The Music of DNA

I was researching vibration today. I was actually trying to find out
about cycles per second and stumbled on this article about "The Music
of DNA",by Susan Alexjander, which presented a recording
of "Sequencia" I didn't find any musical scale reference while
reading. I easily get tired with words I am not familiar with and I
shy away from non-traditional tunings because of my reading
disabilities. I find non traditional music fascinating. Aurally, I am
intuned with most but become intimidated with the nomenclature of
explantions of physics, math, ratios and etc. Before I get confusing,
I like to ask, is there anyone that's familiar with this type of
music? The Music Of DNA. For some reason, I was guided to this
article. Just last week I was presenting a music lesson to some EMD
students(special ed.students)and I was talking about the vary same
thing about music being inside our bodies and in our DNA makeup.
Further, I said,that music is all around us from the conception of
birth to our present influences of walkmans,dentists offices,stores,
good ol' Mother Earth herself and Father Time. I presented myself by
saying that music is like the theory of God and all others concepts
thereof. Meaning,that our outer universe to our inner universe of our
bodies are being guided by some kind of force. If you like to call it
God,that will work for me or if want to call it science that too will
work. Furthermore, I said, that music is our emotions of our body
language. No matter what musical scale we were playing or what
instruments, we could control it with our senses, depending on which
ones were developed.(either normally or not) I could sense they
understood what I was saying. Using emotions as, happy, sad, mad,
crazy and lazy. I asked them too play a variety of emotions. I asked
what kind of vibe to you get from these emotions. I also asked them,
did you feel emotion through your body? I was very suprised to find
that they could relate to this kind of explanation verses a
traditional music theory training.(12 and 13 year olds) We later
tried playing music with thoughts of clouds, rain, hot sun and etc. I
could sense some were frustrated trying to relate to this kind of
lesson, so I asked them to play how they felt.(We were using the
Hohner Bluesband harmonica) I wasn't convinced they were mad enough
about being intimidated with learning my teachings, so I presented
myself with being mad and crazy, trying to emulate exactly the tones
they played. The class was now crazy as I was and we all played in a
frenzy of different musical harmonica cliches. Now, we tried our hand
at immitating our favorite musical performer. Rap singer, guitarists
and of course someone immitated me. Again the class was crazy for
awhile. As you can guess, I am interested in muiscal that has
relationship to the senses. Perhaps in accerated learning and some
emotional healing as well. Again I ask do any of you know of any
other further studies in "The Music of DNA"? David

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "David A. Lovatto" <slipindave@y...> wrote:
> ... Perhaps in accerated learning and some
> emotional healing as well. Again I ask do any of you know of any
> other further studies in "The Music of DNA"? David

Her site looks like it has been neglected a bit, and there isn't a lot
of explanation (there *are* email links, so maybe you could write her
and ask), but someone who used to be around here a while ago - Mary
Beth Ackerly - was using DNA information in conjunction with her
music, which also had a connection with healing.

Site:
http://www.elucida.com/

CD:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ackerley/from/evor

Cheers,
Jon

Hi David!
Although not quite DNA music , you might be interested in the work of Dr. Royal Rife who did research on the resonant frequencies of viruses and diseases.
while it might be nice to do any emotion with any tuning, the music of India with there Shuti system and ragas has done thousands of years exploring the emotional qualities of different scales and what effect slight tunings can make. One of the things that did and still does strike me about alternative tunings is how a slight difference in intonation can result to a quite large difference in feeling. Message: 15 Date: Tue, 12 Apr 2005 23:55:55 -0000
From: "David A. Lovatto" <slipindave@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Music of DNA

