----- 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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