Welcoming Ourselves Back Into the Music
May you discover and thrive within your music
Concept
Structural Connection Between Major, Relative, & Parallel Minor
Fluency Session: Structure
Where the Major & Minor Integrate
Ascending 1 - 3 - 5 | Shift on 3b
Simple pattern exercise that unfolds the structural correlations between the Major, Relative Minor (Natural), and the Parallel Minor to the Major.
Begin | Determine Your Initial Position
Place your hand so that you can sound two notes, a fifth apart.
- On keys (image), this could be a C and G.
- On guitar, a simple power chord, E and B.
- Cello/Vio: two adjacent open strings - your choice
- Winds/Brass: Pick a starting note and sound its fifth (above)
Example: Eb to Bb (sax, etc), C to G (trumpet)
Find the Major Triad
Maintain the shape of the fifth and add the major third
- Keys: C E G
- Guitar: E G# B
- Cello: G (on C) B (on G) D (open)
Stretch... 🙂 - Vio: D (on G) F# (on A) A (open)
Yes, there is reason string instruments play inversions, but for the sake of this exercise, keep the tonal order and center - Winds: Eb G Bb
- Trumpet: C E G
Flat the 3rd
Move the third down a half step
C E G becomes C Eb G
E G# B becomes E G B
G B D becomes G Bb D
D F# A becomes D F A
Eb G Bb becomes Eb Gb Bb
Shift the Tonal Center
What was the 3 became the flat 3, or 3b
Now that 3b becomes the new 1 (shift the tonal center)
When began with the major triad C E G
1=C 3=E 5=G
Here, the tonal center is C
Then we dropped the third by a half step C Eb G
1=C 3b=Eb 5=G
Here, the tonal center is C, and that C has taken on a natural minor flavor
__________________________
Now we will shift the existing 1 to its new position, the existing 3b
What was 1=C, is now 1=Eb
With our new 1 (Eb) determined, we resume our major triad shape (1-3-5), beginning this time on Eb
1=Eb 3=G 5=Bb
Eb G Bb
The tonal center has become Eb
Guess what, you can repeat this in however many iterations you'd like, simply by moving through the steps, ascending in pitch.
Want to know how it works descending in pitch? Check out the next tab.
video coming soon
Descending 5 - 3 - 1 | Shift to the third below (same note as the 6th)
Simple pattern exercise that unfolds the structural correlations between the Major, Relative Minor (Natural), and the Parallel Minor to the Major.
Begin | Determine Your Initial Position
Place your hand so that you can sound two notes, a fifth apart.
- On keys (image), this could be a C and G.
- On guitar, a simple power chord, E and B.
- Cello/Vio: two adjacent open strings - your choice
- Winds/Brass: Pick a starting note and sound its fifth (above)
Example: Eb to Bb (sax, etc), C to G (trumpet)
Find the Major Triad
Maintain the shape of the fifth and add the major third
- Keys: C E G
- Guitar: E G# B
- Cello: G (on C) B (on G) D (open)
Stretch... 🙂 - Vio: D (on G) F# (on A) A (open)
Yes, there is reason string instruments play inversions, but for the sake of this exercise, keep the tonal order and center - Winds: Eb G Bb
- Trumpet: C E G
Shift the Tonal Center
What was the 5 shifts now to what was the 3. We can also say what was the 1, drops a third to its new position (C to A below)
C E G was previously 1=C 3=E 5=G
Now E=5, C=3, and A=1
Shift the tonal center from C to A
_______________________________
We began with the major triad C E G
1=C 3=E 5=G
Here, the tonal center is C
Then we dropped the shape (1-3-5) down a third
C moves to a third below, A
E moves to C
G moves to E
We now have:
1=A 3=C 5=E
The tonal center, our anchor, becomes A
and it has taken on a natural minor flavor
__________________________
C Major has the same ingredients, the same sharps/flats, as the key of A Minor (Natural). They are relatives (cousins).
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Kindness, patience, and genuine welcome are at the heart of these sessions. Each participant is respected and encouraged, whatever their background or experience. All can explore and enjoy music at a comfortable pace, with support and a sense of safety, free from pressure or judgment. Here, music is for everyone, just as they are.
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Dismantling Anxiety
Dismantling Performance Anxiety
The moment we reach for an instrument, open our mouths to sing, or simply begin listening, music invites us into connection
Then, enter the “wrong” note.
Our Narrative
When we begin to ask kinder questions and challenge harsh inner voices, we can create new stories that are compassionate, open-ended, and uniquely our own.
