends, JV partners, people to write articles and Squidoo lenses for and about.

Claus sent me three compact disks called Music for Mother and Child: Wind Chimes; Lullabies; Tales Of The Ocean, so I could write this article more intelligently.

I brought all three compact disks to work on a busy night. People were flying around with constricted and unhappy faces. I began to feel constricted, too.

But I started to play the music and it changed everything. As we listened, we smiled. I told my patients about the music and they could hear it, drifting into their rooms from the nurses station.

The music has an immediate effect on changing the vibrational field, first in those who first began to listen, then reverberating throughout the entire hospital.

Even the fluorescent lighting appeared softer to the eyes.

I asked Claus a few questions about his work and his life:

Kate: Tell us the circumstances of how you first began to play music.

Claus: When I first started to create my own music, it was a big step for me. Educated a classical guitarist, I had always played music composed by others.

One day I had a visit by my sister and her kids. I was sitting with my guitar playing one of my favorite compositions. The kids got totally quiet, looking at me with a relaxed, dreamy look in their eyes. That was the exact moment when the idea hit me to create music especially for children.

Some weeks later, I had a meeting with a good friend and colleague and it turned out we had the same idea!

It was easy for us to decide to create music for children. We brainstormed and the idea got clearer and clearer: To create music for specific ages.

Newborns or even fetuses understand sounds and music differently than a two year old child.

We started doing a lot of research and things just went smoothly. Before we even got to the recording studio, we already had sold 10,000 compact disks!!

Kate: What makes your heart sing?

Claus: Children! I love children and spending time with them, especially my own child (who was born to my Wind Chimes C-D!)

Kate: What is your greatest passion?

Claus: My greatest passion is being in nature and watching birds. I have always gotten my greatest ideas being out in Nature.

I also love helping others with their creativity.

Kate: How old were you when you first started to play music?

Claus: I started to play music at age ten, I think. The sister of my mother taught me to play guitar and I was sold!

Kate: How have dolphins influenced you and your music?

Claus: I have always been drawn to the sound of dolphins and whales. There is a kind of timelessness and infinity to the sounds. We all come from water and I think these sounds "talk" to something deep within us all.

So it was natural for us to use the sound of dolphis in the music.

Kate: Tell us more of how nature influences your work.

Claus: Nature has always had a great place in my life. I've experienced rough times (we all have!) and in those times, I was comforted by nature.

I think nature is the best medicine. It makes me feel at one with the creative source itself.

I guess I try and create this feeling in music. My best creative and business ideas come to me while communing in nature.

I had a serious stress breakdown about two years ago, and in that time, I actually listened to the music of Mother And Child. It helped me tremendously. Music has rescued me more than once!!

Kate: Can you tell us a little about each of your three compact disks?

Claus: My partner, Henrick Birk Aaboe and I created these compact disks.

The music on each C-D contains elements chosen specifically for the relaxation of mothers, fetuses and infants, as well as elements more generally relaxing for all age groups.

Wind Chimes is especially conducive for infants. We purposely chose long, continuous passages because we learned that this sort of continuity is especially calming for young children. Through our research, we learned that too many breaks in the music can be disturbing to infants and young children.

Therefore, this C-D consists of long passages connected by light and melodious wind chimes.

Tales Of The Ocean is a journey of the unconscious from the surface down layer after layer (under the sea) ending with a homecoming composition: "The Sea Is My Home."

The last of the compact disks, Lullabies, is a sequence of newly composed lullabies, each telling its own story. Compared to the other C-Ds, the melodic material is significantly advanced and they harmonize with the child's enhanced consciousness and ability to comprehend actual melodic sequences.

Simultaneously, we sought to preserve the tranquil and secure atmosphere by purposely using repetition as an artistic effect.

Lullabies has a hypnotic effect that sooths and influences the listening experience of every age group.

Kate: Thank you, Claus. And may I add, listening to these C-Ds gives all of us a sense of security and deep, deep peace as evidenced by the evening we listened to nothing else for a total of twelve hours!

When the C-Ds stopped, we all felt a tremendous void, and everyone there requested that we immediately continue playing them.

When I went home after the night shift experience, I wanted to continue listening in my sleep.

When I went back to work, my colleagues wanted me to play the C-Ds again.

Those of us who listened the night before were bonded by dolphin, wind chime and ocean sounds. The rest of the unit quickly learned of our experience and wanted to listen, too!

This music would have a profound effect in settings where professionals work with disturbed, autistic and emotional disadvantaged children.

Further research is needed, but I am convinced that this music is the answer to the uncentered, distracted and turbulent elements in our society today.

Keep on composing and creating, Claus!

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