Flights Of Mind

Jason Dyer is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, certified sound therapy practitioner, sound healing facilitator, certified holistic nutritionist, and conservationist who draws inspiration from every direction, to ultimately take the listener on a musical journey.

My Journey Into Sound

As a very young child, one of my favorite things to do was sit in my room and listen to my grandmother's old 45s. I was fascinated by the way these old songs from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s could take me on journeys within my mind, particularly the country and western songs. I had seen so many westerns and episodes of television shows such as Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, and The Lone Ranger that the songs could bring about brilliant images of the wild west in blazing color. However, it wasn't only imagery that arose. There was also emotion. From song to song, I could feel excitement, longing, sadness, and even humor. The wild imagination of this four year old boy could sometime create meaning in these songs that was far from what the writers had intended. It seems a bit silly, but it was a special kind of magic that I think of with fondness, nearly five decades later. 

It wasn't long after that time, when I attended my first concert. I had seen him on TV, but that day, when I witnessed Jerry Reed take the stage, my love for music and guitar in particular was set in stone. He was my inspiration to pick up a guitar for the first time, and still stands as one of my all-time favorite guitarists. My mother also had a deep appreciation for music. Her record collection included oldies, classic rock, soul, country, bluegrass, folk, and classical. My father had heavier rock and country in his record collection. Both my mother and father played guitar. She played folk and flamenco, he played country. With so much inspiration in my earliest years, it was quite natural for me to evolve as an artist. 

As my youthful years went on, my mind was blown by Van Halen. I saw the explosion of Michael Jackson and Prince. I saw the birth and evolution of hip hop. I heard new wave and punk rock. I heard heavy metal, industrial and goth, classical, neoclassical, jazz and new age. Each genre left an impression, and I found inspiration everywhere. 

At the age of twelve I began experimenting with sound, using rudimentary tools that I had on hand. Armed with only a tape recorder, a dual tape deck, turn table, shortwave radio, and a microphone, I began making recordings that I found fascinating. When I inevitably discovered psychedelics, it was immediately obvious that sound could have dramatic effects on the psychedelic experience, to which my earliest recordings were nicely suited. I began making recordings specifically for psychedelic experiences which became popular with my circle of friends, the memory of which still inspires me to this day.

I continued to learn and grow as a musician, completely self-taught, playing by ear, playing in bands, though I never enjoyed being on stage. Eventually, I began seriously learning about music production, and the healing properties of sound. I quickly became hooked. From feeling the power of drumming during a shamanic journey, to the vibrations of a Himalayan singing bowl during a group yoga nidra session, it was the same kind of magic that I had experienced as a youth. 

Today, the desire to learn is stronger than ever, as is the artistic desire to create, and the empathic desire to ease the suffering of those in need. I hope you join me on this journey as we heal together.