Unwinding Anxiety
What if we could gently unravel the internalized constraints? What if we could rewrite the stories we tell ourselves, revise patterns and tension in the body, formed in response to critique or pressure, and discover what it is to experience freedom and fluency in music?
Worthiness Blossoming
Every sound you make holds value. Every attempt is worth honoring. With each conversation, may you find a little more room to wander and appreciate.
Judgement
Anxiety is a very human response to vulnerability, and it thrives in spaces where perfection overshadows play, and where rules and expectations seem louder than intuition and connection.
Music was never meant to be full of shoulds
...what music should sound like, how it should be constructed, or who should be allowed to create and play it
Untangling Fear
In this space, we celebrate our humanness and the wonder of the journey. We acknowledge the courage it takes to show up, and we invite each other to gently untangle fear, one breath and note at a time.
Why the Circle of 5ths Matters
The Circle of Fifths: An Ongoing Exploration of the Map
This is a new section on our site, requested by, and evolving dynamically in response to the interaction of those who engage in our circle building sessions. Thanks for your patience as we build it.
You’ve probably heard that circle of fifths is a reference chart, and can function as a method and visual resource. It is all these, and it’s an ancient map woven from math, geometry, physics, and human wonder, that offers a portal constructed of connection.
The circle’s twelve-step version is a zoomed-out view of the universe of possible intervals, set into a twelve note system. We zoom out like this for ease and the sake of simplicity. Intervals are generated by multiplying or dividing frequencies, resulting in observable cyclical patterns. In this format, the circle is arranging the 12 tone chromatic scale in a sequence of perfect fifths.
The circle serves as a reference for understanding harmony, key signatures, and modulation. It is a representation of the relationships and interaction of frequencies, of the ratios that describe how sounds resonate together.
- In its classic form, at each step we advance around the circle in an interval of 5. Starting at one position, we land at the fifth step away in the next, either ascending or descending (pitch, alpha, and numeric).
- Defined by the frequency ratio 3:2, this 5th interval relationship is not an arbitrary invention; it’s a natural, physical phenomenon that musicians, along with scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians have recognized across cultures and time.
The image on the right, and description that follows, are from Joe Dubs & OmniCore Tech
If you’re not familiar with Joe Dubs, take a moment to visit, it will be well worth your time.
This image unveils the profound geometric structure underlying musical harmony, revealing a sacred order woven into the fabric of sound itself.
At its core, this “Musical Geometry” diagram illustrates the harmonic relationships between fundamental intervals—the perfect octave (1:2), perfect fifth (2:3), and perfect fourth (3:4). These ratios are not arbitrary but are intrinsic to the very physics of vibration, echoing through nature, celestial mechanics, and human perception of consonance.
The circles interwoven in the central diagram reflect harmonic progression, where geometric relationships mirror the resonance of frequencies. This sacred design reflects the harmonic lattice, an ancient concept recognizing that music is not just an art but a mathematical and cosmic principle. The Fibonacci sequence, the Golden Ratio, and sacred geometry all find expression in these vibrational relationships.
For an incredibly simple and useful tool, visit Rand Scullard’s Interactive Circle
HoH | Quartz Explorations
The Secret Song of Quartz
Imagine holding a piece of quartz in your hand—the kind that glitters in Colorado creek beds or catches sun high on a mountainside. It seems still, timeless, and silent. But inside, a secret music is always playing.
The Universal Language of Vibration
Nikola Tesla’s vision of the universe as a system of vibrations resonates deeply with the principles of both quartz resonance and music. Let’s explore how these three elements interconnect, creating a harmonious tapestry of science, art, and philosophy.
Music and Harmony
Music, at its core, is the art of organizing sound waves into pleasing patterns. Different musical notes correspond to specific frequencies, and the relationships between these frequencies create harmonies. Just as a quartz crystal has a natural resonant frequency, musical instruments produce sounds based on their unique vibrational properties.The Harmonic Convergence: Tesla, Quartz, and Music
Tesla’s Vision
Tesla believed that everything in the universe is in a state of vibration. He saw energy as a fundamental force that could be harnessed and transmitted through resonant frequencies. His experiments with wireless energy transmission and electromagnetic waves were attempts to tap into this universal language of vibration.
Quartz Resonance
Quartz crystals, with their precise piezoelectric properties, are natural translators of mechanical stress into electrical signals. When a quartz crystal vibrates at its resonant frequency (e.g., 32,768 Hz in watches), it creates a pure, stable oscillation that can be used to keep time with remarkable accuracy.
