----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2005 4:25
PM
Subject: The MRI and Looping: For Ambient
& Experimental Music?
I just had a most exhilarating experience: my
first MRI (on my lower back). This was amazing. I laid down on a sliding
table, and they pushed me into a sarcophagus like tube with mere inches
around my entire body. They put large headphones on my head, and
then for the next 30 minutes I was eased into a seemingly euphoric and
meditative state. What I heard were a series of interesting sounds...from
jackhammer-like hammering, to buzzing or vibrating cycles, bizarre sci-fi
industrial like sounds, and so on. It was delightful. The MRI technician
said it was a rarity for someone to actually enjoy that procedure.
At one point in time, I was in a half waking/dream state and was awoke by
my leg twitching. I could have stayed in there most of the
day. And the amazing thing is that when I asked about the source of the
sounds, he said they were not mechanically generated; rather, around my body,
encased in metal, was a giant electrical coil surrounded by helium, chilled
down to a cool minus 270 degrees. The sounds were a result of changes
they were making in the electrical current and the resulting vibrations to the
machine. Unbelievable...not sure how all that produces an image of my back,
however.
...anyway, I started thinking, I would love to
have that 30 minutes captured on a digital recorder so that I could use it for
looping or as an ambient backdrop to my more experimental
looping.
Are there any MRI technicians on the
list?
Kris
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