Karolyn Van Putten, Ph.D.

Karolyn van Putten has been singing for more than 30 years and her professional experience covers a wide variety of settings -- solo, and in both vocal and instrumental ensembles. As a soloist, Dr. van Putten accompanies her voice with acoustic instruments, including kalimbas, guzheng, frame drum, guitar, lyre, and folk harp. Drawing on a mixture of traditional, contemporary and original music she focuses on vocal improvisation. An original member of Bobby McFerrin's Voicestra , Karolyn currently sings with the vocal and instrumental ensemble Musica Divina , which provides music to facilitate walking meditation in the Labyrinth at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. Her deep and abiding interest in the psychological and physical effects of specific scales, intervals, rhythms and their universality was the impetus for her dissertation research on music and sound in the healing process.

Dr. van Putten's academic background includes psychology, education, sociology and history (especially that of African, African American and other people of color), Her Ph.D. in East-West Psychology (1992, California Institute of Integral Studies, SF) was preceded by doctoral study in clinical psychology. This formal preparation has been a container for her development as a musician, a vocal artist, and as a person who uses sound to facilitate healing. Karolyn combines teaching vocal toning as a spiritual practice with singing at conferences, churches, retreats, and for ceremonies of all kinds. This work is one aspect of her practice of creating sound based experiences to support the healing process. Another aspect is creating live, acoustic soundscapes called Sound Journeys for people who are engaged in a process of healing, renewal or transformation.

Karolyn van Putten has more than 20 years of experience covering all aspects of public radio, most recently on the air at KALW-FM in San Francisco, a NPR affiliate station. For six years as a public radio broadcaster she produced the popular, informative world music program, "Acoustic Journey," in large part devoted to presenting transformational music from the sacred, meditative, sound traditions of cultures around the world. In addition to adult learners, Dr. van Putten's teaching experience includes students at elementary, high school and college/university levels. Karolyn van Putten

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Dr. van Putten can be contacted by email at tonesinger@aol.com

Last Updated: 2/3/06