The Convergence
Frequency and Pitch
- In music, the pitch of a note is determined by its frequency
- A quartz crystal’s resonant frequency is its unique pitch
- Tesla’s experiments with electromagnetic waves explored the transmission of energy at specific frequencies, much like how musical notes are transmitted through the air
Harmonics and Overtones
Musical instruments produce the fundamental frequency and harmonics and overtones. These additional frequencies create the rich, complex sound of an instrument.
Resonance and Amplification
In music, resonance occurs when an object vibrates at its natural frequency, amplifying the sound. Tesla’s work with resonant transformers and wireless energy transmission relied on the principle of resonance to amplify and transmit energy. A quartz crystal’s piezoelectric effect is a form of resonance, converting mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Resonance: A Multidisciplinary Exploration Project
“Waves of Connection”
Core Project Components
- Quartz Crystal Resonance Instrument
- Collaborative Sound/Wave Generation
- Interconnected Measurement Systems
The Experiment: Making Quartz “Speak”
Creating a Piezoelectric Connection, we will need a clear, well-formed quartz crystal, preferably with sharp, clean edges
Step 1: Carefully tape copper wires to opposite sides of the quartz crystal
Step 2: Connect wires to the LED and battery
Step 3: Gently squeeze or tap the crystal. The crystal will generate a tiny electrical charge when physically stressed
If we have an LED nearby, it might briefly light up
We’re literally turning mechanical energy into electrical energy!
Expanded Research
– Quantum entanglement
– Cymatics
– Biorhythms
– Geological time scales
– Electronic music composition
– Interactive art installations
Reflections
Tesla’s vision of a universe composed of vibrations finds a tangible expression in both the precise oscillations of a quartz crystal and the harmonious patterns of music. Each note in a musical composition, each vibration of a quartz crystal, and each electromagnetic wave in Tesla’s experiments are part of the same universal symphony, a harmonious dance of energy and matter.
By exploring these connections, we gain a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and the fundamental role that vibration plays in shaping our world. The precise ticking of a quartz watch, the resonant frequencies of a musical instrument, and the wireless transmission of energy are all part of the same vibrational tapestry.
Tesla, quartz, and music all share one fundamental principle: resonance.
– Tesla’s experiments were built around the idea that electrical energy can be transmitted through the air when the source and receiver are tuned to the same frequency. He generated huge, high‑frequency oscillations and watched the energy “hop” from one resonant circuit to another.
– Quartz crystals are natural resonators. When you stress them they produce an electric charge at a very precise natural frequency (≈ 32 kHz for watches). If you drive a quartz crystal with an external sound wave that matches its natural frequency, the crystal vibrates strongly. It’s just like a guitar string that sings when you pluck it at its resonant pitch.
– Music is organized sound waves. When two notes share a simple frequency ratio (e.g., an octave, a perfect fifth), their waveforms line up periodically, creating a pleasant, reinforcing pattern. We call this harmonic resonance.
Because all three systems rely on matching frequencies to amplify or transfer energy, the “vibration” you hear in a quartz crystal, the humming of a Tesla coil, and the chords of a musical instrument are different expressions of the same physics. They each turn a tiny, periodic motion into a larger, perceptible effect, and they all illustrate how the universe communicates through energy, frequency, and vibration.
Harmonic Resonance: The Universal Language of Vibration
Engagement 1: Visible Harmony & Resonance
Crystals, Airwaves, and the Touchless Song of the Theremin
Components
– Theremin
– Quartz crystals
– Curious kids
Imagine a quartz crystal, humming silently in your palm, and the invisible song of the theremin, floating on air when you move your hands. Both are instruments of music, of energy, frequency, and of resonance.
Quartz, has a perfectly ordered atomic lattice that vibrates at unwavering, natural frequencies. When you squeeze, tap, or sing to it, it moves and transforms your action into an electrical pulse called piezoelectricity. This is how a crystal in a radio or old phone feels the buzzing airwaves and turns them into music or messages we can hear.
Have you ever seen someone play a theremin? Underneath its haunting sound is a delicate dance happening between electric fields and radio waves. When we play the theremin, our hands interact with these fields, shifting frequency, just as a tap or squeeze changes how quartz vibrates. Even though we don’t see the dance of energy, it is and our interaction coaxes it into resonance.
Nikola Tesla was a guy who always seemed to see connections, and he knew that both quartz and the theremin operate by the same law: energy in motion creates waves, and waves can travel, combine, and even carry music through the air or stone.
