One of the biggest surprises in the entire history of the Grammys occurred this year when jazz master Herbie Hancock’s Joni Mitchell tribute album beat out heavily favored best-selling artists like Kanye West and Amy Winehouse for the biggest prize: Album of the Year.

     I was delighted, and stunned. Herbie is one of my favorite artists, and I played many of his compositions, such as “Watermelon Man” and “Maiden Voyage” in just about every band I’ve ever been in. But how could this have happened?

     Let me tell you why this was so unusual. Let me first suggest, however, that the implications of Herbie’s use of the power of mantra to create a manifestation visible to all who have eyes to see will be much greater than the award itself.

     Ordinarily, the top honor of winning the Album of the Year goes to the best-selling album, which is usually reserved for A-list artists of all genres—pop, rock, rap and country. This year the other nominees were Vince Gill, the Foo Fighters, Kanye West and newcomer Amy Winehouse. Sales of Hancock’s River: The Joni Letters were a tiny fraction of the sales of the other artists’ albums.

     Other than jazz fans, most people had never heard of Herbie Hancock. But like Tina Turner, Herbie has spoken openly in the past about his spiritual practice. The Buddhist tradition that he practices includes chanting a four word mantra over and over.

     Of course, there’s no way to prove that chanting this mantra tipped the scales. Nevertheless, no other explanation that I know of is as elegantly simple and plausible. Applying the laws of attraction and intention to real-life events just got a whole lot more real for a lot of folks.

     I wonder how that will change album sales in the future. Will record labels, producers and artists sign up banks of people to chant for their favorite artist? Will this be the next level of American Idol?

     (Did I just give away a secret? What do you think?)

     When Hancock became the first jazz artist in 43 years to win this honor, he had this to say to reporter Jim Harrington of the Oakland Tribune. “I practice Buddhism, and I was really chanting to get that Album of the Year award, not just for myself, because that would have just been ego and arrogance and a lot of other things that I feel are not worthy of that honor.

     “I was thinking about what it would be for jazz. And what it would be for anybody who really strives for excellence in whatever it is they do, when the motivation is not greed, not fame, not fortune or money—when it’s more about what they have to give.”

     Naturally, Hancock’s big night at the Grammys has translated into more publicity than he’s had in years, and much larger audiences during his current national tour. If he comes to a venue near you, there’s bound to be some great music.

     And if it’s as loud as the concert I attended last November, you’ll want to be prepared with a good set of earplugs to save your own delicate instruments of hearing.

The Power of Subliminal Affirmations

    Many people first hear about the spiritual benefits of speaking and reading positive affirmations through the writings of the founder of The Science of Mind, Ernest Holmes. Many others have been inspired by Louise Hay, Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, and John Bradshaw, among many others.

     As I’ve written about for many years, subliminals have gotten a bad rap, and many people have shied away from using them to enhance their lives. This may be a good time of year to reconsider what they may have to offer you.

     I’m reminded of this as I’ve recently been making a few recordings for my personal use, while simultaneously seeing a huge increase in sales and interest in one of my most popular programs.

     When I use the term “subliminal,” I am referring to the phenomenon of perception below the threshold of your conscious awareness. Even though you may not see or hear the image or word with your more familiar physical senses, your marvelous brain is able to decode information, even if it is upside down or backwards.

     There’s a great deal of research that has proven that subliminal communication of information and messages can be a highly effective modality. The key is, you’ve got to do it right.

     And many people don’t know how to do that. My subliminal audio programs have produced positive and demonstrable results for thousands of individuals over the past 28 years. I was among the very first producers of these recordings, which combine music that heightens receptivity and positive outcome with positive statements. I use my own music because it’s proven effective in helping most listeners to relax. And that’s important because your subconscious mind is most receptive to receiving and acting upon these positive messages in a state of relaxation.

     Let me put it another way: Without any extra effort on your part, the potential for manifesting the changes that you want to create in your life is considerably increased. Just listen. What could be easier than that?

     I’ve written more extensively about some of the reasons many of the subliminal audio recordings on the market don’t work as well as they could. Visit my website at www.innerpeacemusic.com if you’d like some insider’s insight.

     For over 25 years, I’ve enjoyed the monthly magazine published by the Science of Mind organization. In my own experience, and as so many individuals have told me, adding the right music can add a welcome new dimension to just reading the daily and monthly affirmations.

Audible or Subliminal: which is better?

     Why be limited to an either/or choice? Why not have the best of both? Visit this link http://www.innerpeacemusic.com/albumdetail.asp?pid=44 to hear samples of my current best-selling program Radiant Health and Well-Being.

A Sound Approach to A Course in Miracles

    About thirty years ago, I was presenting my work at a conference that also featured one of the first public appearances of Judith Skutch, Dr. Jerry Jampolsky and the spiritual teaching of A Course in Miracles. I resonated to the messages, and wondered why no one had arranged the words with meditative music.

     I invited them to join me in the project, but the timing wasn’t right. A few years later, when I was doing a concert and workshop for the Edgar Cayce organization in Virginia Beach, I was introduced to Beverly and Richard Hutchinson who were deeply involved in the work. They had been looking for someone to collaborate, and we instantly agreed to record an album with selected excerpts titled: You are Entitled to Miracles.

     The words and music flowed together perfectly, and we recorded a series of six recordings from 1982 to 1994. At the 25th anniversary conference, we were guided to record a new project, with a specific focus on health and healing. A Touch of Heaven turned out to be a deeply moving experience for me, more so than I had anticipated. Beverly and Darin Zakich did a marvelous job of editing these selections from the entire (and sometimes daunting) text.

     If you’re a student of the Course, or just an interested observer, check out samples at www.miraclecenter.org.

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© 2008 Steven Halpern. Steven Halpern is an award-winning composer, producer and recording artist whose music helps listeners “get into the gap”—the space between the notes, and space of infinite possibilities. His latest releases, Peace of Mind and Drum Spirit provide two different modes of accessing that state.

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