Rediscovering Sound — With Sylviane Conzen

Sylviane Conzen has been close to music her entire life but felt she rediscovered sound when she started reciting Veda.

By Sophia Ann French

Belgium-based Sylviane Conzen is the third musician I have interviewed from the recent graduates of the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme (2024) — she teaches the pedagogy of rhythm to piano teachers. Despite their familiarity with sound, every musician I have interviewed feels they have rediscovered sound with Veda recitation and feel its effects more than music. “I was always interested in sound. When I was a teenager, music helped me when I was in a bad mood and throughout my life, I always felt music helped me transcend difficulty,” says Sylviane. She first heard about mantras when she attended a workshop on healing sounds hosted by an American teacher, and at the time, the discovery was serendipitous. “This teacher gave us homework on mantras, and while working on that homework, I realised what a powerful and profound effect the mantras had on me. It required so much discipline, and once I started, I couldn’t stop. It became a daily practice. I have always felt the mystical in me and longed for something spiritual. It is why I teach music — even music is a spiritual practice,” says Sylviane. Excerpts from our conversation…

Finding Veda

Sylviane: The American teacher who had introduced me to chanting had moved, so I was looking for another teacher and found Shantala. I signed up for the Free Veda Essentials Course and started studying with her in 2022. It was a rapid and intense initiation, and I loved being immersed in the practice. I had a few spiritual experiences before this, but I had never experienced any practice the way I experienced Veda mantras. I don’t even experience music at such a deep level. With Veda recitation, you are really at the heart of the sound. You can feel the sound deep in your body — like internal sensations. I didn’t practise sound so deeply before Veda recitation. I can feel the difference of the various sounds in each sūktam, and each has a distinct vibration that affects me in different ways — it’s like magic. I feel like we are magicians with sounds that are like little miracles. 

Learning and Teaching Veda

Sylviane: Certain basic sounds are found in all languages, so I don’t struggle with Veda phonetics. I find the double consonants challenging and struggle with retroflex sounds, but I enjoy the struggle. The Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme was perfect for diving deeper into the knowledge required to recite and teach Veda mantras. Shantala is vigilant with every student and hears everything we do, so we get effective feedback to recite Veda precisely. I appreciate the Teacher Training because it gave me an insight into Indian culture. I have always wanted to visit India and felt a bit connected to India through Shantala. I love being part of the paramparā — I understand the importance of lineage because of how Veda is transmitted, and I love being a part of that. 

The Effects of Veda

Sylviane: My memory has improved. We train our brain when we recite Veda — it requires deep concentration and focus sustained over a long period. We are connected to what we read, listen to and recite; it requires immense concentration. I also feel my health has improved, and I know I can handle difficult situations calmly since I started reciting. Veda makes our bad qualities better — we improve on a mental and psychological level. I feel so much lighter and confident about life. I love the specific effects certain sūktams have on me. I just studied the Sarasvatī Sūktam, and was surprised by how it affected me. There is a flow, a fluidity that comes with reciting that sūktam. It’s empowering. 

Words of Advice

Sylviane: If you are new to Veda recitation, trust the sound. Take time to feel what you are reciting. Feel each sound and how the sounds connect, not just verbally but also intellectually. Trust the process and keep repeating it till you become one with each mantra. 

For further information on Sylviane’s classes, visit https://www.chant-vedique.com/