__________________________
When a theremin makes a note, internal circuits use quartz (or sometimes other oscillators) to steady the frequency, ensuring the sound is pure and unwavering.
When quartz vibrates, it “broadcasts” an electric signal, which can be tuned and mixed, resonating in radios, microphones, and in the theremin’s circuits.
Music is woven from the resonance between energy, material, and presence
When you listen to a theremin’s voice, think about the crystal quietly beating inside a radio, a clock, or the bedrock beneath your feet. Both are proof that the world itself sings.
__________________
The theremin’s earliest stable forms used quartz crystal oscillators for their pitch circuits.
Engagement 2: Quantum Entanglement Communication Prototype
Demonstrating wave propagation and connection
Components
– Paired quartz crystal oscillators
– Signal transmitting crystal bowls
– Mallets and lazer lights
– Collaboratively create resonance
Interactive Elements
– Participants create waves through touch/input
– Waves transmitted between paired crystal bowls
– Visual/audio demonstration of wave transformation
– Explores concepts of quantum communication
Engagement 3: Geological Time and Personal Rhythm Installation
Connect personal biorhythms with geological time
Components
– Quartz crystals from Colorado
– Biometric sensors
– Real-time data visualization
– Musical/sound generation system
Experience
– Participants connect personal heart/breath rhythms
– Rhythms translated through quartz crystal oscillators
– Create collective “geological music”
– Visualize interconnectedness of personal and geological time
Harmonic Resonance Exploration
Key Observation Points
– Every object has a natural frequency
– Quartz crystals can generate electricity when stressed, vibrate at specific frequencies, and transform energy between different states
Resonance as a Universal Principle
Everything vibrates:
- Atoms
- Molecules
- Crystals
- Human bodies
- Planets
- Entire universes
– How are musical harmonies similar to crystal vibrations?
– Can you feel the “rhythm” of the crystal?
– What happens when different frequencies meet?
Deeper Exploration
Experiment with: different crystal sizes, various sound frequencies, and multiple crystals together
Scientific Principles Demonstrated
– Piezoelectricity
– Cymatics
– Wave interference
– Energy transformation
– Resonant frequency
Writing Ideas
– Crystals as “translators” between different energy states
– Vibration as a fundamental language of connection
– Every “thing” has its own unique song
Additional Exploration
– Research quantum entanglement
– Explore sound healing practices
– Study molecular vibration in different states of matter
Educational Objectives
– Demonstrate piezoelectric principles
– Explore wave propagation
– Understand resonance
– Highlight interconnectedness
– Blend art, science, and human experience
Potential Collaborators
– Local universities (Physics, Music, Engineering departments)
– Science museums
– Electronic music composers
– Quantum physics researchers
– Geological societies
Technical Challenges
– Precise frequency measurement
– Signal translation
– Real-time collaborative interface
– Maintaining crystal integrity
– Creating meaningful visualization
Connections
– Explore how individual “waves” create collective experience
– Demonstrate interconnectedness of natural systems
– Show how tiny changes create significant transformations
Expanded Research
– Quantum entanglement
– Cymatics
– Biorhythms
– Geological time scales
– Electronic music composition
– Interactive art installations
Quartz, Crystals, and Colorado: An Unexpected Connection
Colorado might seem far from the Parisian laboratories where the Curie brothers made their initial discoveries, but the state has a fascinating relationship with quartz that adds an intriguing layer to the story of timekeeping.
The Rocky Mountains, in Colorado, are a geological treasure trove of mineral formations, including some of the most remarkable quartz deposits in the United States. The Crystal Peak area in Teller County, located near Pikes Peak, is particularly famous for its exceptional quartz crystals. These rocks are potential precision instruments hidden in the mountain landscape.
Colorado’s Crystal Connection
During World War II, the demand for high-quality quartz crystals skyrocketed. Radio technology and early electronic communications required precise crystal oscillators, and Colorado’s mineral deposits became strategically important. The U.S. government even established programs to collect and process quartz crystals from Colorado’s mountains, recognizing their potential for military and scientific applications.
An Unexpected Technology Hub
Colorado would later become a hub for the very technologies that quartz crystals would enable. The state’s Silicon Mountain corridor (centered around Boulder and Denver) became home to numerous electronics and technology companies that would rely on the precise oscillation properties first discovered by the Curies.
Companies like Ball Aerospace, now BAE Systems, in Boulder, have used precision crystal technologies in everything from satellite navigation systems to space exploration equipment. The very crystals that could keep a watch ticking perfectly are now helping to navigate spacecraft and collect data from the far reaches of our solar system.
