Advanced Brain Technologies

The Listening Program® (TLP) is a music listening therapy, that provides engaging brain stimulation to improve performance in school, work and life.

Children, teens, adults and seniors can use the program in the home, classroom or workplace. Completely portable and easy to use, The Listening Program fits easily into anyone's schedule and only requires 15 to 30 minutes of daily listening.

The Listening Program is a fusion of beautiful art and sound science. The masterful performances of the award-winning players of the Arcangelos Chamber Ensemble are skillfully crafted using advanced audio technologies to provide an unrivaled listening experience.

How can something that seems so simple - listening to psychoacoustically modified classical music - actually impact a wide range of abilities, such as reading, communication, learning and memory?

Numerous studies worldwide, including research at the University of Sheffield, provide empirical evidence that substantiate The Listening Program’s efficacy. And while that affirms The Listening Program’s credibility, for many the question remains, how does The Listening Program work?

The Ear Brain Connection

So the question becomes...how can we overcome auditory processing challenges - moving from a “disorganized” to an “organized” system.

Certain classical music, like that of Mozart, Haydn and Vivaldi, has specific structure, producing sound waves in organized patterns. Within these patterns are vital elements including time, frequency and volume. When listening to music, the ear is receiving the musical sound waves - waves that arrive in different frequencies, measured in Hertz (Hz). These frequencies stimulate the brain, and thus affect different functions of the mind and body.

Specific Frequencies for Specific Functions

The Listening Program combines decades of clinical research in several fields, including neurology, physiology, psychoacoustics, auditory processing, music theory and more. The method builds on the work of respected leaders in these fields, such as ear, nose and throat (ENT) physician Alfred A. Tomatis, M.D. (1920-2001). Among other discoveries, Dr. Tomatis helped identify the relationship between certain sound frequencies and their effect on functions of the mind and body. A simplified explanation of Dr. Tomatis’ findings shows that certain bands, or zones, of sound frequencies affect different abilities.

TLP is designed to address these zones, systematically providing auditory stimulation that, when customized for listeners by ABT Providers, can help improve their ability to function in a number of ways.

Beyond the exquisite orchestrations recorded exclusively for The Listening Program are years of research and collaboration among therapists, physicians, neurodevelopment specialists, musicians and audio engineers at Advanced Brain Technologies®.

Stepping behind the scenes into the production of TLP music lends a better understanding as to why the program is effective in helping individuals progress intellectually, socially, emotionally and physically.

TLP Music Preparation and Production

For each TLP recording, professional musicians from around the world form the Arcangelos Chamber Ensemble. These players are chosen for their technical merit, expressive qualities, and genuine interest in creating music to maximize human potential.

Carefully selected compositions are arranged to complement psychoacoustic effects, including varied orchestration, tempo, octave, meter and simplification of lines.

But the work doesn’t stop there. Extensive post-production processes leverage psychoacoustic techniques to enhance the natural attributes inherent within the musical structure. These processes include filtration, audio bursting, blending, spatial dynamics, audio morphing and more.

The result is TLP music’s meticulous preparation. The program provides a quality of music and auditory stimulation that is not only proven – it is unparalleled.

The Listening Program’s patent-pending ABC Modular Design™ takes the program a step farther, enabling listeners to effectively exercise the auditory processing system, providing “warm-up,” “workout” and “cool-down” phases.

The science of physical training (and practical application) shows that certain approaches are most effective, such as a gradual warm-up for muscle groups, followed by weight-resistance training, concluded by cool-down stretching.

Following a similar pattern, TLP music is divided into 15-minute modules. Within these modules, the first phase, “A,” relaxes the listener and prepares the auditory processing system for the more intensive stimulation of the “B” phase. The listener is then returned to a relaxed state during the final “C” phase.

Why ABC Modular Design is Critical

This breakthrough design is important because effective stimulation depends on more than carefully selected classical music and psychoacoustic enhancements. It also requires the listener’s auditory processing system to be prepared to receive the information.

When someone experiences stress or anxiety, as so many with auditory processing problems do, the ear cannot easily discriminate higher frequencies. This leads to a decline in auditory processing abilities. Further, research asserts that a listener needs to be relaxed in order for neural feedback to properly control and improve the function of the middle ear.

ABC Modular Design enhances the effect of Music-Based Auditory Stimulation™ preparing the listener, then providing just the right amount of stimulation, then restoring the listener to a state of relaxation. With TLP music, improving the auditory processing system is more than a therapeutic endeavor; it is a pleasurable, enlightening listening experience that has been clinically proven to help enhance abilities.

Countless listeners worldwide have chosen The Listening Program® for its ease of use, cost-effectiveness and verifiable results.

But just as every listener is unique, so is the program implementation for each listener. No effective method is ever “one size fits all,” and that is why ABT relies on qualified, trained providers to administer the TLP method.

Who are ABT Providers?

