Hearing a Gene of Hearing premiered in the concert programme at the International Conference on Auditory Display (ICAD), in Canberra in July 2016.
The piece was performed by the ANU Experimental Music Studio directed by Charles Martin and performed by Benjamin Drury (Human), Millie Watson (orangutan), Ellen Falconer (Mouse) and Ben Harb (Mouse), on 6 July 2006 at Lewellyn Hall in the ANU School of Music, Canberra.
Hearing a Gene of Hearing was composed from the GJB2 gene. A sequence of genetic ACTG components was mapped to percussion for a Ubang clay drum. The patterns that emerge sound unusual because they do not have any regular or repetitive rhythm. This sonification of genetic patterns may help the listener understand more about the structure of DNA.
The GJB2 gene provides instructions for making a protein that transports potassium ions in cells throughout the body. This protein is particularly important for hearing because it is used in the conversion of sound waves to electrical nerve impulses in the cochlear. For this reason, mutations of the GJB2 gene can cause nonsyndromic hearing loss which does not have any other signs or symptoms.
The GJB2 genes from 4 different species (Human, Orangutan, Dog, Mouse) are played in parallel on 4 Ubangs. The parallel performance of 4 gene sequences by 4 musicians explores the concept of collaborative sonification. The piece also explores data sonification as a medium for musical performance and aesthetic experience.
Barrass, S. (2016) Hearing a Gene of Hearing, in Proceedings of the International Conference for Auditory Display, ANU School of Music, July 3-7, 2016, Canberra.
This piece is a development of DNA for 9 Ubangs.
Filed under: composition, conference, performance, soundart Tagged: Acoustic, genetic, sonification, ubang