The Geological Story
The quartz crystals of Colorado tell a story millions of years in the making. Formed deep underground under immense pressure and heat, they emerged from the earth’s crust as the Rocky Mountains were thrust upward. Each crystal carries within it a record of geological time.
It’s a beautiful symmetry: a rock formed by immense geological forces, shaped by human curiosity, becoming an instrument that, when pressure is applied, measures the most precise increments of human experience.
Colorado, Tesla, and Resonant Frequencies: A Vibrational History
Nikola Tesla’s Colorado Connection
In 1899, **Nikola Tesla** chose Colorado Springs as his personal laboratory, establishing a research station that would become legendary in the world of electrical science. The location wasn’t random. Colorado’s high altitude, clear atmosphere, and unique geological composition made it a perfect natural laboratory for his groundbreaking experiments in electromagnetic waves and energy transmission.
Tesla’s Colorado Springs Laboratory
– Established in 1899
– Created massive electrical discharges
– Conducted experiments in wireless energy transmission
– Produced artificial lightning up to 135 feet long
– Demonstrated wireless transmission of electrical energy
NCAR: Modern Scientific Resonance
The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder represents a direct continuation of the scientific curiosity that drove Tesla. Located on the edge of the Rocky Mountains, NCAR sits at the intersection of geological wonder and cutting-edge scientific research.
Resonance Connections
– Studies wave propagation in atmospheric systems
– Explores vibrational patterns in natural systems
– Uses advanced sensing technologies that echo Tesla’s early work in energy transmission
Tesla’s Vibrational Philosophy
Tesla believed that everything in the universe is fundamentally a system of vibrations. His work with frequencies and energy transmission parallels our exploration of quartz crystals’ piezoelectric properties.
– Both explore energy transformation
– Both see vibration as a fundamental language of the universe
– Both demonstrate how seemingly solid matter is actually in constant motion
Thought to Take With You
Tesla once said: “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”
The quartz crystal in your hand, the mountains of Colorado, the atmospheric research at NCAR, and Tesla’s visionary experiments are all part of the same fundamental conversation about how energy moves, transforms, and connects.
Colorado School of Mines Resources
1. Seismic Wave Propagation, Acoustics, and Material Resonance at CSM
A. Colorado School of Mines Department and Lab Resources
- CSM Geophysics Department — Seismic and Acoustic Research Group
- Seismic Research at Mines
- Focuses on how sound/seismic waves travel through rock layers, using laboratory and field experiments.
- Center for Rock Abuse (CSM)
- About the Center
- World-renowned for research on rock properties, including elastic, acoustic, and seismic attributes (ringing, resonance, vibration).
B. Faculty Research
Dr. Roel Snieder — W.M. Keck Distinguished Professor of Basic Exploration Science
- Specializes in mathematical modeling of seismic waves, resonance, and wave propagation.
- Snieder, R. (2002). “Extracting the Green’s function of attenuating heterogeneous acoustic media from uncorrelated waves.” Journal of the Acoustic Society of America, 114(5), 2823-2832.
Abstract
Dr. David A. Benson (Affiliate Faculty, previously CSM)
- Studies acoustic wave propagation and diffusion in porous media—relevant to both geology and engineered structures.
- Benson, D. A., Wheatcraft, S. W., & Meerschaert, M. M. (2000). “Application of a Fractional Advection-Dispersion Equation.” Water Resources Research, 36(6), 1403–1412.
Link
C. Material Resonance and Applied Engineering
- Clark, J. A., Zhang, J., & Lekic, V. (2019). “Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy for High-Throughput Elastic Measurements of Rocks.” Geophysics, 84(3).
Abstract- While not always exclusive to CSM, this technique is widely used at Mines and referenced in their graduate work.
- Geophysical Monitoring of Environmental Problems (CSM/USGS collaboration)
- Uses seismic/acoustic sensors for mining safety, monitoring, and environmental impact—showing the role of resonance in both natural and human systems.
D. Seismic Wave Attenuation and Natural “Ring” Phenomena
- Mavko, G., Mukerji, T., & Dvorkin, J. (2009). “The Rock Physics Handbook.” Cambridge University Press.
- Frequently cited by CSM faculty; covers the mathematics of vibration, resonance, echoes, and wave damping in geology and engineering.
E. Educational and Summary Texts
- Colorado School of Mines Geophysics Department — Course Offerings:
- GEOPH 505: Seismology
Includes acoustics, resonance in the earth, and engineered vibration.
