Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Tone Color Alchemy program and how did it get started?
2. How does the Marcotone system work?
3. Is the correspondence between 12-tones and 12 colors a scientific
correlation or is it arbitrary?
4. Is this kind of like synesthesia?
5. Come on, give it to me straight. Is Tone Color Alchemy some kind of religious movement or government Psyop?
6. Does this study involve the practice of ceremonial magick?
7. Can I join the forum without signing up for classes?
8. Okay, I’m interested in this program but need a summary. What can I expect from membership, overall?
Q: What is the Tone Color Alchemy program and how did it get started?
A: This project has been a long time in the making. Structurally, the program is a composite of Edward Maryon’s Marcotone system and various brain-entrainment technologies. Maryon was a theosophist and classical composer who lived in England during the early 20th century. He sought to develop a system of correspondence between vision and aural perception that would allow musicians to overcome tone-deafness.
The Marcotone system is both a perfect-pitch training course and an esoteric discipline. Several magical orders have applied this system of tone-color to unify their maps of the archetypal realm.
Ezra Sandzer-Bell (Hidden Origins of Western Music) and Steve Willner (Soundlessdawn/Lab of the Psychonaut) collaborated on a series of youtube videos during 2009. Lance Smith and Trevor Wills have since joined the development team.
Q: How does the Marcotone system work?
A: In the western world, instruments tend to operate under the 12-Tone Equal Temperament scale of tuning. Maryon noticed that the traditional color wheel was also a base-12 system (3 primary, 3 secondary, 6 tertiary). By linking each tone on the chromatic circle with a color on the wheel, he created a fixed system that serves as the foundation for the Marcotone meditations.
Red = C :: Yellow = E :: Blue = G#
Q: Is the correspondence between 12-tones and 12 colors a scientific correlation? Is it arbitrary?
A: Light travels through an electro-magnetic field. Sound travels through air. Light waves and sound waves are both vibratory patterns that occur through a medium, and although many prominent scientists (including Isaac Newton) have proposed that there is a tangible connection between light and sound, orthodox dinosaurs of the scientific community continue to posit that sound and color are separate phenomena.
However, it is worth noting that neuroscientists have written extensively on the relationship between auditory and visual perception. Our ears and eyes are constantly cooperating to create a sense of consistency in our perception of the world around us. The basic tenet of Tone Color Alchemy is that meaningful sympathetic resonance between vision and hearing takes place constantly. The correspondence courses are designed to bring you more fully into an awareness of how these two vibratory experiences cross-pollinate during everyday human life.
Q: Is this kind of like synesthesia?
A: No. Synesthesia is an involuntary association of sound with visual imargery. The mental experience of synesthesia is chaotic, whereas the Marcotone method is a fixed structure of correspondence.
Q: Come on, give it to me straight. Is Tone Color Alchemy some kind of religious movement or government Psyop?
A: Robert Anton Wilson once said during an interview:
“You know the CIA slang for somebody they’re using who doesn’t know he’s being used? They call that a “useful idiot“. Those writers who get exclusives from congressmen, and they have no idea the congressman is working for the CIA and the exclusive is a myth they’ve invented that they want to get into print. If the journalist takes it, they’re a useful idiot . So of course I have to ask myself occasionally, have I become a useful idiot yet? (laughs)”
Q: Does this study involve practice of ceremonial magick?
A: No. We do not encourage ceremonial magick as a part of our curriculum. Concepts are meditated upon, sometimes with active movements of the body, but no invocation or evocation takes place.
The emphasis is upon an intelligent grasp of concepts related to music theory, geometry, Qabala, and Alchemy. A study of archetypes begins once the foundational studies have been understood by the student.
Q: Can I join the forum without signing up for classes?
A: A free outer forum is available to those who are not ready to commit to a more detailed learning engagment. However, we can not guarantee that the contents of the forum mirror the lessons that take place as part of membership.
Q: Okay, I’m interested in this program but need a summary. What can I expect from membership, overall?
A: Members of the Tone Color Alchemy program receive six weekly lessons, complete with homework assignments and feedback from the instructor. Fundamentals of music theory, tarot, and Qabala are the focus of these lessons. All correspondence takes place at a private forum, accessible to only the Student and the Host.
12 Hours of tone-color DVD material and access to a community of conscious musicians opens up after the initial six week period and evaluation.
Each member has his or her own Alchemical Laboratory (forum thread) where progress is noted on a regular basis. Forum moderators dedicate plenty of time to assisting you with your questions. We aim to provide the highest level of service and assistance during member tuition!
