Having recently reviewed the incredible CD by AOMUSIC entitled “And Love Rages On” I was excited to read the book “Drops and Sparks” as it was written by one of the principle members of AOMUSIC, Richard Gannaway. The book is intimately connected with the music in that it began as a journal to focus the message of AOMUSIC and contains insights that inspire the vision behind the music. For a greater understanding of this symbiotic relationship, I highly recommend reading the review of the CD here on Music And Media Focus. This book is actually one of two written by Richard – the first one bearing the same title as the CD. They were originally written as one work, although he decided to separate them and “Drops and Sparks” expands on some of the concepts put forth in the first book. “While they can definitely stand alone as separate works, there may be some benefit to reading “And Love Rages On” first.
The vision of AOMUSIC is to express a theme of universal coherence or unity – nature’s most fundamental message. Correspondingly, the books mirror this theme through an in-depth exploration of music, color, form and movement, which are the components of beauty. He sees music as a “lens to understand a language in the heart of all phenomena.” I like the quote he included by Thomas Carlyle: “See deep enough, and you see musically; the heart of nature being everywhere music, if you can only reach it.“ Through observing expressions of harmonic design in nature Richard came to the awareness that this structure is conscious and permeates everything in the universe… a core essence, which can be thought of as unconditional Love. Not surprisingly, “Drops And Sparks” is subtitled: “Proof That Love Created The Universe.” Incidentally, the book’s main title is inspired by the two elixirs for biological life: a drop of water and a spark of sunlight.
The scope of this book is expansive to say the least, as is its depth. Among the myriad of topics it weaves together are quantum physics, metaphysics, sacred geometry, symbols, music and music theory, color, cycles of time, astrology, planetary and consciousness evolution, dimensional shifts, fractals, 2012, the unseen forces of the universe, and much more. Obviously these are not casual topics and the exploration of them in the book is extensive, penetrating, and thought provoking. As such, some degree of familiarity with this area of study would stand the reader in good stead in getting the most out of this book. As mentioned earlier, a reading of the first volume “And Love Rages On” may help set the stage for greater comprehension. However for one versed in such heady subject matter, “Drops And Sparks” offers a treasure trove of wisdom and insight. On his website, Richard provides a surprisingly generous portion of the book for one to peruse and see if it something they resonate with before paying to download the complete volume. As I was reading the book I had the feeling that some of the concepts were like seeds that would come to fruition in time as I nurtured and assimilated them. In fact, Richard addresses this when he writes: “take your time and be patient with how the information rediscovers you. These insights know their place in our cognitive intuition and how to find us when we are ready.”
While the concepts and observations presented in the book are deep intellectually, one thing I came away with on an emotional level was a pervasive sense of optimism, in particular about our evolutionary trajectory in the days and years to come. He observes, “In humanity, when things seem most chaotic and hopeless, they are often very close to the inverse potential—what is termed, phase lock; as in the darkest before dawn proverb.” One place this was addressed at length was in the chapter on 2012, which I found to be most fascinating and timely. Richard talks about the Mayan Calendar, the ancient people who created it, and how it has been greatly misunderstood and sensationalized in recent years. Far from being a foretelling of apocalypse, it heralds the end of a great cycle and the beginning of a new one, the implications of which we can scarcely imagine. In his words, “A dimensional shift is upon us, and as it progresses, individuals may wake up in a new dream of experience, where incredible acceleration in consciousness begins a cycle of unprecedented, global cooperation.” He believes that “In the century ahead, those who adapt together in a spirit of commonwealth will emerge as the strongest cultures on earth.” To sum it up I will share one more quote: “If such an eternity of growth, evolution and promise has a word, it is Love. It is the original force behind every texture of our temporal experience.”
In addition, the downloadable book also includes color graphics, clickable links, an extensive reading list, and an extremely informative glossary of terms relevant to the subject matter. Besides being a writer, musician, and producer, Richard is also a talented artist, and all the graphics on this page are his original designs.
