Camelot Reawakened and Society

By Richard Shulman

The relationship between music, consciousness and society has fascinated me for most of my life as a professional musician. Countless times, I have witnessed the power of music to change my consciousness and that of others. Music can follow inspiration to express ideas that have the potential to model new directions for society.

In 1996 I was shown a vision of a sword descending in my inner vision as I was preparing myself to create music "for the Highest Good" for a Musical Soul Portrait client. When I described the vision to her, she said "I have one word for you: Camelot."

I sensed that this vision was a commission from Spirit for creating music to support a larger project. This was to be a community or society based on the ideals of the "Dream of Camelot." I asked my client if I could use the music from her Soul Portrait for this project, and she said yes.

This music was to serve as an inspiration towards the creation of a "new Camelot," and express qualities and processes for individuals and society to help manifest such a vision. It would take six years to conceptualize, compose and record this music, and the journey has transformed my way of being.

Several questions arose, once I said yes to this opportunity, and I began to look into the qualities necessary to manifest a "dream come true" for individuals and society. First I asked, "What is Camelot Reawakened, and what is this dream that wants to come true?" Can we follow the dream without making the same mistakes that created "the wasteland" in our world? "What is required of individuals in creating a sane and successful community?"

Answers emerged over time that gave a more specific intent while keeping the form of a Reawakened Camelot open. Everyone has a dream of the heart, proceeding from their connection with All That Is. From the perspective of the One Heart, every dream is connected, and the realization of each dream contributes to the whole and opens doorways for every other dream to come true. In other words, the community already exists in embryo, if we only know how to see it.

The process of writing the music was facilitated by a community of seemingly unrelated people who came to me for Musical Soul Portraits and who were connected to the ideals of Camelot,- I discovered their connection as I heard the music I was creating for them. As I worked with these melodies, I saw that some harmonized very naturally together, and eventually an order and an orchestration revealed itself.

Composing a piece dedicated to transformation and dreams coming true reflected and clarified my journey towards the fulfillment of my own dream of writing, performing and recording a major work for symphony orchestra. The nine movements begin with "The Dream" and move through levels of healing, remembrance, prayer, integration and empowerment to the fulfillment of the dream.

And once the performance and recording of the piece came into focus, I saw that my dream come true was harmonizing with many other people's dreams come true. The conductor of the Asheville Symphony, Robert Hart Baker, said to me as we were beginning to plan the concert, "By the time you're finished, everyone in town will be helping you." Writing, performing, recording and releasing the CD of Camelot Reawakened: A Vision Fulfilled was a process that taught me about community, faith, perseverance, and the extraordinary synchronicities that can happen within a project which serves the larger community.

Composer, keyboardist, and recording artist Richard Shulman has, since 1984, dedicated his music to the expression of love and the awakening of inner joy. Working with the power of music as a medium of positive transformation, he has created hundreds of Musical Soul Portraits for individuals, couples and groups, and has composed, produced and/or performed on over thirty recordings.

Richard Shulman's latest release, Camelot Reawakened: A Vision Fulfilled, is available in stores nationwide, and from RichHeart Music at 888-699-3682 or www.richheartmusic.com.