- GEOPH 505: Seismology
- Mines Magazine (CSM): “Cracking the Code: What We Hear in the Cracking of Rock” (2018)
- Public-facing summary of applied research in acoustic resonance and the science of “rock ringers.”
- Read here
2. Application to Natural and Engineered Harmonics
- Wave Propagation Research at Mines:
- Integrates field seismology (earthquake waves, ringing rocks) with laboratory material science (how crystal lattices and minerals absorb, echo, or transmit vibrational energy).
- Use in monitoring mines, tunnels, and environmental sites for stability and resonance/damping.
- Industry Partnerships:
- CSM collaborates with major engineering and mining firms to apply signal processing, resonance, and acoustic monitoring for safe construction, effective resource extraction, and environmental protection.
Fluency Project | HoH CO | FREQUENCY [ Resources ]
Additional Resources
- Smithsonian Folkways: Offers audio samples, lesson plans, and background essays on many of the referenced traditions (Smithsonian Folkways – Native North America)
- Colorado Encyclopedia: Overviews on the Ute, Arapaho, and Cheyenne in Colorado & music/dance traditions (Colorado Encyclopedia)
- “Powwow Trail” documentary (PBS) and the Ute Indian Museum
Indigenous Music in Colorado & Informational Guides
- History Colorado—Ute Indian Museum Education
- OER Commons: Indigenous Music Traditions
- Smithsonian Folkways Lesson Plans:
- Native North America—Free Access Library
- Includes tracks, cultural background, and step-by-step activities.
Audio & Multimedia
- Smithsonian Folkways Streaming:
- KCME Classical Presents: Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho music features
These digital resources provide primary source audio, educator packets, video, and curated background to support the musical and historical layers of this program.
Ute Music and Bear Dance
- Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum: Bear Dance Educational Materials
- Smithsonian Folkways: Ute Bear Dance Songs
- Smithsonian NMAI: Native Knowledge 360° — Bear Dance
Ute Music & the Bear Dance
McAllester, David P. “The Bear Dance of the Ute Indians.” Ethnomusicology, 1963.
Smithsonian/Native Knowledge 360° Bear Dance resources
- The Bear Dance is a central ceremonial event among the Ute people, marking the return of spring and the bear from hibernation.
- The music is anchored by the water drum, which produces a deep, steady note considered to carry spiritual significance.
- Songs are simple, repetitive, and chanted with deep meaning, often referencing the bear’s movements.
- The start of the Bear Dance always involves finding a communal rhythm—everyone hears the drum and tunes into the group’s unified sound, echoing how families and community come together.
- The act of “tuning in” or anchoring to the drum’s pitch signifies group alignment and emotional connection more than individual performance.
Arapaho and Cheyenne Musical Traditions
- Colorado Encyclopedia:
- Native Daughters of the West: Music & Dance
- PBS — The Powwow Trail (features Cheyenne and Arapaho):
- Viewable video clip series (includes communal drumming and song)
- Smithsonian Folkways: Music of the Arapaho
Cheyenne Music & Healing Traditions
Mooney, James. The Cheyenne (Ethnological report);
Keeling, Richard. Music and Culture in Native America.
Cheyenne healing songs are traditionally used in ceremony and are anchored by a communal drumbeat or chant.
- Each healing song begins with the group attuning themselves to the “home” pitch, often led by a medicine person or elder.
- The process of singing together—matching pitch, echoing back, holding the rhythm—serves both as a way of tuning the group emotionally and marking a safe, sacred space.
- Participation is based on willingness and presence, not on individual prowess: whoever is there, belongs, and is asked to add their voice.
- These songs are intended for both personal and group healing, embedding the importance of unity, safety, and belonging in their structure.
Arapaho Music & Community Song
Powers, William K. – “Arapaho Music and Dance” in Plains Indian Musical Traditions;
Heth, Charlotte. Native American Dance: Ceremonies and Social Traditions.
- Arapaho music is closely tied to vocal tradition—communal chants accompanied by drums and rattles.
- Songs are considered living entities, passed from person to person; starting a song means finding and sharing a pitch, often chosen by a respected singer. Everyone joins once the reference note is found.
- Music marks important moments: feasts, naming ceremonies, and collective prayers for health or rain.
- The process is inherently inclusive: there are no auditions or requirements to join; all voices are needed to bring the song to life, and tuning to each other is how community grows.
- Many songs begin with a soft, sustained anchor note—welcoming all to listen before joining, so that “belonging” starts before the first beat.
