Dr. Richard Gold
The career of Dr. Richard Gold, President and Executive Producer of Metta Mindfulness Music, has long been defined by his ability to bridge disciplines that are often treated as separate. As a licensed acupuncturist and Doctor of Psychology, his work reflects a sustained commitment to understanding how the body, mind, and environment interact. Today, that exploration has taken a new direction through a project that brings together neuroscience, music, and an unexpected collaborator, plants.
Gold’s academic path began at Oberlin College, where he studied World Religions alongside pre-medicine, an early indication of his interest in both scientific and philosophical frameworks. After graduating from the New England School of Acupuncture in 1978, he devoted his career to East Asian Medicine, combining clinical practice with teaching, research, and authorship. His advanced studies across China, Japan, and Thailand further shaped a perspective that emphasizes connection across systems rather than separation within them.
Over the decades, Gold has contributed to the field in multiple ways. He was one of the four founders of the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, now known as Pacific College of Health and Science, helping establish a formal educational structure for traditional Chinese Medicine in the United States. His book, Thai Massage: A Traditional Medical Technique, introduced Western audiences to a practice that had been largely inaccessible, reinforcing his role as both educator and translator of knowledge.
The work has since been published in multiple languages, including Portuguese and Japanese, reinforcing its global relevance. Decades later, he continued this effort with the publication of Seitai (Lymphatic) Shiatsu, Cupping, and Gua Sha in 2019, further bridging traditional techniques with contemporary understanding.
Yet his work has never remained static. “I have always been interested in how different systems of knowledge intersect,” Gold says. “The question is not which discipline is correct, but how they inform each other in a way that improves human experience.”
That question has become central to his recent work as President and Executive Producer of Metta Mindfulness Music. The company focuses on creating sound-based experiences designed to support meditation, emotional balance, and overall well-being. What distinguishes this effort is its grounding in both traditional mindfulness practices and contemporary neuroscience, an area Gold has studied closely in recent years.
At the center of this work is a new collaboration with composer Yuval Ron, an internationally recognized musician known for blending ancient traditions with modern composition. Together, they are developing a project centered on plant music, an emerging field that explores how electrical activity within plants can be translated into sound.
“This project is about expanding how we think about awareness and connection,” Gold explains. “Plants are living systems that respond to their environment in measurable ways. When those signals are translated into sound, it creates an entirely new way of experiencing that interaction.”
Working with Ron, the project integrates musical composition with data derived from plant biofeedback, creating soundscapes that are both structured and organic. The intention is not simply to produce music, but to create an immersive experience that supports mindfulness while also inviting listeners to reconsider their relationship with the natural world. “Yuval brings a depth of musical understanding that allows these signals to become something people can engage with emotionally,” Gold says. “It is where science, art, and awareness come together.”
This direction reflects a natural extension of Gold’s long-standing interest in meditation and mental awareness, which began with a month-long retreat in 1970 and has continued for more than four decades. His recent focus on neuroscience has added another layer, providing insight into how sound and meditative practices influence brain activity and emotional regulation.
In his private practice, Gold continues to treat a wide range of conditions, including pain, digestive issues, and stress-related disorders. His approach integrates Chinese Medicine with psychological principles, allowing him to address both physical symptoms and the broader patterns that contribute to them. “When you look at health through a single lens, you miss important information,” he says. “Integration is what allows for a more complete understanding.”
That same philosophy extends into Gold’s broader engagement with public dialogue. Alongside Yuval Ron, he welcomes opportunities to join podcast conversations and interviews, where they can explore healing, mindfulness, and the evolving role of sound in health. These exchanges offer a natural extension of their work, bringing their ideas into wider discussions around awareness and human experience.
The plant music project, however, represents a distinct step forward. It moves beyond traditional frameworks and into a space where disciplines converge in unexpected ways. By translating plant activity into sound and shaping it through musical composition, Gold and Ron are exploring not only new forms of expression but also new ways of engaging with the environment.
“For me, this is a continuation of the same work I have been doing for decades,” Gold says. “It is about understanding connection, whether that is within the body, between mind and body, or between humans and the world around them.”
In that sense, the project is less a departure and more an evolution. It reflects a career built on curiosity, adaptability, and a consistent effort to bring different forms of knowledge into conversation with one another.
