Papers by Susan Alexjander
This article presents a case study involving a 79-year-old man who, after severe drug poisoning a... more This article presents a case study involving a 79-year-old man who, after severe drug poisoning and entering a comatose state, was transferred to the hospital after 2 hours. The study aims to examine the effects of three therapeutic approaches, namely "Frequency Therapy," "Music Therapy," and "Speech Therapy," continuously administered to the patient for one hour each day using headphones. The researcher initially attempted to provide the patient with the ability to generate oxygen during a time when he likely could not hear. Subsequently, the researcher utilized music therapy, along with motivational messages from the family, along with alterations in the frequencies and arrangements of selected classical music pieces. This was achieved by transmitting the content simultaneously to both ears through two headphones with precise separation. The goal was to utilize this combination for improving the patient's physical condition and positive stimulation in various brain hemispheres. Lastly, the integration of the call to prayer (Adhan) with the patient's favorite songs aimed to study the transformation of his emotions and positive effects on his mental clarity. All these studies were conducted in the ICU room of the hospital.
IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, 1999
Set1 deep enough, urd you see musically; the heart i f Nutwe being e\*el;v-n4ier.e music, $you ca... more Set1 deep enough, urd you see musically; the heart i f Nutwe being e\*el;v-n4ier.e music, $you can only r e a~h it.-Thoma\ Carlyle f we could hear the body, delve into its I rhythms and frequencies, what might it sound like'? Would we recognize patterns pleasing to the ear ... consider them beautiful ... musical? Is our biology harmonically ordered in any way'? And if so, so what? There are many ways to explore such questions, and one direct way is to access the frequencies of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the primary carrier of genetic information for all living organisms. In 1988 the author, a composer, posed these questions to Dr. David Deamer, a cell biologist (now at UC Santa Cruz). Dr. Deamer is internationally known for his research on the origins of life. Some years before he had createdvery interesting music cassettes (DNA Suite and DNA Music) based on the mapping of sequences of bases in the double helix of DNA. He was intrigued and offered to help. One significant constraint with this project required that, rather than "mapping," or assigning arbitrary pitches to "hear" patterns, the actual vibrational frequencies were to be collected directly from the molecular realm. These frequencies would then be arranged as "scales" of tones and used as the basis for musical composition. Two years later, on April 22, 1990 (Earthday), the cassette version of "Sequencia" was recorded, and in 1994 the CD with additional music was produced. Sequenciu consists of three performances of original mus i c-"E i k o s , " " S e q ue n c i a , " a n d "Pataphysical Thymine"-performed on traditional instruments plus electronic keyboard, based entirely on a tuning system derived from certain frequencies that occur naturally in DNA.
Our Sound Universe, 2019
The nucleus of most atoms emits a radio wave which can be mapped as a tone. The most commonly kno... more The nucleus of most atoms emits a radio wave which can be mapped as a tone. The most commonly known elements mapped this way reveal fascinating patterns and relationships between each others' frequencies, including almost perfect octaves and fifths. Our chemistry is relating harmonically; some atomic elements include the intervals our ears prefer and call 'music.' A correspondence from the electromagnetic spectrum to sound reveals that at some level or dimension, our bodies are singing.
IEEE Journal, 1999
In 1988 the author and biologist Dr. David Deamer collaborated on a science/art project which con... more In 1988 the author and biologist Dr. David Deamer collaborated on a science/art project which consisted of measuring the vibrational frequencies of the four DNA base molecules, translating them into 'sound,' programming them into a Yamaha synthesizer and using this tuning system as the basis for original compositions entitled Sequencia (1990 and '94 CD). The realization of biological, infrared frequencies into sound has resulted in unusual insights into the harmonic fabric of DNA, and reactions from listeners suggest that our bodies may have a way of recognizing their own electromagnetic patterns through the resonance of tone.
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Papers by Susan Alexjander