Indigenous Instrument Making in Historical Colorado: Resources
Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum — Bear Dance Teacher Toolkit
Comprehensive guide on Bear Dance music, including water drum construction and use.
Download the PDF
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) — Bear Dance
Background on Bear Dance and water drum’s role in Ute tradition.
Bear Dance Educational Materials
Denver Art Museum — Indigenous Arts of North America: Instruments and Music
Artifact images and descriptions of regional Indigenous musical instruments.
View resource
Smithsonian Folkways — Traditional Music Instruments: Plains/Plateau
Audio, images, and descriptions of hand drums, rattles, flutes, and more.
Explore the guide
History Colorado — American Indian Teacher Resources
Activities and readings about Colorado Native music and drum making.
Teacher resources
PBS Native America — Powwow Trail: Drums and Community Music
Short video segments on traditional drum circles and music-making.
Watch segment
Common Instruments:
- Water drums (wood, hide, water for tone)
- Hand/frame drums (wood, hide, sinew)
- Rattles (hide, gourd, seeds or stones)
- Flutes/whistles (wood, river cane, bone)
Key Context:
Instrument making reflects the materials and traditions of each community. Musical craft is a living heritage, connecting people to land, ancestors, and story.
Colorado’s sandstone cliffs, canyons, and amphitheaters are not only landmarks of geological history, but living instruments—shaping and magnifying music, connecting people, and reminding us that our stories are written in both stone and sound.
Sandstone Amphitheaters: Colorado’s Natural Soundscapes
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- Location: Just west of Denver, outside of Morrison.
- Geological Features:
- The amphitheater is framed by dramatic, tilted sandstone formations—Ship Rock and Creation Rock—formed over 300 million years by geological uplift and erosion.
- The rocks are part of the Fountain Formation, whose composition and shape allow for stunning natural acoustics.
- Musical Association:
- Known internationally, Red Rocks is revered for its perfect, open-air sound quality. The curved sandstone walls reflect and amplify music, allowing performers and audiences to experience pure sound without electronic amplification.
- The site has hosted Indigenous gatherings, community bands, world-famous concerts, and collaborative musical experiments, uniting people across diverse backgrounds through shared sonic experience.
- The relationship between the land’s structure and the music made there highlights how geology can be an active “participant” in music-making.
Other Geological Music Sites in Colorado
- Garden of the Gods:
- While not a venue, the towering sandstone fins and formations create unique echo patterns and have long been sites of Indigenous song and acoustic experimentation.
- The Great Sand Dunes “Singing Sands”:
- In certain conditions, Colorado’s sand dunes emit a low, resonant humming or booming sound when grains slide together—a natural phenomenon of granular flow, known as “singing sand.”
- NPS: Great Sand Dunes Soundscape
- Manitou Springs and Echo Cliffs:
- Sites where the landscape’s natural features create echo chambers, used for signaling, music, and ceremony.
Musical Significance and Metaphor
- Land as Instrument:
- These places show that Colorado’s geology is not just a backdrop for human activity, but an interactive participant in music and communication.
- Natural Amplification:
- Indigenous peoples, early settlers, and modern musicians have all recognized and used the special acoustic properties of these spaces, emphasizing an ancient human intuition: land and music co-create experience.
- Community Gathering:
- Amphitheaters and echo sites are natural gathering points, fostering music, spoken word, storytelling, and communal rituals.
Further Resources
- Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: History & Geology
- NPS: Geology and Music at Great Sand Dunes
- Colorado Encyclopedia: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- “Ringing Rocks” (Echo & resonance in geology): NPS Ringing Rocks
Intersections of Music, Energy, and Colorado: Resources & References
Colorado’s sandstone cliffs, canyons, and amphitheaters are not only landmarks of geological history, but living instruments—shaping and magnifying music, connecting people, and reminding us that our stories are written in both stone and sound.
- “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”
Tesla, Nikola. Cited in Seifer, Marc J. Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla: Biography of a Genius. (1998). - Music, physics, and the science of vibration.
Ball, Philip. The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can’t Do Without It. Oxford University Press, 2010.
Pitch, Frequency & Landscape
- Indigenous use of pitch and tuning, resonance in environment.
McAllester, David P. “The Bear Dance of the Ute Indians.” Ethnomusicology, 1963.
Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum (Bear Dance Teacher Toolkit) - “Singing sand” natural resonance (Great Sand Dunes, CO):
Haff, P. K., & Prechtel, P. E. “Singing Sand.” Scientific American, 241(2), 198-207, 1979.
NPS Great Sand Dunes – Soundscape - Tesla’s work on frequency and resonance, Colorado Springs: Carlson, W. Bernard. Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age. Princeton University Press, 2013.