I was researching vibration today. I was actually trying to find out about cycles per second and stumbled on this article about "The Music of DNA",by Susan Alexjander, which presented a recording of "Sequencia" I didn't find any musical scale reference while reading. I easily get tired with words I am not familiar with and I shy away from non-traditional tunings because of my reading disabilities. I find non traditional music fascinating. Aurally, I am intuned with most but become intimidated with the nomenclature of explantions of physics, math, ratios and etc. Before I get confusing, I like to ask, is there anyone that's familiar with this type of music? The Music Of DNA. For some reason, I was guided to this article. Just last week I was presenting a music lesson to some EMD students(special ed.students)and I was talking about the vary same thing about music being inside our bodies and in our DNA makeup. Further, I said,that music is all around us from the conception of birth to our present influences of walkmans,dentists offices,stores, good ol' Mother Earth herself and Father Time. I presented myself by saying that music is like the theory of God and all others concepts thereof. Meaning,that our outer universe to our inner universe of our bodies are being guided by some kind of force. If you like to call it God,that will work for me or if want to call it science that too will work. Furthermore, I said, that music is our emotions of our body language. No matter what musical scale we were playing or what instruments, we could control it with our senses, depending on which ones were developed.(either normally or not) I could sense they understood what I was saying. Using emotions as, happy, sad, mad, crazy and lazy. I asked them too play a variety of emotions. I asked what kind of vibe to you get from these emotions. I also asked them, did you feel emotion through your body? I was very suprised to find that they could relate to this kind of explanation verses a traditional music theory training.(12 and 13 year olds) We later tried playing music with thoughts of clouds, rain, hot sun and etc. I could sense some were frustrated trying to relate to this kind of lesson, so I asked them to play how they felt.(We were using the Hohner Bluesband harmonica) I wasn't convinced they were mad enough about being intimidated with learning my teachings, so I presented myself with being mad and crazy, trying to emulate exactly the tones they played. The class was now crazy as I was and we all played in a frenzy of different musical harmonica cliches. Now, we tried our hand at immitating our favorite musical performer. Rap singer, guitarists and of course someone immitated me. Again the class was crazy for awhile. As you can guess, I am interested in muiscal that has relationship to the senses. Perhaps in accerated learning and some emotional healing as well. Again I ask do any of you know of any other further studies in "The Music of DNA"? David

--
Kraig Grady
North American Embassy of Anaphoria Island <http://anaphoria.com/>
The Wandering Medicine Show
KXLU <http://www.kxlu.com/main.html> 88.9 FM Wed 8-9 pm Los Angeles

Maqam Music is no less lacking in the area of expressing emotions through the utilization of the `naghme` (sound-melody).

Besides, I think you made a typographical error. It should be `Shruti`, yes?

Cordially,
Ozan
----- Original Message -----
From: Kraig Grady
To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 13 Nisan 2005 Çarşamba 18:30
Subject: [tuning] The Music of DNA

Hi David!
Although not quite DNA music , you might be interested in the work of Dr. Royal Rife who did research on the resonant frequencies of viruses and diseases.
while it might be nice to do any emotion with any tuning, the music of India with there Shuti system and ragas has done thousands of years exploring the emotional qualities of different scales and what effect slight tunings can make. One of the things that did and still does strike me about alternative tunings is how a slight difference in intonation can result to a quite large difference in feeling.

I am sure I could find the scales and tunings for these style of
music that you mentioned. In my early years of music before I became
a traditionalist, I was into Indian music and anything that resembled
the microtonal scales. It entriqued me to think that someone could
actually pinpoint a melodic tone for DNA substance. There were only
four mentioned. When I was younger I read and did a thesis on the
Doctrine of Ethos. I have always had a light shinning for this area
of music. Although, I know this group talks about the ET and other
alternative tunings for compositional purposes and listening
pleasure, I thought there would be someone who could lead me to find
some more information on this subject of DNA music. I just recently
reasearched a beginning and found that if I wanted to learn more,
there was a lecture offered in California, I think the Bay area.
That's a little far off for me right now. I am still teaching in
school at this moment. David in the foothills of the Appalachian Mts.-
-- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Ozan Yarman" <ozanyarman@s...> wrote:
> Maqam Music is no less lacking in the area of expressing emotions
through the utilization of the `naghme` (sound-melody).
>
> Besides, I think you made a typographical error. It should be
`Shruti`, yes?
>
> Cordially,
> Ozan
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Kraig Grady
> To: tuning@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: 13 Nisan 2005 Çarþamba 18:30
> Subject: [tuning] The Music of DNA
>
>
> Hi David!
> Although not quite DNA music , you might be interested in the
work of Dr. Royal Rife who did research on the resonant frequencies
of viruses and diseases.
> while it might be nice to do any emotion with any tuning, the
music of India with there Shuti system and ragas has done thousands
of years exploring the emotional qualities of different scales and
what effect slight tunings can make. One of the things that did and
still does strike me about alternative tunings is how a slight
difference in intonation can result to a quite large difference in
feeling.

