Dudley Evenson - Co-Founder, Soundings of the Planet

Dudley Evenson

Dudley Evenson co-founded Soundings of the Planet in 1979 with her husband Dean Evenson. Together, they have produced over 80 albums and videos. She has been the Executive Producer, art director and copy writer for all of the Soundings releases in addition to performing her harp and doing guided meditations on many albums. Dudley is a certified professional life coach and has trained with Impact Coaching Academy. She is an AARP Life Reimagined Guide and leads Life Reimagined Checkups. She writes the Healthy Living Dreams blog on the Soundings home page.

Their most recent LP, Monet’s Garden, released in May 2021 and was created after a lifelong love affair with the work of the famed French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. Dudley also is author of several books, including her most recent: A Year of Guided Meditations: 52 Weekly Affirmations.

I’m excited for you to connect with Dudley, check out her work and music, and follow along as she continues to create peaceful, healing, relaxation and meditation music perfect for Massage, Meditation, Spas, Yoga, and all healing arts.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

I’m Dudley Evenson and I’m a musician, author, videographer, and life coach. In 1979 my husband, Dean Evenson, and I founded our record label, Soundings of the Planet, with a mission of sharing Peace Through Music. We’ve produced over 80 music albums and videos and recently started publishing our books. Our latest release is Monet’s Garden which we created based on our recent journey to Paris and Giverny, France where impressionist master Claude Monet lived. We’ve always loved his paintings but visiting his home and gardens was such an inspiration. We spent five days there doing field recordings and capturing on video the beauty of spring in all its glory. We brought those recordings back to our studio and created the music for the album. I play harp, handharp, and singing bowls and Dean plays silver flute and cedar flute. Plus, we added the birdsongs that we recorded in the flower and water gardens so the album is very soothing and relaxing.

How did you get started?

I am fortunate to have been living my dreams since I was very young. My first job out of college was with Pan Am Airlines so I got in a lot of discounted travel. On my round-the-world journey, I lived in Japan for a while and became interested in photography and when I moved back to New York City I worked as a photographer. In 1968 I was living in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and was in the habit of going across the hall to the unoccupied apartment to dance and do yoga which was brand new at the time in this country. One day the door opened, and I met the new person who had moved in. It was Dean Evenson and after apologizing for trying to break into his apartment, I invited him over for tea. We became fast friends and eventually began to build a life together. He had just completed his Masters Degree in Molecular Biology but his passion was music as he’d been playing flute since he was ten years old. He worked as a recording engineer, but we eventually bought a Sony Portapack, one of the first portable video cameras. We began to travel the country with our children living in a half-size school bus documenting the emerging culture of the 1970s. We videotaped Native American elders, Indian gurus, yogis, Tibetan lamas, healers, organic farmers, environmentalists, artists, musicians, and counter-culture innovators of all kinds.

What Inspired the work you’re doing?

The work I am doing today all had its seeds planted in those early years of making videos. I had a BA in Art History and was interested in art of all kinds. Dean’s background was in music. We followed our passions and interests as we tried to understand how to live healthy, happy lives in harmony with the planet. We learned new yet ancient spiritual principles that we applied to our own lives. We wanted to use our music, art, and media to be of service to people and the planet. We were especially interested in helping people understand that the Earth is a living being and we must protect it as the source of both our physical and spiritual sustenance. Everything we do relates back to that idea.

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

I have always been a creative person so living a creative and spiritual life that serves people and the planet is my passion. I believe that creativity exists in all areas of life from being a good parent to keeping a relationship meaningful and fulfilling. For me, moving from art and photography to video and eventually to music has been a natural progression. I am also a very solution-oriented person so if I notice a problem, I don’t dwell on it but immediately move toward possible solutions. As a writer and coach, I love presenting the tools and principles that can help people live a better life. In my blog and books, I share what Dean and I have been learning during the half-century we’ve been on our path together. We live in amazing times. Terrible and wonderful. It’s all available to us. And there are tools that can help us navigate the personal and planetary changes we are faced with. In my latest book, A Year of Guided Meditations, I offer 52 empowering affirmations that can be used to help a person live their best possible life. In the book Dean and I co-wrote together, Quieting the Monkey Mind: How to Meditate with Music, we share the many tools and techniques we have learned that have helped us on our musical and meditative journey.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

Music, art, and nature light me up. Dean and I are blessed to live out in the country next to a wild river surrounded by forests and gardens. It is pure joy to work in the garden or meditate by the river. I love doing yoga and taking long walks in nature. I like writing and creating memories. Our journey to France and Monet’s home and gardens a few years ago was incredible. Now we are having fun going through all the videos, photos and memories from that trip and creating ways to share that experience with others. We used to travel a lot to present our music and workshops, but these days we are mostly home and loving it. We have a vast archive of early videos we are going through, and we continue to make more every day. Music still pours forth from us and Dean and I love to sit together on the couch after dinner and do vocal toning. It involves conscious breathing and also creates a deep and beautiful intimacy. We also like just singing and dancing together for fun.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

Everything we do is with high intention. The music we create carries our intention that it be healing for others and reflect the beauty and peace of nature. When one realizes that they have power to control the quality of their lives, they will live more intentionally. We have our goals and sense of purpose and we are always making choices to move in the direction of our dreams. Things may come up that seem to block that path, but by flowing through those struggles or obstacles, one can reach the other side and continue on a path of purpose. Meditation and yoga can certainly help maintain that path. Dancing, singing, affirmations, and art can help too. Paying attention and not letting the negative news of the world cause you to become depressed are also important. Can you do something about it? If so, then make a plan and begin to do it. Take steps no matter how small toward your goal. Keep going, don’t give up, breathe! It’s all possible.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

My younger self would say “Woo hoo, you’re still doing it girl!’ I was always a courageous person. When I took off around the world with my sister, people said to me: “Aren’t you scared? I would be afraid to do that.” But fear never entered my mind. I was excited to pursue the adventure. Fortunately, along with Dean, we have lived life courageously and had many amazing adventures. Even though we faced struggles and challenges, we never gave up. Fortunately for that, we are still here today doing well and thriving. Although we are in our mid-70s, we are full of energy and enthusiasm for what we can do next. The journey continues.

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

Affirmations and mantras are my thing. I write about affirmations and teach people to create their own personal mantra. I had a healing experience years ago when I created my own healing mantra. “Clear my mind, open my heart, heal my body, heal my world.” I still go back to that mantra. I encourage people to watch their language. Pay attention to what you are telling yourself. If your life is not as you would like it, look at the content of your inner conversation. Most likely you are telling yourself something like “I’m not good enough,” or “Things never work out for me.” People need to know how important your own self-talk is because what we say to ourselves actually creates the kind of world we are living now.

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream is that the music, media, and art we are creating can be of benefit to others. We are doing well ourselves and seem to have figured out how to live a balanced, successful, and joyful life. But we know our work isn’t just about our own happiness. We are here to contribute to helping others as well. Many years ago, we took Bodhisattva vows with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It meant we were committed to work for the benefit of others till all attain enlightenment. We’re not Buddhists but we appreciate that concept. Life is not just about self, but more importantly we live ‘for the benefit of others.’

To learn more and connect with Dudley visit her website www.soundings.com where you can find their award-winning music, books, blog, podcast, and videos and on YouTube here and here and Instagram @soundingsoftheplanet and Facebook @soundingsoftheplanet

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