Rhythm, Pulse & Geological Cycles
- Earth’s rhythmic processes, cyclical patterns (water, rock, atmosphere):
National Park Service. “Rock Layers, Tree Rings, and Time.”
NPS Geologic Time Lesson - Daily/seasonal cycles and Colorado weather patterns:
Colorado Encyclopedia. “Climate of Colorado.”
Colorado Encyclopedia: Climate - Ute, Arapaho, Cheyenne rhythm and drumming in ceremony:
Heth, Charlotte. Native American Dance: Ceremonies and Social Traditions. Smithsonian, 1992.
Denver Art Museum: Indigenous Music
Harmony, Resonance & Community
- Sympathetic resonance in science and music:
Rossing, Thomas D. The Science of Sound. Addison Wesley, 2001. - Community singing and Indigenous harmony:
Powers, William K. “Arapaho Music and Dance.” Plains Indian Musical Traditions, 1980.
Keeling, Richard. Music and Culture in Native America. 2013. - Geological resonance (ringing rocks):
National Park Service: Ringing Rocks
Communication, Language, & Tesla
- Tesla’s wireless transmission, music as information/energy:
Seifer, Marc J. Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla.
Carlson, W. Bernard. Tesla: Inventor of the Electrical Age. - Red Rocks Amphitheatre natural acoustics:
Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: Geology and Sound - Indigenous signaling and musical communication:
Smithsonian Folkways – Guide: Traditional Music Instruments, Plains/Plateau
Summary/Additional
- Native Science and the Indigenous worldview:
Cajete, Gregory. Native Science: Natural Laws of Interdependence. Clear Light Publishers, 2000. - Colorado’s musical crossroads history:
History Colorado – American Indian Teacher Resources
Colorado Encyclopedia. “Music of the American West.”
Music History Reference
Sandstone Amphitheaters: Colorado’s Natural Soundscapes
1. Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- Location: Just west of Denver, outside of Morrison.
- Geological Features:
- The amphitheater is framed by dramatic, tilted sandstone formations—Ship Rock and Creation Rock—formed over 300 million years by geological uplift and erosion.
- The rocks are part of the Fountain Formation, whose composition and shape allow for stunning natural acoustics.
- Musical Association:
- Known internationally, Red Rocks is revered for its perfect, open-air sound quality. The curved sandstone walls reflect and amplify music, allowing performers and audiences to experience pure sound without electronic amplification.
- The site has hosted Indigenous gatherings, community bands, world-famous concerts, and collaborative musical experiments, uniting people across diverse backgrounds through shared sonic experience.
- The relationship between the land’s structure and the music made there highlights how geology can be an active “participant” in music-making.
2. Other Geological Music Sites in Colorado
- Garden of the Gods:
- While not a venue, the towering sandstone fins and formations create unique echo patterns and have long been sites of Indigenous song and acoustic experimentation.
- The Great Sand Dunes “Singing Sands”:
- In certain conditions, Colorado’s sand dunes emit a low, resonant humming or booming sound when grains slide together—a natural phenomenon of granular flow, known as “singing sand.”
- NPS: Great Sand Dunes Soundscape
- Manitou Springs and Echo Cliffs:
- Sites where the landscape’s natural features create echo chambers, used for signaling, music, and ceremony.
3. Musical Significance and Metaphor
- Land as Instrument:
- These places show that Colorado’s geology is not just a backdrop for human activity, but an interactive participant in music and communication.
- Natural Amplification:
- Indigenous peoples, early settlers, and modern musicians have all recognized and used the special acoustic properties of these spaces, emphasizing an ancient human intuition: land and music co-create experience.
- Community Gathering:
- Amphitheaters and echo sites are natural gathering points, fostering music, spoken word, storytelling, and communal rituals.
Further Resources
- Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre: History & Geology
- NPS: Geology and Music at Great Sand Dunes
- Colorado Encyclopedia: Red Rocks Amphitheatre
- “Ringing Rocks” (Echo & resonance in geology): NPS Ringing Rocks
Fluency Project | Hands on History CO | Attuned Place
The Soundscape of Home
Where your unique story meets shared tradition, and every voice finds the confidence to belong
Anchoring Across Time
Music Holds Community and Place
Belonging and Invitation
The Power of Reference
From the Land, to the Voice, to Each Other
In every era, music has served not just as entertainment, but as an anchor and a tool for community
Within family and culture, land and cosmos, music is the keeper of memory and a force for connection at every layer.