Immerse yourself in 'sound bath' at library

Minneapolis cellist and composer Sophia Deutsch invites everyone to experience "a communal meditation through waves of sound" at 4 p.m. Friday at the Shelton Timberland Library.

Admission to the 30-minute "sound bath" is free. According to a news release, "Bring a pillow or mat, find a place to rest and let the music guide you ... The experience is designed to foster relaxation, awareness and creative inspiration, whether you're seeking stillness, introspection, or a sense of sonic adventure."

Deutsch is an artist in residence at Hypatia in the Woods in Shelton.

In a response to questions sent by the Journal, Deutsch wrote that "For me, playing the cello in this context is a deeply personal, meditative practice. If that feeling of immersion, curiosity or reflection resonates with someone in the audience, I'll consider the experience shared and meaningful. If someone hears a sound they've never heard before, or even something they don't like, that's still an experience - still a moment of engagement with sound."

Deutsch grew up in Minneapolis, where an eclectic mix of music was played in the house.

"Both of my parents are performers, so music was woven into

daily life," she wrote. "My mother, an opera teacher, gave lessons in our home. So I was surrounded by art, song and classical music from the very beginning - quite literally from the womb. She instilled in me a deep respect for discipline and technique, making sure I started private lessons in piano and cello as soon as possible. My father, a triple-threat actor, singer and dancer, brought a different energy to the mix - show tunes, theatrical scores and anything with enough flair to inspire a pirouette. The contrast between my mother's Nordic affinity for structured classical discipline and my paternally inherited spirit of Irish contumacy shaped the way I approach sound today."

Deutsch started playing piano at age 4 and the cello when she was nine, "but I think I truly became a musician when I began questioning and expanding beyond my classical training," she wrote. "That shift happened when I crashed into the DIY and experimental music scenes in Minneapolis, where I explored noise, free improvisation, and unconventional performance settings."

Deutsch's introduction to sound bathing came at a reiki sound bath at the Himalayan salt cave in Minneapolis, "and loved the concept of healing energies riding on sound waves as an effective penetrative method of healing," she wrote. "Totally self-guided, not goal oriented. Since then, I've become a member of the Midwest Society of Acoustic Ecology, which is about observing sound through nature walks - which I consider to be their own form of sound bath."

At Hypatia-in-the-Woods, Deutsch is researching a new composition. "I brought some books to read, scores to examine and compositional tools to start sketching the framework for this new work."

IF YOU GO

WHO: Cellist and composer Sophia Deutsch

WHAT: A "Sound Bath"

WHEN: 4 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Shelton Timberland Library

ADMISSION: Free