Stuart Mitchell is a Scottish pianist and composer known for exploring musical possibilities of DNA research and chamber works. He discusses his project called "The Eve Project" which translates ancestral mitochondrial DNA data into music. This allows musicians worldwide to express humanity's earliest genetic code through a collaborative musical composition. Mitchell believes this global project can foster greater human awareness and connection by giving musical expression to DNA all humans share from a common ancestor.

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The New Sunday Express I February 6, 2011
i .w i t n e s s art mart: song of mankind p
Scottish pianist and composer Stuart Mitchell is known for exploring the musical possibilities of DNA research
and various chamber works. He speaks to Akshatha Shetty about his music and upcoming projects
translating genetics into
musical harmonies
Q & A
It was no accident that scientists
Stuart Mitchell recognised the musical properties in
DNA and they continue to use sound
and vibration as a way to re-write and
repair broken DNA code. Precisely
l
ord Byron once said, “There’s
music in all things, if men had
ears, the earth is but an echo of
tuned DNA music to a particular
spheres.” The entire human frequency is already being used in the
race, caught up in the web of
dissimilarities and aggression healing of DNA in alternative medicine
are yet bound by the integral
connection formed with music — one three movements describing the birth symphony that has been created over
key element in the unification of our of a tear, the life and finally the death millennia of time to arrive at a song
existence. Mankind could not have of a tear and the piece is scored for that resonates with the bird’s world
emerged and evolved without music. Tenor and Piano. of today It would be so interesting to
.
And, the stark ability to permeate and jaunt back a million years and com-
penetrate through the boundaries of The revolutionary collaboration pare the songs the birds were singing
reality, makes this art form one of the between music and science is rath- then to their current command of
purest known to civilisation. So it er interesting. Can you tell us what music. They must be pretty good by
comes as no surprise that Stuart your thoughts are on creating now. Whales and dolphins especially
Mitchell was seduced early by the music from within (DNA) in its come to mind as experts in the crea-
creative simplicity of music. truest form? tional field of music using sonar to
A Scottish pianist and composer, Working with the music in a DNA communicate, locate prey, mate, fall
Mitchell strongly feels that his music sequence is an education unto its own. in love and the ultimate functional
is a symphony of connection that can Although I am purely a musician, I synthesis in music, to heal the DNA.
bring us all together under one melo- have found myself understanding a With all this time to develop their
dy. Unearthing the hidden music great deal about genetics and the existence and integrate music into its
locked in DNA sequences and discov- mechanisms that make it work. Dis- own survival, I would say the birds,
ering a motley assortment of melodies covering that vibration and ‘waves’ dolphins and whales did a pretty good
in medieval structures, this revolu- were largely responsible for the build- job up until now by building their
tionary artiste has dedicated his ing blocks of life to operate made me social network and life survival
entire life to harmonising the endless feel I was working with a musical around a musical system.
shades of distinction between art and score and the amino acids were the
science. In 2005, a collaborative project orchestra. It really is a symphony of Can you tell us about DNA Varia-
with his father led the music com- life in its truest sense. DNA music is tions II — The Earth which is
poser to unravel a secret musical code a new form and medium of music that scheduled to release during April
hidden in the intricate carvings of the will be greatly appreciated by musi- to coincide with Earth Day?
Rosslyn Chapel (whose unusual struc- cians, artistes and scientists alike. It DNA Variation — The Earth is my
tures and masonic symbolism played is highly beneficial for education second album in a series of tree, sea,
a significant role in the novel The Da by combining two disciplines together earth and sky-inspired by selected and
Vinci Code). By matching the Chladni that is educative and creative at the rare species Mitochondrial (Ances-
patterns on the carvings with musical same time. tral) DNA music. I chose Earth Day
It was no accident that scientists on April 21 to release it on because the
recognised the musical properties in symphony is dedicated to John Muir,
DNA and they continue to use sound the naturalist and explorer who was
The Eve Project was and vibration as a way to re-write and originally from Dunbar, Scotland, and
an idea born out of repair broken DNA code in a field
called ‘Wave Genetics’. Precisely
where we will be performing Calypso
Borealis with Martin Aelred on this
my research into tuned DNA music to a particular fre- day at the local cathedral.
quency is already being used in the
DNA and music. healing of DNA in many fields of As I understand, you would be col-
Mitochondrial DNA is alternative medicine. laborating with Martin Aelred for
The Eve Project. How has your
very melodic and the Would you consider music to be experience been so far ?
most musical of our your spirituality?