hi Kraig,

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com,
Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@a...> wrote:

> while it might be nice to do
> any emotion with any tuning,
> the music of India with there
> Shuti system and ragas has done
> thousands of years exploring
> the emotional qualities of
> different scales and what effect
> slight tunings can make. One
> of the things that did and still
> does strike me about alternative
> tunings is how a slight
> difference in intonation can
> result to a quite large
> difference in feeling.

since you and i have been having an argument here lately,
i just thought i'd mention that i agree strongly with
what you wrote in this post!

-monz
http://tonalsoft.com
microtonal music software

Jon, thanks for the link. I too noticed the neglection. David

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Jon Szanto" <JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
>
> --- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "David A. Lovatto" <slipindave@y...>
wrote:
> > ... Perhaps in accerated learning and some
> > emotional healing as well. Again I ask do any of you know of any
> > other further studies in "The Music of DNA"? David
>
> Her site looks like it has been neglected a bit, and there isn't a
lot
> of explanation (there *are* email links, so maybe you could write
her
> and ask), but someone who used to be around here a while ago - Mary
> Beth Ackerly - was using DNA information in conjunction with her
> music, which also had a connection with healing.
>
> Site:
> http://www.elucida.com/
>
> CD:
> http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ackerley/from/evor
>
> Cheers,
> Jon

Hello Kraig,

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, Kraig Grady <kraiggrady@a...> wrote:
.....
>>>> while it might be nice to do any emotion with any tuning, the music of India with there Shuti system and ragas has done thousands of years exploring the emotional qualities of different scales and what effect slight tunings can make. >>>>

Seldom is our attention drawn to the fact that the microtones (shruti-s) act as the vehicles for aesthetic expressions. Verses 27-38 of Section 3 of chapter I of Sangita-ratnakara (a treatise from the 13th century), written by Sharngadeva, deal with the shruti-s, their classes, and their distribution among swara-s (notes). According to this, there are five classes of shruti-s: (1) dipta [pronounced deeptaa], meaning blazing, brilliant; (2) ayata [pronounced aayataa], meaning spread over, extended; (3) karuna [pronounced karuNaa], meaning compassion, pathos; (4) mrudu, meaning tender; and (5) madhyaa, meaning moderate, medium.

The combination of these classes found in each note:
Sa: all except #3; Re: all except #1 & #2; Ga: only #1 & #2 present; Ma: all except #3; Pa: all except #1; Dha: all except #1 & #4; Ni: only #1 & #5 present.

The significance of this classification has not been studied as far as we know, and so least understood.

Regards,
Haresh.

Dear Haresh,

What a wonderful organizing principle. Knowing that there were "extras"
available in playing the different Ragas, they had to be accounted for. The
natural qualities of the tonic Sa would seem to curtail any extra pitches in its
bandwidth that could exemplify compassion or pathos (#3 or Karuna in the shruti
descriptions). Likewise Pa, being the dominant 3/2, could not provide for a
microtone that is "blazing, brilliant" as this would contradict the original
purpose of the 3/2 so brilliantly poised in its relationship to 1/1, or Sa. The
Pa could simply not suffer the competition so anathema to its very being.

Thank you for providing this valuable information from this valuable treatise.

best, Johnny Reinhard

p.s. are you familiar with Baul music?

Dear Johnny, yes, I enjoy listening to Baul music. However, I have studied the folk music of Gujarat in some detail. Their common feature, among others, is the ektaar: the one-stringed drone which doubles as tempo/rhythm provider.

Best wishes and regards,
Haresh.