Ross Barrable: A Life Devoted to Sound
My spiritual journey has been of paramount importance throughout my adult life. The inspiration to continue traveling this path is graced through my spiritual teacher of the Divine Science of Light and Sound, Sri Gary Olsen.
The power of sound has always inspired my creative imagination. As a musician and artist, I am compelled to build innovative sound sculptures as a sincere expression of the beauty, strength and harmony that celebrates the living presence of spirit.
I expressed my love of music by playing the piano and flute into my early 20′s. When I was 28, I serendipitously discovered the folk harp and have been a devoted promoter of this instrument ever since.
For 30 years as a luthier and musician, I have built and played the folk harp. One day, a miraculous event occurred while playing the folk harp outdoors. A breeze came up and suddenly the harp began to play itself— the wind strummed the strings, creating an enchanting and harmonious melody that stirred in my imagination a choir of angels singing. Since that day in 1980, I have been inspired to create contemporary aeolian wind harps specifically tailored to capture the transcendent yet powerful song of nature. These acoustic instruments create captivating harmonic tones that call out to many, to stop, tune in and deeply listen. This awakens my passion to co-create worlds of harmony that inspires a new language of listening and being that reminds us, we are all connected to something greater.
This inspiration has given birth to Soundscapes International.
Soundscapes International is committed to harnessing the Power of Inspiration. Through the placement of our finely crafted Wind Harps, we create elegant beauty with a hint of magic.
Our contemporary harp designs incorporate the principles of sacred geometry, which have been used since ancient times to construct temples, monuments and artworks with proportions that reflect the Divine blueprint of balance and harmony.
Through our acoustic research, we explore the resonant properties of various metal alloys such as titanium, bronze and stainless steel. We apply what we learn to refine and expand the shapes, sound and interactive qualities of our innovative Harmony Wind Harps.
The harps’ unique improvisational songs create a hint of magic. Through their interaction with a gentle and steady breeze, they produce a living and dynamic soundscape. These instruments inspire a sense of anticipation—you never know when the harp will sing.
In the past three decades, Soundscapes International has created more than 250 wind harps, installed in public and private settings. Their visual and auditory presence has produced interactive landscape environments for residential gardens, health resorts, city parks, memorials, universities, hospitals, retirement communities and botanical gardens.
Feedback from our clients has shown that our wind harps give a voice to the full spectrum of the human experience as they sing the song of the wind across their strings.
See our testimonial page, and take a Listen.
These songs give a voice to:
- Nature lovers as they celebrate life
- Bereaved ones when visiting memorials
- Wolves and coyotes as they sing their haunting songs
- Inner-reflective qualities of freedom, adventure and the quest for the unknown
- The spacious sound of silence, when all is still
Our public installation clients say the wind harp engages their visitors and residents with an attitude of intrigue and awe that draws them into a group experience, reinforcing a sense of place and connection within the community.
We enjoy collaborating with our clients to enliven their ideal ambient soundscape that expresses the Power of Inspiration through the dynamic synergy of sound and form.
