ust as it is impossible to appreciate the whole of L. Ron Hubbard’s life without his music, so too, one cannot appreciate his music without taking into account what he gave art as a whole.

The subject had long intrigued him; for until one could offer a workable definition of art, he had written, the world was not likely to become more conscious of it. And without art, he elsewhere added, a society’s honor and glory is lost.

So between all else that occupied him in the name of Dianetics and Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard examined musical form and its emotional response as part of his larger study of art. At the heart of this examination lay a very special view of man as an intrinsically spiritual being who was himself quite close to all that is embodied in the words “beautiful” and “aesthetics.” And, in fact, he explained, when one speaks of utilizing Dianetics and Scientology towards the rehabilitation of artistic ability, one is speaking of rehabilitating that which is closest to our spiritual heart. But the problem of providing a workable definition of art remained; and partially to that end, L. Ron Hubbard continued his examination of what is probably the most ubiquitous of all art forms -- music.

His preferred instrument for such research was the electronic organ. The first, a Baldwin 10 Electronic Church Organ, served him in Wichita, Kansas where, between the spring of 1951 and the early winter of 1952, he lectured at the local Dianetics Foundation. With his founding of Scientology, and its worldwide growth through the remainder of the decade, came L. Ron Hubbard’s move to Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead, Sussex; and there, beside an apartment piano stood a Wurlitzer and much prized Mellotron Electric Organ, forerunner of the synthesizer and capable of fairly replicating the human voice. In a closing sequence of a Scientology promotional film, entitled An Afternoon at Saint Hill he is seen at the instrument for a rendition of “The Saints Go Marching In,” while his own compositions from this period have been described as faintly medieval and hauntingly beautiful. But the main end to what he modestly termed this incidental study, was an understanding of music in general and art as a whole.

His now famous conclusions are contained in a revelatory text entitled, ART. The most broadly influential philosophic explanation of the creative process, ART has inspired artists of a dozen fields including writing, painting, filmmaking, acting, dance and, of course, music. Intrinsic to the work is his much quoted definition of art as “a word which summarizes THE QUALITY OF COMMUNICATION.” It is within that framework, then, that he proceeded to codify the subject in its entirety.

By way of example, consider his analysis of rhythm. “There are six distinct types of rhythm in music,” begins his examination of the matter as contained in ART. He then continues with his definitive analysis of those rhythmical types, including:

“Regular: Meaning the evenly accented (stressed) beat.

“Syncopated: The placing of upbeats along with downbeats at regular or irregular intervals.

“Stopped: In a stopped rhythm there are regular distinct halts to the flow of melody, but all the beats are there, they are simply regularly halted for an interval.

“Accented: Where one or more beats in a measure received a stronger stress (beat) or accent.

“Omitted Beat: The regular omission of one or more beats in measures.

“Added Beat: Additional strong or, generally, weak beats are added to the rhythm in a consistent or inconsistent manner.”

His point -- and he was first to recognize such a delineation -- any and all rhythms are made up of those six basic forms, singularly or in combination; and, it is the skillful employment of these rhythms that establishes audience rapport and thus communication. In the same essay, he further delineates the use of rhythm to either lull, soothe or excite, and the place of rhythm in prose, poetry and even the visual arts. For in the final analysis, he very acutely observed, “Rhythm and its expression is the basic key to all art forms.”

Also pertinently addressed through the pages of ART are the fundamentals of presentation, of which he declared, “Artistic presentation always succeeds to the degree that it is done well. How easily it is done is entirely secondary.” Thus, “a true professional may do things pretty easily from all appearances, but he is actually taking care with each little bit that it is just right.” To exactly that end, he further addressed the more or less lost art of stage manners (a particularly interesting matter in this age of shock-rock). But the fact is, regardless of how seemingly contemptuous is the snide rock performer, “a degree of affinity with or for the audience must be physically expressed.” For in the final analysis, the purpose of performance is basically communication, and drawing from a fundamental Scientology tenet, communication is impossible in the absence of affinity.

His own performances, however impromptu, were said to have been models of all he advised. In black tie at a concert grand to entertain attendees of a Scientology convention, for example, the general impression was one of polished elegance: Every gesture positive and refined, every note and vocal inflection flawless and, all in all, the embodiment of a music maker whose work, “summarizes the quality of communication.”

    A photo of of L. Ron Hubbard with one of his earliest organs, the Baldwin 10.