The Last Note Has Been Recorded — The Story of How Acoustic Healing's Founding Sessions Came to Be
- acoustichealingmus
- Jun 3
- 3 min read
It Started With a Dinner
On the evening of May 16, 2026, a small group of people gathered around a table. They were musicians, a founder, and a shared conviction that the patients in hospital rooms across the Monterey Peninsula deserved something more than silence. That dinner was the beginning of everything that followed.
Session One: May 17 at New Dawn Studios
The morning after the founding dinner, Mary Superak arrived at New Dawn Studios in Monterey carrying more than half a dozen North American Flutes — each one with its own distinct voice, each chosen with intention. Mary is a certified therapeutic musician with years of bedside experience, and what she brought into that studio went far beyond technique.
From her very first note, it was felt. Ethereal. Spiritual. As beautiful as the call of an owl in the dark of the night. The founder sat in that room with chills from first note to last, feeling something deep in his core that confirmed every decision that had led to that moment.
When Julia Bartles Emahiser set her Cello in place, the instrument itself carried a regal presence before a single note was played. When she drew the bow across the strings, the founder got choked up — and stayed that way, off and on, through the entirety of her session. She filled the room with love, then added silence to let it sink in. It was more beautiful than anyone had imagined. Magical is the only word.
A couple of planes passed overhead — New Dawn sits near the airport — but nothing that slowed the momentum. What was recorded that morning was tender, intentional, and unmistakably healing.
Session Two: May 31 — Harp, Guitar, and the Unexpected
The second and final founding session took place on May 31st. Vivian Sarubbi, harpist and CCM with over 40 years of oncology nursing experience, arrived early. Microphones were in place. Lighting was being attended to. When she began to play, a warmth filled the room that drew everyone in. The intention behind every note was palpable — love expressed not as a sentiment, but as something you could actually hear.
Then the unexpected arrived. The airport, just nearby, sent what felt like plane after plane overhead — far more than the first session. Mid-session, Vivian's harp slipped slightly out of tune, likely from a drop in studio temperature. One note had gone sharp, and her primary tuner chose that moment to become uncooperative. Fortunately, she had a backup — and proceeded to tune the entire harp. Twice.
And then she played again. And it was, once more, exactly what it needed to be.
The Founder Steps Up to the Microphone
After a break, it was David's turn. He came in that afternoon managing more moving parts than he had expected. Building something from the ground up has a way of leaving less time for the very thing you are building. He felt it. He was tense. There were a few retakes. A few more planes came through — and he was, honestly, glad for the pause they offered.
But something loosened. And once it did, the music came.
Bill, Tricia, and their crew at New Dawn Studios were extraordinary throughout — patient, kind, and unhurried. In the middle of a take, a thought arrived without warning: this is actually happening. The dream that began with a loss, with a daughter-in-law named Becca, with nine years of walking hospital corridors with a guitar — it was no longer a future thing. It was happening. And then, in an instant, it was the past.
What Was Heard in the Playback
Before leaving the studio, a sampling was played back — Vivian's harp, David's guitar. Rich. Full. Warm. Everything that was hoped for, and nothing that was not. It felt complete.
What Comes Next
The four founding musicians of Acoustic Healing have now all recorded:
Mary Superak — North American Flute, Certified Therapeutic Musician
Julia Bartles Emahiser — Cello, Certified Therapeutic Musician
Vivian Sarubbi — Harp, CCM, Oncology Nurse (40+ years)
David E Villareal, RPh, CCM — Spanish Guitar, Founder
The editing process begins now. Like a cake in the oven, it will take the time it needs before it can be removed, cooled, and enjoyed. The music is in. The door is closed. Something beautiful is on its way to the patients it was made for.
David E Villareal, RPh, CCM
Founder, Acoustic Healing
🍸 www.acoustichealing.music
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