practice is a series exploring sound that facilitates deep listening and meditative states

about practice:
practice is an investigation of the capability of listening practices to induce different states of awareness and being. this project explores the experiential application of theories underpinning the transformational properties of sound, such as cymatics, music therapy, sound healing, brain entrainment, and binaural-beat perception. fostering listening experiences for individuals within a group context is at the heart of practice. this series facilitates a shared space for a deeply personal experience of going inward, communally. the project is undergirded by burgeoning literature on music and listening practices, which demonstrates positive mental health outcomes through relaxation, pleasure, mindfulness, and reflexivity. most importantly, practice is a series that collaborates with musicians and draws from the unique knowledge these artists hold about sound, listening, and connection.

Montreal based musician Markus Lake uses his laptop to improvise delicate and complex soundscapes combining digital synthesis and live signal processing techniques. Since his 2011 debut EP for Dream Sequence, Lake’s recorded work has explored various themes through a constantly expanding palette of digital instruments. Live, Markus combines his soundscapes with samples from the black literary canon. Lake’s latest release ‘Third Album’ was released by Constellation Records in March 2020. He is an Electroacoustics graduate from Concordia University who has also played bass in Montreal bands Egyptian Cotton Arkestra, Elle Barbara’s Black Space, Sheer Agony, Silver Dapple, Hand Cream as well as lending his voice to the short-lived punk band, Neighbour’s Guitar.