Our voice and ear are linked in ways not usually understood. On the basis of the experimental data he accumulated, in 1953 Dr. Tomatis presented a paper to the French Academy of Sciences, establishing the following law: The voice contains only the sounds that the ear hears. We know now that the ear controls the timber, the intensity, the rhythm, and the flow of the voice. If the ear is out of tune, the voice is out of tune. When listening is improved, the voice changes automatically.

In many cases, voice problems stem from a minor listening problem: the ear is not able to check the accuracy of the sound about to be spoken (or sung). Singers "push" their voices to try to overcome that difficulty. By expanding the range of perception of sounds, the range of the voice is expanded. For several decades now, singers like Maria Callas and many others, have used Dr. Tomatis' Listening Program to restore or fine-tune their vocal skills. The French actor Gerard Depardieu credits Dr. Tomatis as one of the three people to whom he attributes his phenomenal acting success.

We cannot imagine a musician who does not have a "musical ear." Many of us would like to have a musical ear, so we could learn to sing and play music easily. Too often, children or adults struggle to learn to play the piano, the violin, or some other musical instrument. They end up giving up the lessons because they have a hard time and feel mediocre. Here is what Richard Lawrence, a remarkable violinist and Suzuki teacher from Sonoma CA says about it:

"Generally teachers believe that if you develop a certain technique you will play better. But a better technique will only reproduce more accurately the sound that you want, the sound that you hear inside and imagine. If you imagine a rather average, indifferent sound, you will just be better at playing it with your improved technique. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean that you will sound better."

Richard Lawrence was interested to know what he could gain using the technique developed by Dr. Tomatis.

"At the end of the first session, I began to notice physical differences. I felt a desire to sit straighter. My neck felt more free. My hearing was opening up, and I was experiencing more clarity in the sound. When I would listen to orchestral music, I noticed a broader range of sounds. I especially noticed that I could hear each instrument separately when I listened to music. In particular, I began to notice the high frequency instruments in a new way. The orchestra was sounding much richer. My improved hearing was like getting a new stereo system!"

Later on, Richard started to notice that muscular tensions in his body interfered with his playing. He noticed how much he was able to "hear" with his body.

"I was feeling more space between my violin and my shoulder and could really feel my breathing. It became more obvious to me where my rhythm was off. I have always had what is known as a wrist vibrato. I found myself able to do an arm vibrato which I had never been able to do before. Shifting started to be easier too."

The Listening Program is not limited to people who need to "fix" a problem. The energizing impact of the program often translates into an increase in creativity. For these reasons, writers, composers, musicians and actors have been attracted to this program. It expands and deepens the awareness of their skills while boosting their output. One woman composer who enrolled in Dr. Tomatis' program said, "Since I have started the program, new music is constantly coming to me." She did, in fact compose the music for two albums while going through the program. A dancer who, while technically at his peak, didn't feel anymore "the dance from the inside out." As his listening training progressed, he was able to return meaning into his dance and to understand that he didn't have to give it up, as he had thought. It is not necessary to be an artist to improve one's creativity. A businessman may report that he finds new ways to resolve problems.