PHOTO ESSAY: Music Saved My Brain

A lot of photographs were shot for my in-depth four-part series story "Music Saved My Brain," where I explored music as an alternative therapy for epilepsy based on my own experience with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

The documentary photography for this narrative seeks to portray the life-changing journey I went through while visually showcasing a series of captivating portraits and landscapes.

Dr. Freddy Henríquez

Dr. Freddy Henríquez is one of the few Costa Rican neurologists specialized in epilepsy in the country. He was the one who diagnosed me with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. He's also the one who said music technically saved my brain. His theory is that music calmed down my triggers and reduced the risks of seizures.

Cerebros Calavera

My adult brain with Dr. Henríquez's anatomically correct brain on the bed where the electroencephalograms (EEGs) are carried out it in his medical office at the Hospital Internacional La Católica in San José, Costa Rica.

Dr. Gerardo Lang

Dr. Gerardo Lang is a Costa Rican neurosurgeon. He was the one who first got interested in my story and experiment. He explained my "immature brain" from my adolescence, the role of the anti-seizure medication at that time of my life, why music is one of the best things for the human brain, and how it could be an alternative therapy for epilepsy.

Cerebro

This is the brain that Dr. Gerardo Lang uses to explain how music affects the brain. He uses it to point which lobes in the brain get activated whenever a person listens to music, plays an instrument, or creates it.

Renate Rohlfing

Renate Rohlfing is a US music therapist, pianist, and associate professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachussets. She analyzed my brain to understand my personal experience with music from a psychological and physiological perspective. She taught me that music gives my life purpose and stability through its strong healing power. She also explained how music can save someone from suicide.

Self Portrait

I've been playing the piano since I was 10 years old. Without knowing it, I've been doing music therapy throughout most of my life and it's what saved my brain, my life, and my career. In this self portrait, I'm playing the piano next to a colorful traditional Costa Rican oxcart (left), my grandparents' photos (right), and my great-great-grandparents' paintings on top.

Costa Rican Flag

One of the main reasons behind this series was to honor my beautiful Central American country: Costa Rica. I wanted to showcase my tiny nation full of its characteristic tropical vibrancy while highlighting my Latin American heritage, background, and roots. This Costa Rican flag is located at the renowned "Rotonda de La Bandera" in the country's capital of San José.

Tapantí

As part of my purpose of honoring Costa Rica, I wanted to portray my country with what characterizes it on a global level: nature. This is the luscious green forest from the Tapantí - Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park in the province of Cartago. I wanted to portray the tropics in a vibrant manner with its breathtaking natural scenarios.

Adult Brain

This is a portrait of myself with my "Adult Brain" shot at the Tapantí - Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park in the province of Cartago. I placed myself in a tropical environment to honor my beautiful Central American country. I also wanted to portray the tropics in a vibrant manner, from the clothing by the Costa Rican brand Mar de Urano, to the natural scenarios.

Tapantí II

The beautifully breathtaking view from above and afar of the Tapantí - Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park in the province of Cartago.

Portrait of Myself

This portrait of myself at the Tapantí - Cerro de la Muerte Massif National Park in the province of Cartago seeks to merge nature with fashion. I wanted to place myself in a natural tropical environment to honor my beautiful country of Costa Rica. The poncho I'm wearing belonged to my maternal grandmother. It's an original piece she purchased from Indigenous women in Guatemala in the 1970s.

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