Sunreed™ did not begin as a business idea.
It began as a life path.
What eventually became Sunreed™ Instruments and Sunreed™ Center grew from a lifelong pilgrimage into sound, spirit, and the deeper wisdom traditions of the world. Over the decades this path has unfolded through music, healing work, teachings from many cultures, and a deep relationship with the living Earth.
What follows is a glimpse into that journey.
The Early Calling
In the late 1960s I had an experience that changed the course of my life.
A presence began speaking to me — not in my mind, but audibly, as though someone were standing behind me. I would often turn around to see who was there speaking. The voice would guide me in understanding choices I was facing and help me see more clearly the purpose and direction of my life.
I was not using drugs, nor had I ever taken any. These experiences simply arrived and began opening questions about the deeper nature of existence and the wisdom held within spiritual traditions across cultures.
Those early moments marked the beginning of a lifelong search to understand the nature of consciousness, healing, and the unseen forces that guide life.
The Gift of the Flute
Not long after, someone placed a bamboo flute in my hands.
It was untuned. That meant I had to rely entirely on my own listening to find harmony rather than dissonance. I spent hours learning how breath moved through the flute and how sound responded to subtle shifts in attention and awareness.
That simple instrument became one of my greatest teachers.
“That flute taught me something I have come to trust throughout my life: when something resonates in harmony, you feel it. When it does not, you feel that too. Learning to listen for that harmony became the foundation of everything that followed.”
— Zacciah Blackburn
Over time I began making flutes myself, sharing them freely with friends and others who felt drawn to their sound.
Discovering the World of Sound
As my path unfolded I found myself playing with musicians from many cultures.
These encounters opened the door to instruments and traditions from around the world — India, China, Japan, Africa, ancient Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.
Each culture carried its own understanding of sound.
For some it was music.
For others ceremony.
For many it was medicine.
I gathered instruments from these traditions, learned from their makers, and explored how their sounds interacted with one another. Through these experiences I began to see sound not just as music, but as a powerful vehicle for awareness, healing, and transformation.
The Birth of Sunreed™
As more people encountered the instruments I was working with, they began asking where they could find them.
Often I would simply give away my own instruments, knowing I could obtain more from the makers I had met. Gradually I began helping people connect with these instruments and the artisans who crafted them.
In time this simple exchange grew into what became Sunreed™ Instruments.
I sometimes hesitate to call it a business.
For me it has always been an extension of my life’s work — sharing instruments that carry profound beauty and healing potential with people who feel called to them.
Teachers and Traditions
Along this journey I was fortunate to meet many extraordinary teachers.
Some came from ancient wisdom traditions that had preserved sound practices for centuries. Others were pioneers in what we now call sound healing.
Among them were Saruah Benson — one of the earliest teachers in the United States to use the term “sound healing” — and her teaching partner Dr. Molly Scott.
I was also initiated into several spiritual traditions and worked closely with teachers from both indigenous and contemporary lineages.
At the same time, the inner guidance that had appeared early in my life continued to unfold, offering deeper insights into the nature of resonance, consciousness, and healing.
These teachings eventually grew into the body of work now shared through Sunreed™ Center.
The Turning Point in Vermont
One of the most profound chapters of my life unfolded during a period when I stepped away from much of my work and spent more time in nature while raising my children.
During this time a Native elder guided me to an extraordinary canyon in Vermont.
That place became one of my greatest teachers.
As I opened myself to the land, the mountains and waters of the region seemed to come alive with their own intelligence and presence. Over time I developed relationships with these places — the mountains, the lakes, the living energies of the land.
Deep healing occurred during those years.
Eventually the message became clear: it was time to return to the world and share what I had learned.
The Work Expands
From those early beginnings the work of Sunreed™ gradually expanded.
People came not only for instruments, but also for guidance in how to use them. Sound healing practices were quietly spreading through communities of therapists, meditators, musicians, and healers.
Today these practices appear in many settings — yoga studios, hospitals, schools, addiction recovery programs, veterans’ programs, and therapeutic practices around the world.
Modern research is beginning to confirm what ancient cultures have long known: sound can profoundly influence the human body and mind.
As this work continued to expand, it also began to take on more defined forms.
What had been shared through instruments and individual encounters naturally grew into spaces for deeper study, healing, and practice.
This led to the creation of The Center of Light Institute of Sound Healing and Shamanic Studies, a place dedicated to the exploration of sound as a therapeutic and spiritual path.
At the Center, the work expanded into training programs, personal healing sessions, and immersive studies in sound, consciousness, and the living Earth.
These offerings were not separate from the earlier path, but a continuation of it — a way of supporting others in developing their own relationship with sound, awareness, and the deeper forces that guide life.
As the field of sound healing began to grow more widely, this work also extended outward into a number of collaborative efforts.
These included the International Sound Healing Network, the World Sound Healing and All One Now initiatives, and the Sound and Music Alliance, each one arising from a shared intention to support the growing community of practitioners, and to deepen understanding of sound as a path of healing and transformation.
None of these were created as separate directions. They are expressions of the same work, unfolding in different ways, through different forms, over time.
A Living Path
Over the years I have been blessed to share this work with my partner Dorothy Stone, whose wisdom, artistry, and embodiment of the Sacred Feminine have brought immense depth to everything we do.
Together we continue to guide the teachings of Sunreed™ Center and the instruments offered through Sunreed™ Instruments, supported by a small and dedicated team.
What began as a flute maker’s path has become a global community of practitioners exploring sound as a path of healing, meditation, and transformation.
A Message to You
If you have found your way to Sunreed™, there is likely something within you that resonates with this path.
Many people encounter sound healing through a simple moment — hearing a bowl, a flute, or a gong that opens a quiet space inside.
Others feel a deeper calling to explore the relationship between sound, consciousness, and the living world.
Wherever you begin, remember this:
“You already carry within you a deep well of wisdom and knowing.
Sound simply helps us remember.”
With gratitude for the journey we share,
Zacciah Blackburn
Emissary of Sound™ & Founder Sunreed™