York Sunday
News, Sunday November 3, 2002
Talk (And Listen) To The Animals
By Rochelle Brenner
It's a story about talking animals and psychic connections -- kind of like a marriage between Miss Cleo and Mr. Ed.
But it's also about faith. A love of animals. And musical inspiration.
This is the story about a man -- an engineer -- who came to record a CD of New Age-classical music he says he channeled from a dog he met once.
This story is about Larry LeBeau, 46, who says he is able to contact an Afghan hound in an animal sanctuary 300 miles away from his home in the woods of North Codorus Township. And through this connection, he said he receives music he's never heard before and composes original piano scores in a musical genre he never knew how to play.
Believing LeBeau's story requires you to do what he did -- dispel your reservations about something as seemingly strange as animal-human telepathic communication. He once thought it was crazy and far-fetched, too.
But too many coincidences, too many reasons to believe piled up, and he couldn't deny what he felt.
Maybe you will think it's a coincidence.
Maybe you think it borders on lunacy.
Maybe you can relate.
After all, this is a nation where people assign personalities to their pets, where pets are part of the family and often add to people's lives in ways they can't explain. You just have to trust your intuition.
When Larry Met Monica
LeBeau's venture into the world of animal communication began to change his way of thinking in early September 2001, during a conference on the subject at Spring Farm CARES, an animal sanctuary in upstate New York.
That's where Larry met Monica.
His wife Jackie had convinced him to go to the workshop because she was already a believer and wanted to contact their four dogs. But by the time the LeBeaus left, animals weren't just talking to Larry. They were creating music through him.
As part of the seminar, participants were sent into rooms alone with animals, then instructed to report back to the group (using spoken words) what the animals said telepathically.
LeBeau wandered into a room where a dog he'd seen once before was sitting at the end of a couch.
He kneeled in front of Monica, who suffers from leprosy, and told her (using telepathy) he heard she doesn't talk to many folks. She smiled at him.
"She said, 'It's about time you talked to a dog around here,'" LeBeau said, imitating Monica.
He asked why she chose to talk to him.
He said she responded, "Why not you?"
"She has a sense of humor, a very sharp one," LeBeau said. "She has a reputation. You don't mess with this dog. She's kind of stand-offish."
But LeBeau said Monica opened up to him. In their short conversation, Monica taught him a few things -- that he needs to listen better, that love is important and that Spring Farm is important. After that, LeBeau said she got quiet and started looking out the window. Larry asked if she was done talking. Monica said "Yup" and dismissed him.
LeBeau was so excited to make contact at only his second conference on animal communication, he did what he usually does to relax. He sat down at a piano in the lobby and started playing the instrument he has studied since he was 7.
What came out was a song he had never heard before. In a style of music he had never played before.
"I heard in my mind 'play G, play G.' I could immediately play it,'" Larry said. He was composing his very first score, which sounded like a sort of New Age-classical tune -- a giant leap from the boogie-woogie and classic rock he was used to playing.
"I sat back and said, 'What was that?" LeBeau said.
The music came in individual notes, basic chords and a melody with a feeling so intense, he was driven to play.
Then he saw the source of this musical inspiration. In his mind, he could see Monica's wry smile. And he knew.
"I said in my mind, 'Was that you?' She said, 'Of course it was. Let's do it again,'" LeBeau said.
And they continued to make music together. The next morning, LeBeau was restless and woke up early to take a walk. The word "Muriel" was floating in his head, even though he wasn't even sure if it was a name. When he returned to the conference after his walk, he started asking people about Muriel. He was told "Muriel" was Monica's nickname for a breeder named Anita; the name became inspiration for a song.
"That was the turning point for me. I never looked back," LeBeau said.
And when the music kept coming, LeBeau made a promise. If he continued to receive music through Monica, he would record it. A year and thousands of dollars in production bills later, their first CD, the 16-track "Gifts of Joy," has sold more than 300 copies. Together man and dog have recorded 37 songs. LeBeau hopes the second recording will be released in early 2003.
The Engineer, Science And The Bible
But Larry said he knew making the CD would open him to ridicule from his engineer co-workers. He works for Science System and Applications, Inc. (SSAI) outside Washington, D.C., where he designs, maintains and creates software for the federal government.
"There's a couple co-workers who think I'm nuts," he said. But it was worth losing face amongst a few to spread the word about animal communication and Spring Farm, he said.
LeBeau attempts to explain the seemingly supernatural using science, religion and something called intuition.
His scientific explanation:
"Thought is energy. It travels in a wave similar to light or electromagnetic radiation. I don't think it's the same, but similar to gamma, X-rays. It travels through great distances and matter -- in fact, better than light. Everyone has the ability to send and receive thought energy."
