Birthdate: 13-32-82
Notes from a lecture by G. Sebastian Weinhausen, Ph.D.
*Be sure to learn the key terms in bold type.
Hello, my name is Dr. G. Sebastian Weinhausen, and today we will be taking an in-depth look at the relationship between cellular processes and rock-and-roll music. To begin with, one must understand what an enzyme is. Put simply, an enzyme is a protein that catalyzes a chemical reaction, causing it to occur under conditions where it otherwise would not. Enzymes accomplish this by lowering the activation energy of the reaction . . .but I won’t bore you with that crap. Just know that cells use enzymes to produce energy.
At any rate, enzymes target specific molecules, called substrates, which bond to the enzyme. At this point, I want to begin the analogy to this music that you youngsters like so much. Think of the enzyme as the drummer and of the substrate as the bassist in your favorite band, be it Led Zeppelin, The Police, or maybe even Neoteny, if your taste is bad enough. Anyway, the substrate bonds to the enzyme and voila!—you have your reaction!
Now, in your average band, the drummer has the role of timekeeper, and the bassist must make sure that the notes he plays lock in with the drummer’s rhythm, and vice versa. When the bassist and drummer are “locked in,” the music they catalyze is immensely powerful--pouring out to the listener, leaving them overwhelmed, in awe of the magical musicianship . . .or shall we say musical magicianship?
However, enzymes and substrates do not fit together so perfectly, as the old “lock-and-key theory” suggested. Instead, they likely follow the “induced fit model” recently proposed by biologists. The enzyme must change its shape to allow the substrate to fit. Along these same lines, the drummer must be versatile and open-minded, willing to work with bassists who play all styles of music. If the bassist starts playing a slap groove, will the drummer pound out an eighth-note rock pattern? If he knows what’s good for him, he’ll break out with a booty-shakin’ groove that’ll get all the funksters in the house dancin’. Aww yeah. That’s what I’m talking about.
So the main points of this bastardized biochemistry/music appreciation lecture can be summarized as follows:
--Enzymes accept substrates to catalyze chemical reactions.
--Drummers = enzymes and bassists = substrates.
--As an enzyme must change its shape to allow a substrate to fit, a drummer’s playing must be versatile and malleable so that he can “lock in” with the bassist with whom he is performing.
Favorite Artists:
311, The Urge, Foo Fighters,
Incubus, The Clash, De La Soul, Bob Marley, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Fishbone,
Trans Am, Soul Coughing, Medeski Martin & Wood, Radiohead, Shootyz Groove,
The Police, The Roots, Rush, Santana, Our Lady Peace, NOFX, Dave Matthews Band,
The Who, Phish, Deftones, Primus, Talking Heads, Stone Temple Pilots, Helmet,
Busta Rhymes, Led Zeppelin, Sunny Day Real Estate, etc. (I could go on all day
here.)
Here's some music that has lately warped my fragile little mind:
Dave Matthews Band--Listener Supported
Deftones--White Pony
No Doubt--Return of Saturn
Big Ass Truck--¿Who Let You in Here?
John McLaughlin--The Free Spirits: Tokyo Live
Vandals--Hitler Bad, Vandals Good
Primus--Antipop
Sunny Day Real Estate--How It Feels to Be Something On
All-Time Favorite Albums:
1.
311--Transistor
2. Soul Coughing--Irresistible Bliss
3.
Mahavishnu Orchestra--Visions of the Emerald Beyond
4. Our Lady
Peace--Clumsy
5. Trans Am--Surrender to the Night
