Arlyn Ruddy of Charleston is making sound waves-Charleston City Paper

2021-11-24 04:57:46 By : Mr. Mary Li

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Although Arlyn Ruddy seems to have found her place, she has not just devoted herself to her pioneering work as a sound therapist. Her unconventional journey actually started when she was young. 

"When I was a kid, I would break down the music by recording the song to a cassette tape, repeatedly clicking pause and then playing, trying to figure out what they were talking about and what all of this meant," Ruddy said. 

"Once I understood the basic mechanics of track composition, I started to write my own lyrics, play the guitar, and explore various percussion instruments."

In the late 1990s, while looking for bigger goals in California, Ruddy somehow entered an impromptu drum circle with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, at the bottom of a 1,500-year-old redwood tree that was subsequently environmentally friendly Activists occupy Julia "Butterfly" Mountain. She also briefly served as the host of a hip-hop show in Los Angeles, which was once performed on the same stage with Raekwon of the Wudang tribe.

Rudy didn't find what she wanted in her many twists and turns, but began to hover downward. 

"I deviated from the original path, partly because I had a notebook with all my lyrics, and my lyrics were stolen by a stranger who needed a hitchhiker," she said.

In addition to other life-changing events that occurred around her, this loss was beyond Ruddy's ability to bear. 

"After that I was really addicted to drugs and I almost lost all motivation," she said. "I don't know how to explain it, but my creativity was blocked for a long, long time. In the years after that, I couldn't let myself write again." 

However, the subsequent chapters of the Ruddy story did not prove to be tragic.  

"From a spiritual point of view, something radical happened to me, including intense energy movements. But when I participated in my first sound bath, I finally understood the last point. At that moment, I realized the sound What a profound change it can bring. If you just want to feel good and relaxed, you can keep it at a superficial level, but I find that you can also make further progress in physical, mental, spiritual and emotional aspects. In Soon after that, I quit my job and started full-time voice therapy." 

As a sound therapist, she applies specific performance skills to various musical instruments to help people face specific aspects of themselves and promote personal growth.

After recovering from her loss and addiction, Ruddy resettled herself in Charleston and now she works in small private meetings and large public events in the area.

Participate in the Full Moon Sound Ceremony with Arlyn Ruddy at Satsang Yoga at 6:45 pm on November 19