General Music Chat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV2zeT39Qeo

Please watch the video above.
Then read this article:

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

Keep in mind there are numerous different synestates out there and new ones are being discovered all the time. The video above is just an example.

Post you past experiences with this condition, or other views on this.
I'm interested to hear what my fellow musicians say about this!

This will explain it to those who dont have it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvwTSEwV ... playnext=1

Never experienced it either literally, nor in the imaginative sense, which isn't the real thing, but I'm actually incapable of even imagining anything in a non literal sense. Long story why.

The only reason I'm replying is I'm interested in why this interests you. Just curious is all. Do you experience it?

Oh yes I do.
But everyones s different, or to different levels.
I see music as motion.
And distortions and keys as colors.
For instance:
D flat (my favorite key) is dark green.
And a French horn is yellow in tone, and is why I hate the instrument.
Bagpipes register as a yellow/purple.
Tempo and beats per minute make anything from a flowing motion, all the way to something I can only describe as a sword fight

Is this sort of the same as being able to see somebody's aura? I met a person who claimed they see auras. She said everybody's aura is a different color. She met a few people who had black auras who were perfectly healthy and they died shortly thereafter. I asked her if my aura was black and she said no (I forget what color my aura was). Are you imagining this or do you actually "see" the colors? Do it affect how you play music or write songs? Does it affect your seeing musicians live? Is it a hindrance or help in your musical endeavors? Curious... and extremely interesting. There's a lot of paranormal activity that we cannot quantify scientifically, but I believe much of it is real. I had the Holy Ghost go through me. Nobody believes me and I didn't believe in the Holy Ghost until it happened to me. I also saw a UFO that I know for a fact wasn't anything from this Earth. What we classify as paranormal may some day be scientifically explained, we're just not capable right now in our evolutionary development...

Do you actually "see" them though. Does the imagary appear to be coming from your eyes, rather than just an imagination thing. What I mean it, do you ACTUALLY SEE it? From what I'm reading it's as if you literally SEE something you also hear, or ACTUALLY SMELL that you also see, etc.

Like it's more than just an association type thing. Right? That's the way I'm reading it. I don't mean "Are you sure it isn't just all in your head." I mean I'm not dismissing what you're saying.

I'm actually fascinated by this, partly because I've never heard of it, and partly because I can't even imagine things like that. I'm mildly Autistic. I've done those imagination exercises that involve things like "What color is this musical note?" or "What does this painting of a rock smell like?" and the questions to me are just nonsense, because my imagination just doesn't work that way. I can't even imagine literal "cross wiring" of the senses.

I've even done acid in the past, quite a number of times, and never experienced anything like that.

The motion part, not only do I see but I have to act out when I'm speaking. Like I said its different to all people, but mine is motion. I would post a video of one of our shows to show you, but I fear the ridicule i would face hahaha.
As for sounds to color, like i said, it really matters what it is, and most of all if it all blends together well. If it doesnt, thats when my senses pick up on color. I can locate the source very fast too because like the videos say, its very memorable. Annoying colors like purple and yellow I can not ignore, and red colors like F and F sharp, should be avoided. But yes, It is a very intense "vision" if you will when it happens.

But I think you are thinking that the eyes LITERALLY see the stuff, as if we can't see through it or like if we were driving it would cause an accident. I dont have it that bad, but I guess someone might. Its more of a background to me.

And another thing, synesthesia is usually always the same experience FOR LIFE for the individual. So sadly, I will never like the bag pipes.

Is this sort of the same as being able to see somebody's aura? I met a person who claimed they see auras. She said everybody's aura is a different color. She met a few people who had black auras who were perfectly healthy and they died shortly thereafter. I asked her if my aura was black and she said no (I forget what color my aura was). Are you imagining this or do you actually "see" the colors? Do it affect how you play music or write songs? Does it affect your seeing musicians live? Is it a hindrance or help in your musical endeavors? Curious... and extremely interesting. There's a lot of paranormal activity that we cannot quantify scientifically, but I believe much of it is real. I had the Holy Ghost go through me. Nobody believes me and I didn't believe in the Holy Ghost until it happened to me. I also saw a UFO that I know for a fact wasn't anything from this Earth. What we classify as paranormal may some day be scientifically explained, we're just not capable right now in our evolutionary development...

Cant do the aura thing, but Ive heard of it.
As far as know, doctors are trying to figure out if that is a type of synesthesia, trying to see if it relates to face/health/chemical balances within a person/smell/body build/or what have you.

Yes it does effect how I write music. 3 ways actually:
1. Key I wont stay in a key with a bad color for too long
2. Tempo. This is relative to change with keys/transitions/lyrics
3. Lyric writing.

Someone told me how they write lyrics and THEN music, and I was blown away! How do you know what the motion will be like if you don't have the tempo?
I have to write music FIRST and then whatever the music's motion is I can gather words that explain what action is associated with it.
generally:
slow tempo = happy or sad music, or maybe both
medium = progressive, technical music I picture workers with hammers or sword fighters, or bettering one's self
fast = running or heroic, dark backgrounds with fire in the mid ground and a hero running to action. Or betrayal.

I cant tell you if its a hindrance or a help. This is how my brain has always worked. Its like me asking you how you might be able to play in the key of F sharp for over a minute.

Yeah! That's what I thought! That is freaking wild man. With the way my mind works, if that kind of thing happened to me, it would most likely drive me literally crazy! I mean for REAL man. Maybe not, if I'd lived with it all of my life, but if it started happening now, it sure would if I hadn't heard about it before. Now that I know, if it ever does, which I doubt, at least I'll know what it is, and can just treat it like some weird trip. At least I have experience with them.

That is really fascinating man! Have you been like this as long as you can remember, or do you remember it beginning at some point. Not to get to personal. Just curious/fascinated, if I haven't said that enough already.

Since I started playing recorder back in 1st grade actually. Most the time it isn't a trip, it's either REALLY relaxing, if the motion fits, or I like the colors, like dark green or blue. Or It actually is so offensive, I physically and emotionally become angry at whats causing it. A messed up solo in a symphony can send me for the doors if it was that out of line, or a harmonious melody of strings with lite flute can almost put me to sleep. because its so blue, its like looking up to the sky on a warm summer day.

What are some others experience with this? Or am I just the only freak on BM?

Aw, c'mon man! It just makes you who you are. You aren't a freak.

Unless you take pride in it. Then it's okay, and welcome to the club!

No I was just joking.
I understand that its not a bizarre condition.
Everyone has something that makes them different, and if they don't, then they're the weird ones.