IAJS 2024 Conference, Ryan Nielsen: The Trumpet Shall Sound: Music as Bridge for the Unfolding Soul
April 9, 2026 at 01:52PM
IAJS 2024, Jung and Duality, International Online Conference

Ryan Nielsen
“The Trumpet Shall Sound: Music as Bridge for the Unfolding Soul”

Abstract:
A pivotal moment in my teaching career occurred when a student asked, “How do you play music with emotion?” This profound question led me to experiment with two contrasting approaches to playing the trumpet. The first involved disconnecting from the body and soul, playing purely from the intellect, which resulted in a lifeless sound. The second approach reconnected my awareness to the body and soma, allowing the music to unfold with emotional resonance and life. The room fell silent as students could feel the difference. This experience revealed that inner shifts manifest in sound, showing music’s potential as an experiential bridge. to the unfolding soul. In this session, I will explore the practice of music, specifically the trumpet, as an embodied enactment of Jung’s hypothesis on psyche and soma interacting at a “zero point.” Drawing from the works of Marion Woodman and Marian Dunlea’s Bodydreaming, I will discuss how music becomes a living metaphor, an alchemical laboratory where breath, movement, sound, and the self interact in the dance of transformation.
Bio:
Dr. Ryan Nielsen is a versatile trumpet artist, equally adept in both classical and jazz music. He runs a popular YouTube channel, “Ryan’s Trumpet,” with thousands of international subscribers. Ryan has performed and recorded with acclaimed artists such as Kobie Watkins Grouptet, Ra Kalam Bob Moses, Delfeayo Marsalis, and the Summit Brass. In addition to contributing regularly to the International Trumpet Guild Journal, he co-authored The Classroom Guide to Jazz Improvisation (Oxford). His work also explores Jungian and somatic approaches to healing as they relate to music and the trumpet.
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