"Thought energy can't be explained, just like gravity."
And if you aren't convinced by the scientific explanation, he says there's also proof in the Bible.
"'Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy,'" he said, referring to Psalm 96:12.
"Yes, it's a metaphor but maybe trees can sing if you know what to look for," LeBeau said.
Believers in animal communication say it is possible to speak to anything that is alive, but it is more difficult with beings that have little contact with humans.
The Web site for Spring Farm includes quotes from a donkey, a llama and a goose. "I will gladly show you what it is like to see life as a goose. You must be willing to learn, listen, and grow. The rest is easy," says a female goose named Annie Perry.
The practice of animal communication has become more popular in recent years. There's even a TV show called "Pet Psychic" on the Animal Planet network. The concept is still far from mainstream, but more and more people are convinced that their animals are talking to them.
Becoming A Believer
Jackie LeBeau never doubted the credibility of the psychics since the first time she saw the subject on the Internet.
"I said, 'Oh my, isn't this a good thing. You can talk to your pets.' I just thought this was just the coolest thing," she said.
She started calling pet psychics a few times a year for the fee of about $1 a minute.
Just like a human psychic, the animal communicators would answer questions the LeBeaus asked over the phone. Questions like: Where is my dog's favorite place to drink?
In response to that question, the LeBeaus said a psychic in Nevada said she saw lots of trees and stone and concrete and a chute of water. The answer astounded the LeBeaus, who say the psychic described the manmade waterfall in their backyard too closely for it to be coincidence.
"That was like perfect. She had no idea where we live in the woods," Jackie said.
It took a lot more than that to convince Larry the phenomenon was real. "That was one of the turning points," Larry said. "But I was still skeptical."
When they asked a psychic what one particular dog's favorite toy was, the psychic started laughing and said their dog had communicated the message that it's none of her business. LeBeau said that answer fit perfectly with the dog's personality.
"That convinced me better than if she said what (the dog's) favorite toy was," LeBeau said.
At that point, he was at least convinced that other people have talents or abilities he can't explain, but he didn't think he could do it.
But he soon learned that not only could he do it, he had done it before. He just didn't call it telepathy.
Animal psychics explained to him that the feeling is what people call "intuition." It's that feeling that something has gone wrong, or that you know what someone else is thinking when they're thinking it, or when the dog runs away when you think about the upcoming trip to the veterinarian. Being an animal communicator simply requires people to practice using their intuition, focus on it and believe what it tells you.
"Yes, some people do think I'm crazy. However, I'm surprised how many people don't," LeBeau said.
Hearing The Music
LeBeau suffers partial hearing loss because of a birth defect, and may eventually lose his hearing entirely. He said the piano is loud enough that he doesn't have to wear his uncomfortable hearing aid, but he worries that he won't be able to compose music in the future. He needs to hear what he's playing to fine-tune the music Monica sends in bits and pieces.
Still, the most important ingredient to making music is listening to Monica in his mind. Monica will even share in the royalties from the CD -- a portion of the proceeds will be sent to Spring Farm.
LeBeau said the album is Monica's attempt to give something special to the world and bring attention to Spring Farm, whose mission is to change the world by changing people's perception of animals.
He said Monica has the ability to make music because she was a musician or theater performer in a past life.
"I think Monica is an old soul and has depth beyond the scope of being a dog," LeBeau said. He said Monica was also a Native American human and spent several lives in Europe. LeBeau believes he, too, was a Native American in a past life, because Monica told him he was.
Making Contact
LeBeau hasn't seen Monica since they began making music together, but he tries to contact her a few times a week. Sometimes she contacts him, but Monica is a morning person and early starts are not conducive to LeBeau's schedule.
On a recent morning, the Sunday News met with LeBeau and his wife at their home, hidden in the woods at the end of a long, rural driveway. The only indication the LeBeaus are at the end of the road is the sound of dogs barking.
LeBeau was asked to contact Monica and simply ask if she had anything to say. LeBeau said he never tried to contact her on demand before, but obliged the request.
He sat down in a large recliner, bent over and grabbed his ankles, more out of habit than from the effort of channeling. There is no special position for channeling. He fixed his eyes on one spot, keeping them open. A few seconds later, he raised his head.
"I got that she thinks you're a very nice person and this is a good thing," LeBeau said to this reporter. He was then asked what Monica would think if people didn't believe she was communicating with him.
"Monica?" Larry asked, staring straight ahead, holding his chin in his hand. He paused another few seconds and he said, "That's OK. Lots of people don't believe."
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