Like silent discos, but for meditation. Miami pianist heals with music
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MindTravel beach concert. Photo: Courtesy of MindTravel
Every full moon on Miami Beach, you'll find Murray Hidary playing piano to a crowd of people on the sands of Indian Beach Park.
- To passersby, it's completely silent. But through the headphones of each listener, Hidary transmits musical mindfulness.
Why it matters: Hidary, the founder of MindTravel, believes music has the power to heal others like it did for him after the death of his sister.
- The Miami composer has built a loyal following, hosting sessions as far away as Antarctica and in his own backyard.
What they're saying: Hidary tells Axios that it's important for us to process our trauma, big and small, at the risk of letting it seep into our everyday interactions.
- Music — the "language of emotion" — acts as the perfect catharsis, he adds.
- "We say pain that's not transformed will be transmitted."
How it works: Hidary, who tours year-round in Florida and during the warmer months in California, blends original compositions, spoken-word teachings and the natural landscape to transport listeners to a state of mindfulness.
- His live sessions include beachside concerts, silent walks and floating meditations hosted at public pools or at his Miami home.
The beach concerts require listeners to wear headphones connected to Hidary's electric piano and microphone.
- Hidary improvises what he plays on piano and no two sessions are ever the same, he tells Axios.
- Participants can stay with the group, dip their toes in the water or walk over 300 feet away because the headphones are connected via radio transmitter, not Bluetooth.
- The headphones provide an intimate experience, but Hidary says participants feel a sense of community when they look around and see hundreds of people listening to the same thing.
- Each session ends with an open mic for participants to express themselves publicly. "It's probably the most powerful part of the night."
The floating meditation sessions — which Hidary hosts every month in his backyard — invite listeners to unwind in a pool heated to 96 degrees with underwater speakers transmitting his live piano performance.
- As you float on pool noodles or submerge yourself in the water, you can feel the vibrations of the music as your mind begins to disassociate. "You can't tell where your body ends and the water begins."
- Afterward, sit by the fire and chat about life.
The latest: Hidary is hosting a floating meditation session Thursday night.
- $80+.
- The next South Florida beach concert is Dec. 27 in Fort Lauderdale.
- Tickets start at $50 ($25 for children) but there is also a pay-what-you-can option.
If you go: See the full calendar of events at the MindTravel website.
- The next full moon is Jan. 13.