Woman hears in color, paints accordingly

[musterion]

Melissa “suffers” from a condition known as synesthesia, which allows her to experience various things – from sounds to letters and even math formulas – as colors, so whenever she hears music, her mind’s eye sees a symphony of colors and textures. In a desire to capture the way she perceives music and share it with the rest of the world, the Missouri-based artist immortalizes popular songs as vibrant paintings.

http://www.odditycentral.com/art/ar...s-colors-paints-popular-songs.html#more-56869

I want to see her representation of John Cage's 4:33.

 

[Arthur Brain]

I get colours for each note of the musical scale and one of my favourite composers would often describe chords in terms of colour. It's cool, and so's this woman's work.

 

[musterion]

I've been heavily into music all my life, have had some training, but have never gotten colors of any kind from it. :idunno: I acknowledge it could be a whole other level on which to appreciate it.

 

[Arthur Brain]

I've been heavily into music all my life, have had some training, but have never gotten colors of any kind from it. :idunno: I acknowledge it could be a whole other level on which to appreciate it.

Well, don't know if it's associated but I was born with perfect pitch and I just get a haze of colour in the mind for each note. For 'C' & 'C#' it's light and dark blue, for 'F' it's red, 'E' it's yellow etc. For chords it's an impression of colours merging. For an "affliction" it's one I'm happy enough to live with...

 

[musterion]

Interesting. Either you have some bad wiring there, or I have.

 

[Arthur Brain]

Interesting. Either you have some bad wiring there, or I have.

Well, I wouldn't say either of us have and even if it is technically on my side, I sure wouldn't want it "fixed". Here's a wiki article on the phenomenon that's pretty informative:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

 

[musterion]

Figure of speech, not literally meant.

 

[Arthur Brain]

Figure of speech, not literally meant.

No worries, I've just found out I have 'chromesthesia' so I've learned something new for the day...

:chuckle:

 

[musterion]

Maybe the National 'elf will let you get on disability.

 

[Arthur Brain]

Maybe the National 'elf will let you get on disability.

I start a new job soon and it's far from a disability anyway.

 

[musterion]

Yeah? What field? If you don't mind my asking. Be vague if you like.

 

[Tambora]

Well, don't know if it's associated but I was born with perfect pitch and I just get a haze of colour in the mind for each note. For 'C' & 'C#' it's light and dark blue, for 'F' it's red, 'E' it's yellow etc. For chords it's an impression of colours merging. For an "affliction" it's one I'm happy enough to live with...

That is interesting.
Is "C" the same color to you regardless of the instrument being played (ie. same color whether piano or violin)?

 

[Arthur Brain]

Yeah? What field? If you don't mind my asking. Be vague if you like.

No, don't mind. Support/care work.

 

[Interplanner]

I've "seen" Lennon's "Imagine" and it doesn't look like that!

 

[Arthur Brain]

That is interesting.
Is "C" the same color to you regardless of the instrument being played (ie. same color whether piano or violin)?

For me it is yes, it's the note itself that triggers the colour association as oppose to timbre.

 

[musterion]

Is "C" the same color to you regardless of the instrument being played (ie. same color whether piano or violin)?

Good question.

 

[Arthur Brain]

Good question.

Well, in case it got missed it's the note itself rather than any instrument or sound source it came from.

 

[Town Heretic]

Well, don't know if it's associated but I was born with perfect pitch and I just get a haze of colour in the mind for each note. For 'C' & 'C#' it's light and dark blue, for 'F' it's red, 'E' it's yellow etc. For chords it's an impression of colours merging. For an "affliction" it's one I'm happy enough to live with...

Sweet. I don't have that, but I can play by and large anything by ear given a little time and I can hear sharps and flats accutely, so as a singer I don't go off pitch, which always found me work as a back up singer when I was a kid. I think Jack has that. His mother doesn't and even when he was very young and she'd sing he'd wince because she would go a wee bit flat or sharp. He is a tough crowd, musically.

 

[Arthur Brain]

Sweet. I don't have that, but I can play by and large anything by ear given a little time and I can hear sharps and flats accutely, so as a singer I don't go off pitch, which always found me work as a back up singer when I was a kid. I think Jack has that. His mother doesn't and even when he was very young and she'd sing he'd wince because she would go a wee bit flat or sharp. He is a tough crowd, musically.

Hey, I can't sing to any level of accuracy as I could tell when trying... You never know, Jack might have the same and if he has it's a gift not a 'condition'.