Stewart Lane Music

The Nerve project

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A collaboration between Composer Stewart Lane and Sound Artist Susan Brown on sound and transformation

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The healing properties of sound, and its capacity to induce heightened states of being and enhanced perceptions, have been recognized and practiced across cultures for millennia. Throughout history, the wisdom associated with sound’s transformative properties has risen and fallen in prominence. In some epochs, it was closely guarded by a select few; in others, it was freely shared. In contemporary times, there is a resurgence of interest in the power of sound and music, though it remains largely regarded as fringe science.

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Human Resonance

Music offers one of the clearest representations of vibration and resonance that we can easily understand, even though its full capacity to affect us remains largely mysterious. Vibration lies at the very core of atomic structure; despite appearances, all matter, at the atomic and molecular level, is in constant motion. Human resonance, or vibration, is influenced by many factors, including our thoughts, reactions, and experiences. Much of what we think has been shaped by our early life experiences, which profoundly affect how we view ourselves. This, in turn, impacts our resonance, influencing the people, events, and opportunities that we attract into our lives.

One of the most powerful ways to work with our own resonance is to achieve inner balance. In the fast-moving complexity of modern life, music serves as a powerful tool to help us achieve this. Ancient wisdom traditions across cultures were rooted in the understanding of balance, and many practices such as acupuncture and yoga still embody this principle.

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Sound and the Four Humours

In ancient beliefs, the human body was thought to be filled with four basic substances, called ‘humours’. When these humours were in balance, a person was healthy; when out of balance, disease resulted. The humours were thought to shift constantly, influenced by diet, mood, and activity. If an individual had an excess or imbalance of one humour, their personality and physical health would be affected. These humours were closely related to the four elements: earth, fire, water, and air—earth corresponding to black bile, fire to yellow bile, water to phlegm, and blood containing all four elements.

• Those with an excess of blood were described as sanguine, characterized by cheerfulness, optimism, and confidence.

• Those with an excess of phlegm were phlegmatic, often calm, self-possessed, or apathetic.

• Those with an excess of yellow bile were choleric, marked by ambition, energy, and a drive to instill these traits in others.

• Those with an excess of black bile were melancholic, often associated with sadness or gloom.

Well-being was considered the responsibility of each individual to maintain, with medics offering guidance in identifying imbalances and suggesting remedies. This philosophy resonates today in practices like acupuncture and other holistic therapies.

The Sonic Reaction

In response to the ancient question of balance, resonance, and vibration, Composer Stewart Lane and Sound Artist Susan Brown collaborated to explore these themes through sound. Lane chose the medium of a string quartet to investigate the nature of each humour through acoustic properties.

Nerve consists of four movements, each addressing one of the humours. The string quartet serves as the dialogue between each instrument, reflecting the qualities of each humour:

1. 1st Movement: Phlegm (Cold and Moist)

2. 2nd Movement: Choler (Hot and Dry)

3. 3rd Movement: Melancholy (Warm and Dry)

4. 4th Movement: Sanguine (Hot and Moist)

Susan Brown’s contribution to the project involved a process of editing, or 'dismemberment,' where she re-imagined the original compositions through electro-acoustic reciprocations. Her work invites a sensorial reconfiguration, further exploring the intersection of sound, vibration, and resonance.