Rolfe Kent

Rolfe Kent is the creator of The Zen Effect, a collection of "consciousness tones to enhance your life." He says he has spent his entire life studying the different ways sound affects emotion, and that this is what film music does: it makes us feel.

The Zen Effect began as an experiment. If swelling violins can make a listener feel hopeful, sharp percussion and loud brass can excite, and a strummed guitar can bring tenderness, he asked why there shouldn't be music that feels grounding, helps with focus or brings calm. He set out to describe, with sound, what it feels like to meditate.

Each track has a purpose. Awakening Astrid is for reading and concentration, and Caerwyn's Journey is for turning any space into a personal temple. Dimitri Dives In is for communication and connection, and another track is for creative flow. Rolfe says the music helps him break through creative blocks, read without distraction, and get through a long drive in Los Angeles traffic. He invites listeners to try it and tell him how they use it.