Over the years we have been following the technique of using music-based auditory challenges to help with auditory processing deficits, the work that arose out of Tomatis’ original research in France. It is apparently still a much smaller field than our own, and it has had its own growth pains along the way. The field is still small enough that when a key figure dies, it affects nearly everyone in the field because it is likely that he was be known by them all. Richard Lawrence was most recently the Music Director at Advanced Brain Technologies, which authors The Listening Program that we use in our work.

We never met Richard Lawrence, but he has left quite a vacuum among his colleagues. He succumbed to a recurring cancer after more than a year of treatment. Members of his family will continue the work he was involved in with Alexander Doman and Advanced Brain Technologies.

A violinist friend of Richard’s said of him: “He was one of the finest, most gentle, most charming, most loveable people I have every known. I was awed by his gifts as a composer, violinist, and teacher… but even more, his ability as a friend of the heart. His gift of loving brought all his other extraordinary abilities together in a way so potent to inspire and help others to grow, as he helped me. He leaves a gorgeous legacy in music and people, which is as lovely as his handsome face and his personal grace. I will always be grateful to have met him and to have known him…”

A Tribute to Richard O. Lawrence
May 7, 1946 to December 27, 2005Richard Owen Lawrence leaves the world a wonderful musical legacy. He was an accomplished violinist, composer, arranger, and audio engineer. Born and raised in Troon, Scotland, he grew up in a rich musical environment, guided by his mother who was a conservatory-trained pianist. By age 12 he had won top honors at the Edinburgh Music Festival and later completed a degree from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music in Glasgow, Scotland. He first performed with the BBC Orchestra in Bristol, England, then the Vancouver Symphony in Canada and was later concertmaster, soloist, and/or performer with various symphony orchestras in the US and Canada.

In the field of education, Richard had a highly successful career teaching very young children for twenty years. This work helped him develop an awareness of how music can stimulate brain development and assist in the achievement of increased human potential. Many of his students went on to have successful careers as performers and/or teachers. Several won honors in such prestigious competitions as the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Young Soloist Competition and the Yehiudi Menuhin Violin Competition in England and several continue as soloists with orchestras today.

Richard had always had a special interest in the role of music for personal growth. He continued to study how it could be used for education, concentration, and relaxation, as well as for physical healing, dealing with grief, and healing the emotions. He worked with Dr. Jeffrey Thompson of the Center for NeuroAcoustic Research; Anna Wise, a leading authority on training high-performance and meditative states, Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of Love, Medicine and Miracles; and Andrew Weil, M.D., best selling author and director of the Department of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. In 1997-98 he created music for Eight Meditations for Optimum Health and Sound Body, Sound Mind for Dr. Weil.

For the past several years, Richard has been the Director and first violinist of the Arcangelos Chamber Ensemble, a recording group that has enabled him to produce music incorporating his creative musical philosophy and extensive research. Richard’s composing, arranging, and performance skills allowed him to excel as a post-production audio engineer, adding extra sensitivity to this crucial part of the recording process. Through his work with Advanced Brain Technologies, he was able to combine his many skills and talents to produce beautiful music on the cutting edge of mind/body, music, and neuroscience research.

One of his most important legacies was the work he did with ABT’s Alex Doman in creating improvements to The Listening Program® which are best expressed with the release of TLP Level One. TLP is a series of CDs that combine classical music with various innovative sound processing techniques that exercise the brain and auditory pathways. Therapists and educators on six continents use the program to treat children and adults who have difficulties related to auditory processing. This includes clients with autism, speech delays, Down Syndrome, stroke, and many other challenges as well as anyone wishing to improve their listening skills and cognitive processing.

As a part of the ABT development team, Richard pioneered many unique recording and sound processing techniques. Because of their research and innovations, he and Alex applied for a US patent which is pending, for surround sound methods and apparatus for improving auditory processing and increasing spatial awareness. He also conceived of and developed Listening Trainerâ„¢, a program to train sound localization that is currently being tested and will be released by ABT in the future. Other projects are underway using specific music for cognitive improvement.

One of his most important legacies was the work he did with ABT’s Alex Doman in creating improvements to The Listening Program® which are best expressed with the release of TLP Level One. TLP is a series of CDs that combine classical music with various innovative sound processing techniques that exercise the brain and auditory pathways. Therapists and educators on six continents use the program to treat children and adults who have difficulties related to auditory processing. This includes clients with autism, speech delays, Down Syndrome, stroke, and many other challenges as well as anyone wishing to improve their listening skills and cognitive processing.

To further the work he loved, Richard became a co-trainer at TLP Provider training courses throughout the US, Europe, and Mexico. He also presented at the Chicago Medical Society’s Midwest Annual Conference, at In:Fusion, a healthcare conference in Salzburg, Austria, and at ABT’s International Conference in Park City, Utah.

Adding to six albums he had earlier produced himself, Richard created ten albums for the Sound Health® collections, four albums in the series Music for Babiesâ„¢, four CDs for the world music series of Ostad Elahi – Music for the Mind, eleven CDs for The Listening Program Classic, and fourteen CDs for The Listening Program New Generation and three specifically for younger children.

As a composer, Richard was known above all, as a master of beautiful, heart-touching melody. His compositions were performed by various groups in the US, Canada, Europe, and China. Many who have heard his compositions count them as favorites and have asked for copies. We will produce an album of some of his unreleased compositions in the near future.

Anyone who knew Richard personally will remember his zest for life, his love of golf, travel, and the outdoors, his wonderful sense of humor, his ability to dig deeply into the spiritual life without fear, his great love of music and his belief in its power to change lives. Richard enriched the lives of so many and will be greatly missed

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