WWMU Interview with Joshua W. Bruner (@flower_and_frequency)
Website: https://
San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
What is your first memory related to music?
“My father has always played music, so growing up my brother and I would often fall asleep several nights a week to him and his close friends playing guitars and singing old country songs into the morning. It was a real treat. Hank Williams Sr. songs were a favorite. Things could get rowdy for sure but it was nice to hear people having such a good time.”
What were your first steps in music?
“My dad had taught my younger brother to play guitar when he was very young and had him on stage at local opry houses entertaining crowds. I just liked to draw back then. I got grounded for a month for a bad grade when we were in high school, so I asked my brother to teach me to play. He didn’t think I could pick it up at that point, so we made a competitive wager. If he won, he could have my surf board. If I won, I could have his guitar. I was bold enough to claim that I’d be better than him in a month’s time. He scoffed at me and our dad agreed to judge us both at the end of the month. I ended up putting a lot of effort into it and won the competition along with his electric guitar. Making music just became a part of my regular day to day from that point on.”
What have the last 10 years of your artistic career been like?
“Over the years I’ve self-released several albums in several bands. I toured Europe and various cities in America but I always struggled with the drifting and unpredictable lifestyle of being a full-timer. I’ve got a lot of respect for people who can sustain a life on the road playing music or being a comedian but I personally need a more stable existence to feel happy and healthy. I’m currently enjoying this transition towards making health and relaxation music full time. It allows me to slow down, lower my vibrations and experience life in a much more profound and personal way. It’s also been a natural gateway to meditation for me.”
Why did you choose to transition into the healing work that you’re doing now? And how does music fit into it?
“I began dabbling in brainwave entrainment techniques like binaural, monaural & isochronic beats [link below], and I was researching why and how they’re useful and wanting to know more, but the internet doesn’t have all too much information on creating them. I noticed a guy in San Francisco that had a class that covered the subject and I randomly tried a sound table there. I was hooked on the concept of feeling the music in that way. I didn’t really resonate with the direction of his class or the kind of music that he played for me on his sound table, so I decided to drop out and began creating my own DIY sound tables and various other vibroacoustic devices to share these experiences with other folks in my community. This led to me towards creating the customized music used for my new vibrational instruments. Music has this epic and mysterious power over our entire existence, as we all know, but it’s somehow as overlooked as the air we breath nowadays. We all know that songs have a deeper purpose than what top 40 hits allow us, and I just want to try to be one of the many new note finders who explore music’s hidden possibilities to try and better our lives by reducing stress. Most illness is birthed from stress.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
What services do you currently provide, and who do you hope to serve?
“Right now we’re offering custom relaxation songs for clients based on the sonic data within their favorite music. We have a sound table in our apartment in San Francisco where I can host private 1/2 hour vibroacoustic sound baths upon request. We also perform our music live for any situations which might call for calming ambient music. It’s perfect for retreats, spas, yoga classes, meditation groups, reiki zones and other likeminded spaces. You can find more about these services on our website.”
https://flowerandfrequency.
Tell us more about the amazing artwork that accompanies your sound healings. How is it created?
“Yes, wow, cymatics! [Link below]. Well, it’s as simple as playing sound through water and lighting it to be photographed. It blows my mind how complex these geometrical shapes can get just by adjusting various controls such as pitch and volume. Every musician should explore the visible nature of sound at some point. Very fun. We like photographing the cymatic signatures of each of our songs and including them with our album downloads. I’ve also been creating and sharing 60 second meditations for our Instagram page, blending video and music together which has been fun.” ***Josh was kind enough to to create a custom meditation for the WWMU community…check it out above! See photo of cymatics in comments section below***
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Is there a new creative direction / kind of project you would like to explore in the future?
“I’ve loved having special musical guests on our relaxation albums. We recently collaborated with a lovely pianist from Oakland named Michelle Ann Moeller. There are a few more collaborations lined up for our next releases, which also have me really excited. We’re also gleefully blending the importance of herbalism into our work in the near future. My wife, Nora, is currently attending school at the Ohlone Herbal Center [link below] and we both see a huge potential in the crossover appeal of medicinal music and medicinal herbs. We’re trying fun new ideas like tuning all of the medicine she makes with specific frequencies upon a small vibroacoustic platform I put together, and we’ll be crafting songs and medicine which will work well together for our clients.”
http://www.ohlonecenter.org/
Favorite project you’ve worked on?
“Myself! The personal challenges in life are endless. Haha! Musically though, our newest album, ‘Woo Woo 2’ featuring Michelle Moeller [link below] is a favorite project of mine. It was a pleasure to mix and blend her keyboards over our music. One of the quickest and easiest collaborations I’ve been a part of over the last 20 years.”
https://flowerandfrequency.
Favorite artist?
“Probably the artist who taught me that an outcast Texan can leave for California and be just fine: Mr. Terry Allen.”
http://terryallenartmusic.com/
Favorite instrument?
“Virtual instruments are extremely good to me now. Kontakt is my bread and butter. I’ve spent most of my years playing guitar, but I’m spending more time learning the MIDI keyboard these days because of the flexibility.”
Favorite local food from your country?
“I love a traditional southern breakfast, though I don’t really eat breakfast anymore. My grandma used to cook us amazing eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy back when I was a kid in Texas and Mississippi.”
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For two free albums of music, and more streaming meditations, visit:
https://flowerandfrequency.