Very much so. I do feel I was put on
Martin is a wonderful artiste to
work and perform with. The warmth
research findings. this earth for very little else but to and control of his voice expresses the
The Eve Project is a explore, create and find out as much
about music and its connections as
Eve music in a very human and touch-
ing way Martin is also very active in
.
global project that possible. It is a language in a universal Earth conservation which is a great
expresses data found sense and I have always tried to
express its qualities with this idea in
bonus to our project.
in mtDNA mind. The more we understand about What genres of music do you enjoy
astronomy, physics, biology, geology listening to?
and nature the more the scientist Although I primarily listen to clas-
keeps running into vibration and sical and jazz music, I love all kinds
notes corresponding to the same fre- resonance. In simple terms, music of music. My son Lewis (13) influ-
quencies, the father-and-son team could be said to be the organisation of ences me a great deal now by introduc-
produced the hauntingly beautiful these vibrations into an artistic and ing me to hip hop and dub step
Rosslyn Motet. Thereby, introducing communicatively descriptive ‘vibra- artistes, keeping me from growing old.
music’s holy grail to humanity . tional package’. It is much, much Chopin is my most-listened to com-
His forthcoming venture will pro- poser in my home at the moment.
vide an extraordinary opportunity for
musicians and artistes to express our The fact that the Word on the street is you are going
ancestral mitochondrial DNA data in music was encoded to perform one of your composi-
music, sound and emotion. Mitchell tions at an open air concert at The
has successfully stroked the limen of using a phenomenon Great Pyramid of Giza in 2012? Is
consciousness by deciphering the
DNA code sequence in the world’s old-
we call today that true?
Yes, we have provisionally booked
est human fossil (250,000 years). A ‘cymatics’, a form of Light Show Arena in Giza for Decem-
worldwide music and science collabo-
ration, The Eve Project will melodise
vibrating sound to ber 21, 2012. This concert is a culmina-
tion of a concert series going on
a song that connects us and our create geometric throughout 2012 including a new piece
ancient history — The Song of Eve. of music composed and commissioned
In conversation with Express, Stu-
patterns, opened our for The Transit of Venus in June 2012.
art Mitchell shares his thoughts on eyes as to how well The Giza concert will feature Martin
The Eve Project, spirituality of music Aelred, The Monte Carlo Philharmon-
and the global song of mankind. informed ancient ic and myself conducting.
people were and
Can you tell us a little about the So what is in your agenda for the
Eve Project? aware of the year ahead?
The Eve Project was an idea born
out of my research into DNA and
properties and I have two new albums to be released
in April and June, coupled with con-
music. Mitochondrial DNA is very potential of sound certs and events with Martin in Italy
melodic and the most musical of our and Monaco. The Eve Project will be
research findings. The Eve Project is taking up a lot of our time throughout
a global science and art project that chondrial (ancestral) DNA of human- Can you tell us about your experi- music strangely haunting and famil- more than that. So much more that it the year and we hope to have the entire
expresses the data found in mitochon- ity brings about greater awareness to ence deciphering a musical code iar. It was extremely long, hard and makes you wonder why it is not rec- sequence completed by musicians
drial DNA, a DNA code used by gene- each individual human being and hidden in the ceiling design of tedious work but the results and dis- ognised more in the fields of younger worldwide by the beginning of 2012.
alogists to determine our ancestry. within the data that is our genetic Rosslyn Chapel? covery of the music made the effort education and politics. It is highly
The nucleotides in this sequence can make-up, is a symphony of connec- The Rosslyn project was a fascinat- more than worthwhile. We have a con- valued within religious, cultural and And your future plans?
be translated into musical pitch, open- tion that can bring us all together ing five-year journey into history, sci- cert of The Rosslyn Motet coming up ethnic beliefs, yet completely used To find more time to compose more
ing up the opportunity for musicians under one melody — The Song of Eve. ence and art. It opened up the idea to on March 19 performed on authentic and abused within our society’s infra- music. I am working closely with sci-
and artistes to express our ancestral With the help and collaboration of me that music/vibration is a key ele- 15th Century instruments. structure as a method of utilising and entist John Reid on a work called
mtDNA data in music. This sequence musicians, writers and artists, we can ment in the balance of life. The fact accumulating wealth. Musica Celestial which is based upon
was obtained from our earliest known express a sequence that we all carry that the music was encoded using a ‘The Design of a Tear’ is an exper- the actual sound frequency of the
ancestor commonly known as Mito- within each of us. A song that con- phenomenon we call today ‘cymatics’, imental piece based on the musical What is it about music that 15,000 visible stars, to be released in
chondrial Eve. Tenor Martin Aelred nects us and our ancient history for a form of vibrating sound to create possibilities of DNA research and intrigues you the most? 2012. I am also releasing a new book
and I shall be performing at various all time. DNA translation to music is geometric patterns, really opened our various chamber works. Could you I think what intrigues me the most with author/musicologist Richard
musical events and concerts of the a new step in the evolution of human eyes as to how well-informed ancient tell us more about this piece? about music, is we don’t exactly know Merrick about some of the latest and
Eve music throughout 2011. art and endeavour, and because we all people were and aware of the proper- ‘The Design of a Tear’ is my unique what it is. We feel what its effects are amazing new discoveries we have
carry this code passed on from moth- ties and potential of sound. DNA sequence taken from one of my but it always holds a great mystery made at Rosslyn Chapel since we
What can you tell us about the er to offspring, we can find deep inspi- The decoded music has become an own tears. I wanted to create a piece within its silence. We know humanity decoded it five years previously .
ancestral music of mankind? ration in the data’s connection with integral part of the Chapel’s daily that held as much emotion as it took is not the first to interact with music.
Music translated from the Mito- our past and ourselves. routine, and my father and I find the for the tear to exist. The music is in Every morning you will hear a bird — akshatha@expressbuzz.com
“DNA music exists within every living organism universally and now we have the technology to unlock a symphony from
within everyone for a better and more aesthetic understanding of life, ourselves and each other.”