ABT Providers are comprised of a diverse group of practitioners including:

Professionals become ABT Providers by completing a comprehensive training program. Once trained, ABT Providers are well-equipped to design listening schedules specifically for each client. They find the flexibility of TLP invaluable, enabling significant progress for clients along the continuum—from those seeking peak-performance to those struggling with debilitating disorders. What’s more, the TLP method integrates well with a broad range of modalities, actually enhancing other approaches.

What to Expect

After an initial client intake, ABT Providers will determine an appropriate, individual listening plan. Generally, listeners will use TLP once or twice a day for 15 minutes, five days a week. The initial listening plan will take place over the course of at least a few months, followed by maintenance listening to build on specific benefits. As ABT Providers monitor progress, they will often make adjustments throughout the listening plan to meet individual needs.

Whatever the listening schedule, consistency on the part of the listener is critical. For lasting change, casual exposure to auditory stimulation will not produce results. The brain must be frequently and repetitively presented with specific auditory stimulation, with the right intensity, and for a sufficient duration of time for effective change.

Not sure about choosing an ABT Provider? Click here for a helpful list of questions you should ask before choosing.

The Listening Program® Level One

TLP Level One is the latest TLP program with exquisite classical recordings masterfully arranged and processed with ABT’s most advanced psychoacoustic modifications.

To accommodate individual listener preferences, TLP Level One is available in two options: with or without sounds of nature. While many prefer to enjoy and focus on the lovely music, others especially children, benefit from the novelty of combining music with beautiful sounds from nature.

TLP Level One trains auditory processing skills from a foundational to advanced level and incorporates music recorded in 24-bit 192 kHz High Definition using ABT’s Spatial Surround® process presented with Dolby Headphone® technology. Listener’s experience a rich tapestry of sound with strings and woodwinds principally Mozart with Haydn, Vivaldi, Corelli and Danzi compositions. TLP Level One has been developed to be played through headphones.

The engaging music within TLP Level One is arranged in four sequential training categories addressing all audible sound frequencies with a focus on specific frequency zones. This allows for refined training with graded spatial processing treatments offering unlimited options for modifying the program to meet the unique goals and needs of the listener.

TLP Specialized Collection

TLP Specialized albums are comprised of individual programs within specific treatment categories. These have a broad range of uses from preparation training to augmenting Level One. There are a number of different albums that may be incorporated into a listener’s program, including:

• Full Spectrum: Developed as a gentle introduction and support to TLP listeners. Offers auditory skill training in all audible sound frequencies. There are currently four Full Spectrum albums.
• Sensory Integration: Offers auditory skill training in all sound frequencies with an emphasis in the lower frequencies primarily related with rhythm, balance, coordination, motor skills, self regulation and more. Lower frequency sounds are considered the foundation for higher level auditory
  processing. There are currently two Sensory Integration albums.
• Speech and Language: Offers auditory skill training in all sound frequencies with an emphasis in the mid-higher sound frequencies primarily related with memory, attention, vocal control, speech, language and more. There are currently two Speech and Language albums.
• High Spectrum: Offers auditory skill training in all sound frequencies with an emphasis in the higher frequencies which are primarily related with energy, creativity, ideas, ideals, higher levels of auditory and cognitive processing, and more. There is currently one High Spectrum album.

Learn more about the Specialized Collection

TLP Level One Listening Options

iListen® iListen features The Listening Program® (TLP) Level One on an iPod produced with un-compressed, copy protected audio specifically for the iPod. iListen comes preloaded with TLP Level One and a library of music from the Sound Health® collection. Also includes an educational guidebook, and portable carrying wallet. There are three iListen TLP Level One Options: iListen TLP Level One Premium iListen TLP Level One Nature iListen TLP Level One iListen option details>

CD Kit The Level One CD Kit includes; ten (10) 60-minute CDs, educational guidebook, and portable carrying wallet. There are two TLP Level One CD Kit Options: TLP Level One Nature TLP Level One CD Kit option details>

ABT Bone Conduction Audio System™ The ABT Bone Conduction Audio System combined with TLP Level One provides an engaging experience to integrate the whole body and brain in the listening process. This multi-sensory approach accelerates and expands the benefits of The Listening Program. Bone conduction is portable and affordable and offers the convenience of home or school based listening. Bone conduction presents the music simultaneously through two different sound conduction pathways, air and bone. It provides a direct, clear transmission of sound to the cochlea and vestibular systems in the inner ear, adding subtle vibration of the skin and skeletal system. Listeners have the option to incorporate the ABT Bone Conduction Audio System™ with their iListen or CD Kit. There are four options available: learn more about the benefits of bone conduction>   iListen TLP Level One Premium Bone Conduction iListen TLP Level One Nature Bone Conduction iListen TLP Level One Bone Conduction ABT Bone Conduction System ABT Bone Conduction Audio System option details>

TLP Approved Headphones Using the right headphones with The Listening Program® is essential. TLP albums contain high quality acoustic recordings with vital harmonic content, spatial details, and a wide frequency range. These recordings are then carefully processed with many psychoacoustic modifications. To order TLP Approved headphones, click here: